Your complete resource for precious metals — from investment gold and silver bullion to platinum. Buy, sell, and track precious metal prices in one place.
Precious metals have been valued by civilizations for thousands of years as stores of wealth, mediums of exchange, and symbols of power. Today, they serve dual roles as investment assets and industrial materials. Whether you're looking to purchase precious metals for the first time, diversify an existing portfolio, or sell precious metals for cash, understanding the market is essential.
The king of precious metals. Gold is the most widely held and traded precious metal in the world. Its value is driven primarily by investment demand, central bank reserves, and jewelry consumption. Gold has an extremely long history as money and a store of value, making it the ultimate safe-haven asset. Track live gold prices →
Silver is both a precious metal and an industrial metal. Over 50% of silver demand comes from industrial applications including solar panels, electronics, medical devices, and water purification. This dual demand makes silver more volatile than gold but with significant upside potential. Silver bullion guide →
Platinum is rarer than gold and has significant industrial demand, particularly in automotive catalytic converters, hydrogen fuel cells, and laboratory equipment. Historically more expensive than gold, platinum currently trades at a discount — making it potentially undervalued for long-term investors.
Palladium is primarily used in gasoline engine catalytic converters, making its price heavily dependent on automotive industry demand. It's the least accessible of the four precious metals for retail investors but plays an important role in industrial applications.
Buying physical gold and silver is the most direct way to own precious metals. Here's how to get started:
The best place to buy precious metals depends on what you're buying and your priorities. Online precious metals dealers like APMEX, JM Bullion, and SD Bullion offer the widest selection and most competitive pricing. Local coin shops provide in-person service and immediate possession. For a detailed comparison, see our guides on the best place to buy gold and silver bullion.
BuyGoldHub is one of the best precious metal dealers for selling. We purchase gold, silver, and platinum in all forms — coins, bars, bullion, jewelry, scrap, and estate items. Our pricing is transparent and tied to live spot prices. We pay up to 80% of gold spot value with same-day payment via cash, wire, Zelle, or check. Whether you're liquidating an investment gold position or cashing in inherited jewelry, we make it fast and fair.
Learn more about our process on the sell gold page, or use our live gold calculator to get an instant estimate.
BuyGoldHub pays top dollar for gold, silver, and platinum. Same-day cash payment.
Get Your Free Quote →Every precious metal pays differently, and the spread between spot and payout is not the same across gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Understanding why the gaps differ helps sellers set realistic expectations before walking into any dealer.
Gold is the most liquid of the four metals at the retail counter. Refiners process it constantly, the resale market is deep, and karat math is straightforward. For scrap gold in standard karats, payouts typically land in the upper bracket of spot, with the exact percentage tied to weight, purity, and current dealer flow. Investment-grade coins and bars trade closer to spot still, because they require no refining step.
Silver works differently. The metal itself is cheaper per ounce, so the fixed costs of weighing, testing, and processing eat a larger share of the transaction. Sterling flatware, coin silver, and industrial scrap all pay, but the percentage of spot is meaningfully lower than gold for the same reason a small repair costs more per square inch than a large one. Recognized bullion rounds and bars are the exception and trade much tighter to spot.
Platinum and palladium sit in a different category. Both metals see less retail traffic, fewer dealers buy them confidently, and refining runs are smaller. Jewelry platinum, dental scrap, and catalytic material each have their own payout logic. Palladium in particular has seen wide price swings in recent years, which makes dealers more cautious on the buy side, the spread reflects that risk.
The practical takeaway: do not assume the same percentage of spot across all four metals. A dealer paying 90% of spot on gold scrap may pay 70% on sterling silver and quote platinum on a case-by-case basis. Ask for the payout in dollars per gram, not just a percentage, and ask separately for each metal in the lot. That is how the trade actually works, and it is how sellers avoid surprises at the counter.