Why gold has held its value for thousands of years
Why distant societies all converged on the same metal: what gold is physically, why it is scarce, and the two properties that matter to an owner.
6 min02How the gold price is set
Where the gold price actually comes from: the over-the-counter wholesale market, the twice-daily LBMA benchmark auction, and the forces behind both.
6 min03Weights and fineness, decoded
Why a gold ounce is heavier than a kitchen ounce, what 999.9 and 916.7 mean, and how to work out the gold inside any coin.
6 min04The spot price, the premium, and what you actually pay
Why a gold coin costs more than the metal inside it, what that extra amount pays for, how bid, offer and the spread work, and why a quoted price is held for a limited time.
6 min05Coins or bars, and why the difference matters in the UK
Gold bars and gold coins are the same metal in two different shapes. Here is what each one actually is, and how they differ in practice.
6 min06Owning gold you can hold, and the alternatives
Coins, vaulted metal, ETCs, pooled accounts, futures, mining shares and gold apps, sorted by one question: do you own metal, or a claim?
6 minUnderstanding Gold knowledge check
8 questions across the six lessons. Every answer comes with its explanation, whether you get it right or not. There is no pass mark.
Take the checkInvestments in bullion are not regulated by the FCA, and there is no access to the Financial Services Compensation Scheme or the Financial Ombudsman Service. The value of gold can fall as well as rise, and past performance is not a guide to future returns. Nothing in the Academy is financial or tax advice.
Questions are better answered out loud
Book fifteen minutes with a specialist and bring whatever the lessons left open. Ask anything, decide nothing on the day.