You already know that gold is a safe and profitable investment, but maybe you don’t know where to start. Gold is not like other precious metals where you need to be an expert to judge their quality. Gold only comes in a few different types of karats; the higher quality the gold, the more karats it has. Because pure gold is too soft to be used in jewelry, gold is mixed with other metals, such as copper. 18 karat gold is typically the strongest type of jewelry—this means that the jewelry is 75 percent gold and 25 percent copper.

Buying estate jewelry is one of the cheapest ways to invest in gold. Estate jewelry is previously owned and is sold at a fraction of the current market price because of this. But just because it was owned by someone else does not change the fact that it is still gold. Gold is worth more today than ever, making estate jewelry a great investment. Don’t be put off by the fact that someone else might have worn the gold necklace you are purchasing. Gold is gold, regardless of its source.

Estate jewelry is a great investment for another, more obscure reason. In 1933, President Roosevelt ordered U.S. citizens to turn in all of their gold coins to the government in order to help with the economy. Jewelry was considered exempt from this order. Holding gold coins or bullion was punishable with an up to $10,000 fine. Gold jewelry is just as valuable when melted down, but is a much safer investment should the nation ever sink into a depression again.