Everything you need to invest with confidence — from understanding spot prices and premiums to reading hallmarks, comparing metals, and choosing the right products. Researched and written by the Solomons Bullion team.
Buying physical bullion for the first time is simpler than most people expect. Follow these steps to invest with confidence — and don't hesitate to contact our team for guidance at any stage.
Physical bullion means actual metal — bars or coins — that you own outright. Unlike ETFs, paper gold, or futures contracts, there's no counterparty risk. The metal exists, and it's yours.
The spot price is the global benchmark price for immediate delivery of a metal. All bullion is priced relative to spot. View our live prices before purchasing to understand what you should expect to pay.
Gold, silver, or platinum — all in a range of sizes from 1 gram to 1 kilogram. Smaller bars have higher premiums per gram; larger bars are more efficient but require higher upfront capital.
Will you store at home, in a bank safe, or in a professional vault? Solomons Bullion offers 3 months free allocated vault storage with every purchase — the safest and most insured option available.
Always buy from an authorised distributor of major mints — like Solomons Bullion — to guarantee authenticity, full insurance, and a genuine buyback price when you're ready to sell.
Physical precious metals have served as stores of value for over 5,000 years. In modern portfolios, they serve as insurance against currency debasement, inflation, geopolitical risk, and systemic financial instability.
Physical gold is one of the few assets with zero counterparty risk. You own it outright — it's not a promise, a contract, or a liability of any institution.
Gold has historically maintained purchasing power over centuries. While fiat currencies lose value to inflation, gold's purchasing power has remained relatively stable over long time horizons.
Physical bullion from major mints is accepted and traded worldwide. You can sell investment-grade gold in any major city on earth, making it one of the most liquid assets you can hold.
Gold typically has a low or negative correlation with equities and bonds, meaning it tends to hold value or rise when other asset classes fall — providing crucial balance in a diversified portfolio.
All the gold ever mined would fill roughly 3.5 Olympic swimming pools. Unlike currencies, gold cannot be printed — its scarcity is structural and permanent.
Each precious metal has distinct characteristics, use cases, and investment profiles. Understanding the differences helps you build the right portfolio.
| Characteristic | 🥇 Gold | 🥈 Silver | ⚪ Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity (investment grade) | 99.99% (24ct) | 99.99% | 99.95% |
| Rarity | Rare | More abundant | Rarer than gold |
| Primary driver | Monetary / store of value / central banks | Industrial + investment (~60% industrial) | Automotive / industrial / jewellery |
| Volatility | Moderate | High (2–3× gold) | High, driven by industrial cycles |
| Entry price (1 oz) | ~$4,800–$5,200 AUD | ~$55–$70 AUD | ~$1,500–$1,800 AUD |
| Storage cost per $ | Low (high value density) | High (bulky relative to value) | Low (similar to gold) |
| GST in Australia | No GST (investment grade) | No GST (investment grade) | No GST (investment grade) |
| Global liquidity | Extremely high | Very high | Moderate |
| Best suited for | Wealth preservation, large holdings, low storage cost | Industrial exposure, smaller budgets, upside potential | Industrial upside, diversification, lower entry than gold |
| Australian GST-free threshold | ≥99.5% purity | ≥99.9% purity | ≥99% purity |
Every investment-grade bullion bar carries specific markings that confirm its authenticity, purity, and provenance. Understanding these lets you verify exactly what you're buying.
Fineness expresses purity as parts per thousand. A bar marked 999.9 means 999.9 parts out of 1000 are pure gold.
Only buy bullion from government mints or internationally accredited private refiners. These institutions guarantee purity, authenticity, and resale liquidity worldwide.
Founded in 1899 and owned by the Government of Western Australia, the Perth Mint is Australia's oldest and largest precious metals refiner and mint. It is the world's largest producer of gold bullion coins and bars under the LBMA Good Delivery List.
The Royal Australian Mint in Canberra is Australia's national mint and the sole producer of Australian circulating coins. It produces investment-grade bullion coins and commemorative products to international standards.
Produits Artistiques Métaux Précieux (PAMP) is one of the world's most respected independent precious metals refiners. Their Lady Fortuna bars are among the most recognised and traded bullion products globally, known for exceptional quality and unique artistic design.
Australian Bullion Company (ABC Bullion) is one of Australia's most established and trusted bullion dealers and refiners. ABC produces its own range of gold and silver bars, and is an LBMA accredited refiner.
The Royal Canadian Mint produces some of the world's most respected bullion coins, including the Canadian Maple Leaf — one of the purest and most widely traded gold coins ever produced, with a purity of 99.999%.
Valcambi is one of the world's largest precious metal refineries and a leading producer of investment-grade gold, silver, platinum, and palladium bars. LBMA Good Delivery accredited.
40+ terms explained in plain English. Use the search or browse alphabetically.
Storage where specific, individually identified items are registered to your name. Your metals never appear on the dealer's balance sheet and are protected in insolvency. The only truly safe form of vault storage.
