Gold and Silver are the oldest currencies known to man. They have long been considered two of the most precious metals, and their value has been used as the standard for many currencies throughout history.

Gold
Even today, gold still forms the basis for a monetary standard used by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Bank of International Settlements (BIS). For a long period, the United States government has tied the value of U.S. dollars to gold; but in 1975, the price of gold was left to find its free-market level.

With the constant rise of oil prices, the US dollar has weakened. The constant threat of inflation, Gold has become the shelter of investment capital again. Moreover, the rise of the new economic markets such as China and India has deeply affected the demand for Gold. Many precious metal market analysts expect that Gold trading will be even more volatile in the coming years and that gold prices will become even more volatile. As a result, more and more investment opportunities are likely to appear in the spot Gold market for years to come.

Silver
Silver has been known since antiquity, as a precious as well as an industrial metal. Today silver is largely used in the photographic film and jewelry industries. With the introduction of digital photography, experts foresee a significant drop in demand for Silver. However, silver prices have experienced recent price gains. Since 2006, silver prices have been extremely volatile. Will this trend continue?