Gold is a precious metal that has always had a luxurious reputation and was first discovered around 3600 BC. Because of its rarity, gold was and is still worth a great deal of money, and it is one of few metals that people purchase as an investment. Gold is available for purchase in three main forms and there are benefits of each of these types.

Bullion

Gold bullion is often recognized as the most valuable type of gold you can purchase. Gold bullion is usually in the form of bars and is available in different sizes. According to Investopedia, gold bullion is made of gold that is at least 99.5% pure. In other words, gold bullion is pure gold; there is nothing added to it.

Buying gold bullion can be expensive though, even if you only purchase a small bar. While the price of gold fluctuates daily, as of January, 2015, the value of one ounce of gold was around $1,283.

Gold bars are sold in many different sizes, but it doesn't make a lot of sense to buy really large bars. If you purchase 10-ounce bars, they will be easier for you to sell than if you had 100-ounce bars.

One of the top benefits of purchasing gold bullion is that it will always be valuable. You may have to wait for a few months or years for the price to go up, but it will always be worth money.

Coins

A lot of people prefer purchasing gold coins instead of gold bars, and this is primarily because it is financially easier to invest in coins. Gold coins are smaller and cost less, which makes investing in coins a good idea for an investor that is just starting out.

Gold coins come in two main types and the first is gold bullion coins. These are coins made for investment purposes and are at least 99.5% pure. As you look for coins to buy, you should find out if the coins have other metals added to them, because this will cause the value to drop. Most gold bullion coins weigh one-ounce or less, but you may be able to find larger ones.

The other main type you can purchase is collectors' coins. These can be extremely pure, or they can contain a lot of other metals. Buying and selling collectors' coins is something people often do as a hobby and not necessarily as an investment.

These coins are typically harder to sell because:

• You usually have to locate coin collectors that want the coins you have
• It may be hard to verify the value of the coins
• The coins may have high values because of their rarity, but not necessarily because of their quality

Finding a buyer for gold bullion coins is usually easy, especially if the coins are backed by the U.S. Mint. A good rule of thumb to go by is the more common the coins are, the more liquid they are.

Jewelry

The third way to invest in gold is by purchasing gold jewelry. Purchasing gold jewelry has its advantages and disadvantages. One disadvantage is that you really have to know what to look for in order to buy it at a good price. As you shop for gold jewelry, these are some of the features you need to know:

• Karats – All gold pieces are labeled with karats, which can often range from 10 karats to 24 karats. Jewelry with higher karats is worth more money because karats represent the purity of the gold.
• Amount – The amount of gold on a jewelry item is also important because of the weight. Gold is often sold by the ounce, so having a larger item typically means it is worth more.
• Condition – Finally, it is important to look at the condition of an item before you buy it. You should always make sure the item is not corroded or broken. The gold in the item will still be worth money, but the value might be less because of the damage.

Another disadvantage of investing in gold jewelry is that you may have to pay a premium for it. Creating jewelry out of gold requires work and craftsmanship, and these things add costs to the jewelry. While you are paying for the purity and amount of gold on the jewelry, you are also paying for the labor it took to create the item. Because of this, it may be hard to recoup the full investment on the item if you decided to sell it.

One advantage of purchasing gold jewelry is that it offers a use. If you have gold jewelry, you can wear it when you go out, which makes it a useful item. This is not something you can do with gold bars or coins.

Investing in gold is a great idea because gold has a long history of value. If you would like to learn more about this and your options, contact a reputable company that buys and sells gold. For example, you can contact a gold buyer online at http://www.rmcoin.com.