EDUCATION

Learn About Gold

Build a strong foundation in gold terminology, purity, pricing and markets.

Gold Basics

  • What is gold?
  • Why is gold valuable?
  • How is gold measured?
  • What is a troy ounce?

Purity & Karats

  • 24K, 22K, 21K and 18K
  • Fineness
  • Hallmarks
  • Gold alloys

Gold Markets

  • Spot price
  • Premiums and spreads
  • Currency effects
  • Interest rates and gold

Core guides

What Is a Troy Ounce?

A troy ounce is the standard weight unit used for precious metals and is different from a standard ounce.

What Does 24K Gold Mean?

Karat describes the proportion of gold in an alloy. Higher karat generally means a higher proportion of gold.

Why Does the Price of Gold Change?

Gold prices can respond to interest-rate expectations, currencies, investment demand, central-bank activity and physical demand.