The assay journal
The Golden Bull
Gold, silver and fine timepieces: how to buy them, sell them and know what they are truly worth. Independent essays, with local editions for five European cities.
New from the manufactures
From the houses
Current news from the great watch houses, retold by the aurtaur desk with the facts that matter to collectors.
Omega pairs James Bond and Spectre in a new Seamaster Diver 300M collection
Six Seamaster Diver 300M watches, two emblems and, for the first time, the other side of the 007 story. The limited sets pair steel with platinum gold.
Patek Philippe reimagines the Ladies First as six Gondolo watches in gold
A cushion-shaped gold case, articulated lugs and opaline dials: the new Gondolo Ladies First comes in six versions, three of them set with diamonds down to the buckle.
A. Lange & Söhne remembers Günter Blümlein, 25 years on
Without him there would be no A. Lange & Söhne today, Walter Lange once said. The manufacture looks back at the strategist behind its return to Glashütte.
The editions
Six ways in
Five city editions and a general journal. Every essay lives in exactly one of them.
Journal
Precious metals, markets and the craft of preserving wealth.
193 essaysBerlin
Buying, selling and appraising gold, silver and watches in Berlin.
70 essaysMunich
Precious-metal dealers, assayers and watch buyers across Munich.
70 essaysDüsseldorf
Gold, silver and timepieces on and around the Königsallee.
70 essaysMarbella
Bullion, jewellery and fine watches on the Costa del Sol.
70 essaysMallorca
Selling and valuing gold, silver and watches across the island.
70 essaysThe assay bench
What is actually in your gold?
Weight and hallmark give the fine-metal content. Add today's price per gram and the certificate shows the melt value a fair buyer works from.
Fine gold
31.1g
- Troy ounces
- 1
- Gross weight
- 31.1 g
- Fineness
- 999,9 ‰
- Purity
- 99.99 %
Melt value at your price
€ 0
Dealers pay below melt value for scrap and above it for bullion coins. The gap is their margin, and the essays explain what is fair.
Find your way in
Three questions, one edition
Tell the journal what you hold and what you want to do. It picks the edition and three essays to start with.
Latest
Recently struck
Gold vs Silver: Which is the Better Investment?
Gold and silver investments serve as wealth preservation tools and hedges against economic volatility. These preciou…
Scrap Jewelry Value in Berlin: Don’t Get Undersold
Scrap jewelry holds significant value, often more than many realize. It encompasses broken, unwanted, or outdated pi…
Gold Buying Service in Munich: Who Really Pays Fair Prices
When selling gold, selecting a reputable gold buying service is essential. Trustworthy buyers offer fair pricing, tr…
Buy Gold in Düsseldorf: Why This City Is a Hotspot for Physical Wealth
Gold has maintained a prominent role throughout human civilization, and Düsseldorf exemplifies this historical conne…
Buy Gold in Marbella: Why International Investors Choose This Market
Marbella, located on Spain's Costa del Sol, has emerged as a significant center for international gold investment. T…
Buy Gold in Mallorca: Why the Island Attracts Wealth Preservation
Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands, is not just a picturesque vacation destination; it has emerged as a s…
Maximizing Wealth with Physical Precious Metals
Physical precious metals, such as gold, silver, platinum, and palladium, play a crucial role in wealth maximization …
Jewelry Appraisal in Berlin: What Determines the Price
Jewelry appraisal in Berlin is a vital service for anyone looking to understand the true value of their precious ite…
Sell Gold in Munich: How to Get the Highest Payout
Gold functions as both a monetary instrument and a store of value, with its market price determined by several measu…
Questions
Before you buy or sell
How do I read a hallmark?
The three-digit stamp is the fineness in thousandths: 585 means 58.5 % gold, 750 means 75 %. Karat is the older scale, 24 parts being pure. Coins and bars carry 999 or 999.9, jewellery mostly 333, 585 or 750.
What is a troy ounce?
The unit bullion is priced in: 31.1035 grams, a little more than the kitchen ounce of 28.35 grams. Spot prices are quoted per troy ounce, dealers in Europe usually per gram.
Why do buyers pay less than the spot price?
Spot is the price of pure gold in a wholesale market. A buyer deducts the base metals in your alloy, then a margin for melting, assaying and resale. For coins and bars the deduction is small; for scrap jewellery it can be sizable, which is why quotes differ so much.
Should I sell to a cash-for-gold shop?
Only with a written offer from at least one other buyer in hand. The city editions explain which quotes are fair in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Marbella and Mallorca.
Is a bullion coin worth more than its gold?
Usually a few percent more, the premium. Krugerrand, Maple Leaf and Philharmonic trade close to melt value; rare years and proof strikes far above it. Never sell a coin by weight before checking the date.