Are metals a good investment?

Metals can refer to individual refined metals, such as gold and silver. Because metals cover a large group of potential investments, it's critical to know what you're actually investing in. Lithium Mining: Dirty Investment or Sustainable Business? Bre-X Minerals Ltd.: What it is, History, Scandal Aftermath What Is the London Metal Exchange (LME)?

How to invest in precious metals?

There are several ways to invest in precious metals. They fall into two basic groupings: Physical precious metals: You can buy physical bars, coins, and jewelry made from precious metals to hold as an investment. These physical precious metal investments should gain value as the price of the underlying precious metal increases.

How do investors invest in base metals?

They're also often formed into ingots for physical purchases. Investors can participate in the base metals market by buying shares of companies like U.S. Steel, futures, options, and various ETFs.

What are precious metals used for?

Precious metals include silver (Ag), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), and palladium (Pd). Because of their scarcity, precious metals are valuable—much more so than the base metals. They are used for jewelry, art, coins, dental work, medical devices, electronics, and investment purposes.