A mixture of two or more metals. Most jewellery gold is an alloy (e.g. 18ct gold is 75% gold + 25% other metals). Investment bullion is not an alloy — it is pure metal.
The price at which a dealer sells bullion (i.e. the price you pay to buy). Also called the offer price. Slightly higher than the spot price due to the dealer's premium.
The process of testing a precious metal to determine its purity. An assay certificate or assay card accompanies many bullion bars as proof of purity, issued by the producing mint or an independent testing laboratory.
The price at which a dealer buys bullion from you (the price you receive when selling). Usually slightly below the spot price. Solomons Bullion pays full spot price on investment-grade buybacks.
Physical precious metal — gold, silver, or platinum — in bar or coin form, valued primarily for its metal content rather than rarity or collectibility. Investment bullion is 99.5%+ pure.
A measure of gold purity. 24ct = 99.99% pure. 18ct = 75% gold. 9ct = 37.5% gold. Investment grade gold is always 24ct. Note: "carat" is also used for gemstone weight — an entirely different measurement.
A gold bar made by pouring molten metal into a mould. Cast bars have a rougher, more organic appearance than minted bars and typically carry a lower premium. The Perth Mint produces iconic square cast gold bars.
A round piece of precious metal produced by a government mint and issued with legal tender status. Examples: Perth Mint Kangaroo, Canadian Maple Leaf, American Eagle. Coins typically carry a slightly higher premium than bars.
The risk that the other party in a financial contract fails to meet their obligations. Physical bullion has zero counterparty risk — unlike ETFs, paper gold, or futures, where you rely on a third party's solvency.
Purity expressed as parts per thousand. 999.9 fineness = 99.99% pure gold. 925 fineness = 92.5% silver (sterling silver). All investment bullion is 999+ fineness.
The London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) standard for gold and silver bars traded on professional markets. A Good Delivery bar must meet strict weight, purity, and marking requirements. Most major mints are LBMA accredited.
Investment-grade precious metals are GST-free in Australia. Gold ≥99.5% pure, silver ≥99.9% pure, and platinum ≥99% pure are exempt from GST when sold by a registered precious metals dealer.
An official mark stamped on a precious metal item confirming its purity and the assaying institution. On bullion bars, hallmarks include the mint logo, fineness, weight, and serial number.
An investment that tends to maintain or increase in value when another asset or economic factor declines. Gold is widely used as an inflation hedge because its purchasing power has historically remained stable over long periods while fiat currencies lose value.
London Bullion Market Association — the international trade association for the professional over-the-counter bullion market. The LBMA sets the global benchmark for gold and silver quality (Good Delivery) and publishes the LBMA Gold Price twice daily.
A gold bar produced by precision stamping or pressing refined metal into a die. Minted bars have sharp, clean edges and a mirror-like finish. They carry a slightly higher premium than cast bars due to the more labour-intensive production process.
A coin valued primarily for its rarity, historical significance, or condition — not just its metal content. Numismatic coins can trade at significant premiums above spot. Solomons Bullion specialises in investment bullion, not numismatics.
Exposure to gold price movements without owning physical metal. Includes gold ETFs, futures, and CFDs. Paper gold carries counterparty risk — in a financial crisis, you may not be able to take delivery of physical metal.
The amount above the spot price paid for physical bullion. Premiums cover minting, refining, distribution, dealer costs, and supply/demand dynamics. Premiums typically range from 1.5% (1kg bars) to 15%+ (small coins).
A specially minted collector coin produced with a polished die, giving a mirror-like background and frosted relief design. Proof coins are typically issued in limited numbers and carry significant premiums above bullion coins.
Old gold items — jewellery, dental gold, gold fragments — that are sold based on their gold content rather than their form. We buy scrap gold at per-gram rates calculated from the live spot price and declared carat.
A unique identifying number stamped or engraved on a bullion bar by the producing mint. Serial numbers are used to register allocated storage holdings and enable individual bars to be traced and verified.
The current market price for immediate delivery of a precious metal. Published continuously during market hours and derived from global trading on the COMEX, LBMA, and other exchanges. All bullion prices are expressed relative to spot.
The difference between the buy (ask) price and the sell (bid) price. A tighter spread means less cost to buy and sell. Solomons Bullion offers competitive spreads, and pays full spot on buybacks — effectively a zero spread on the sell side.
The standard unit of weight for precious metals. 1 troy ounce = 31.1035 grams. Note: this is different from a standard (avoirdupois) ounce of 28.35 grams. All bullion prices are quoted in troy ounces.
Storage where you own a share of a pooled holding rather than specific identified items. The metal sits on the dealer's balance sheet, making you an unsecured creditor. Solomons Bullion does not offer unallocated storage — only allocated.
International forex market ticker symbols: XAU = Gold, XAG = Silver, XPT = Platinum. These are used by financial institutions and API providers to represent one troy ounce of each metal in any currency.
Browse our full range of gold, silver, and platinum bullion at live spot prices — or contact our team for free, expert guidance.