Gold and silver have always fascinated people. From the Latin words "aureum" and "argentum", these metals have been mined and worked since the fifth millennium BC.

The same is true today. States are hoarding tons of them in the basements of their central banks. The largest gold reserves are found in the United States, Europe, Russia and China. As for silver, the main reserves are in Peru, Poland and Australia. Governments and their central bankers know that these precious metal investments are risk-free.

For the individual, gold and silver are, as they have always been, investments that are free from the risks of stock market investments. Apart from their artistic and industrial use, these metals can be found in the form of coins, but above all in bars.

The price of gold: characteristics and evolution

The gold price is updated every 15 minutes. The common measure is the troy ounce, or 31.1034768 grams.

Over 5 years, gold has risen from €35,000 to €55,000/kg and silver from €500 to €700/kg (silver generally follows the price of gold). This makes it a safe long-term investment.

Now we need to look at the current international situation: interest rates are negative and inflation is picking up. The price of gold is moving inversely to interest rates. This means that lenders do not benefit when, for example, they hold US bonds. If the very cautious Federal Reserve policy in the US does not change, there is every reason to believe that the gold price will rise. This is in addition to the fact that the demand for gold is steadily increasing, even if all the gold mined ends up on the market.

Concerned about the preservation of his capital, the investor is therefore tempted to turn to precious metals because of the current economic situation. But also, as mentioned above, because of the historical role of gold and silver as a risk-free investment and safe haven.