Gold Terms

Gold bullion is physical gold held for its metal content rather than any collectible, artistic, or face value.

Gold futures are standardised contracts to buy or sell a set amount of gold at an agreed price on a specified future date.

The gold/silver ratio is the number of troy ounces of silver it takes to buy one troy ounce of gold.

An inflation hedge is an asset expected to hold or grow its real value when prices rise, protecting purchasing power as inflation erodes money.

The LBMA Gold Price is the twice-daily benchmark price for gold set through an electronic auction in London.

Palladium is a rare precious metal used mainly in catalytic converters for petrol vehicles, where it helps reduce harmful exhaust emissions.

Platinum is a rare precious metal valued for its resistance to corrosion and its heavy use in industry, particularly in vehicle catalytic converters.

A precious metal is a naturally occurring metal that holds high economic value because it is rare, durable, and used across investment, industry, and jewellery.

A safe-haven asset is an investment that tends to hold or gain value during market stress, when investors move money out of riskier holdings.

Silver is a precious metal traded both as an investment and as an industrial raw material, valued for its conductivity, reflectivity, and relative scarcity.

The spot gold price is the current market price to buy or sell gold for immediate delivery, quoted per troy ounce in US dollars.

A store of value is an asset that holds its purchasing power over time, so it can be saved and exchanged for goods later without losing much worth.

A troy ounce is the standard unit of weight for precious metals, equal to about 31.1035 grams.

XAGUSD is the market symbol for silver priced in US dollars, where XAG represents one troy ounce of silver and USD is the US dollar.

XAUUSD is the market symbol for gold priced in US dollars, where XAU represents one troy ounce of gold and USD is the US dollar.