I was driving to work this morning when I heard a spot on the BBC talking about Gold Parties taking place across the country. This is a social way for people to sell unwanted jewelry at roughly 60% below market value. But since gold is still over $900 an ounce, most people end up with a few extra hundred dollars.
You have to see this for yourself. Read the full article here:
To find out a better way to get some gold, visit the Peru Gold Tours website.
The Real Price of Gold – my take on the National Geographic article
January 12, 2009
National Geographic just published a brilliant cover story titled: The Real Price of Gold
And while I find the article fascinating and hugely disappointing at times, my experience with artisanal gold miners is very different than that of the magazine. Not only did I see significantly greater gold finds, but I also saw much simpler and environmentally friendly harvesting methods. I also did not see the poverty levels shown in this article nor did I see any dangerous lifestyles. This article only further reinforces the magic that we witnessed. We saw people harvesting gold from river embankments using wooden pans and water pumps. The workday began around 9:30 when it was warm enough not to catch cold from the water and it stopped before sunset for the same reason. There was no mercury to separate gold from ore. There were just gold flecks that were collected and melted into larger flecks at the end of the day. And the larger flecks added up over time. I saw various gold harvesting villages organized along the river and I witnessed a system of self-government that enabled everyone a fair stake of their harvest.In fact, we were there when everyone from all the whole area gathered for a day of socializing. First there was a big soccer game and then there was a dance at the local store. Everyone from all the surrounding villages attended as they do every Sunday and then everyone went back to pan for the rest of the week.
Gold Panning Set Up that we witnessed
Photo of the water pump
I do not doubt any of the things that I read in the National Geographic article – it just did not reinforce the experiences that I had. That said, there were some amazing facts in the article that I would like to highlight here. Please take a moment to read the article in its entirety.
“…jewelry still accounts for two-thirds of the demand, generating a record $53.5 billion in worldwide sales in 2007.”
“In all of history, only 161,000 tons of gold have been mined, barely enough to fill two Olympic-size swimming pools. More than half of that has been extracted in the past 50 years.”
“In 2007, India consumed 773.6 tons of gold, about 20 percent of the world gold market and more than double that purchased by either of its closest followers, China (363.3 tons) and the U.S. (278.1 tons). India produces very little gold of its own, but its citizens have hoarded up to 18,000 tons of the yellow metal—more than 40 times the amount held in the country’s central bank.”
“In small-scale mines around the globe, searching for gold is a family affair. Of the world’s 12 to 15 million artisanal gold miners, an estimated 30 percent are women and children.”
For more information about our trip or if you would ever like to participate in an Amazonian gold hunt, please visit www.perugoldtours.com
Gold prices. Past. Present. Future.
June 24, 2008
The media company The Motley Fool recently ran an interesting article titled Peru’s New Emperor of Gold.
This article dicsussed Peru’s commercial gold mining operations at Yanacocha, Latin America’s largest gold deposit. In a nutshell, profits are up even while production levels fell to only 1.54 million ounces in 2007. The short article is worth noting and reading if you have time but what I find far more interesting is a trend running through different Fool reports from 2005 to present. And for that matter, the real meat here is in trying to understand why shares in the Yarinacocha holding company rose by over 200% in the last year even amidst labor disputes and deceased production.
To understand why gold jumped from a few hundred an once to now hovering around $1000 an ounce is to begin to dissect the economy at large. This theme — told in the context of gold — has been the staple of a long standing hypothetical Fool debate: Would you rather own shares of Google or Gold?
I am going to present snippets but please try to look at these articles in their entirety. And try to look at all economic news in terms of the roles of inflation (real money purchasing power) and speculation. Gold prices have been driven up precisely for these 2 reasons and these are the same reasons that most analysts predict a continued rise in gold prices.
Google or Gold?
The case for gold can be made on a historical basis. Here was a metal that had its price fixed at $20.65 an ounce through most of the 1800s. It was not until the latter half of the 20th century that trading in gold became a speculative art. Even though gold is trading for less than it fetched when it peaked in 1980, an ounce of gold acquired 34 years ago has appreciated tenfold today.
Stocks vs. Gold: 1968-1981
| Gold | Stocks | |
|---|---|---|
| Real Return 1968-1981 | 8.8% | (0.4%) |
| Value of Portfolio 1968 | $10,000 | $10,000 |
| Value of Portfolio 1981* | $34,400 | $9,416 |
* Value in 1981 reflects real returns adjusted for inflation in 1966 dollars.
Better than a dollar
Today, we find the dollar losing its value relative to foreign currencies, oil prices and other commodities near record highs, our country loaded with debt, and a housing bubble that’s deflating every day. What does this have to do with gold?
First, the falling dollar and high commodity prices are linked. Most commodities trade in dollars, and as the dollar falls, commodity prices increase. In 2002, gold was trading at around $300 an ounce, and the dollar/Euro exchange rate hit a low of $0.95/Euro. Today, the exchange rate is $1.30/Euro. If the price of gold had remained constant in Euro, it would now be $411 an ounce–accounting for roughly one-third of gold’s recent price increase. For the past five years, at least, gold has been far better than the dollar.
Furthermore, with our massive debt and vast trade imbalance denominated in dollars, there are huge incentives for the metaphorical printing presses at the Federal Reserve to run full-time. Furthermore, with the housing market in a tumble, the Fed will have a tough time tightening credit. Beyond current conditions, the presses at the Fed rarely stop. Over the past 50 years, the money supply has steadily increased, constantly draining the dollar’s purchasing power.
Money Supply 1959-2006
| M1 Money Supply | M2 Money Supply | |
|---|---|---|
| 1959 | $139.9 | $286.6 |
| 2006 | $1366 | $7021 |
| Annualized % Increase | 5% | 7 |
Source: U.S. Federal Reserve.
Gold keeps its value over time. One of the reasons we invest is to prevent inflation from devaluing our money, and gold serves that purpose well. A thousand ounces of gold would have purchased a house in California in 1970. It will purchase a similar house today. And I’ll bet that same thousand ounces will buy a house in 10 years.
Furthermore, gold as an inflation hedge is more important now than at any other time in the past 20 years. The dollar has lost 30% of its value compared with the other major foreign currencies during the past three years. Because gold, oil, and other commodities are traded in dollars, a less-valuable dollar has been responsible for a large amount of recent commodity price increases. Rising prices may not be showing up yet in the consumer price index, but I wouldn’t bet on low inflation for the next decade.
To get more information on how you can join us on our gold hunting expedition and put real gold into your pockets, please visit www.perugldtours.com
Peru and Megadiversity
June 14, 2008
This is taken from a magazine on birdwatching:
Among the world’s 200 nations, just 17 countries are home to 70% of the biodiversity-the natural riches of the planet. This is the conclusion of a study presented by the environmental organization “International Preservation” on December 9, 1997 in Washington, D.C. The 17 countries considered “megadiverse” are located across four continents. Seven are in America: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, U.S.A., Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. The other countries are South Africa, Madagascar, Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire), Indonesia, China, Papua New Guinea, India, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia. “Just as the G7 countries (Group of Seven) own the greatest part of the economic wealth of the world, more than two thirds of the biological wealth of the planet is concentrated in these 17 megadiverse countries.
The American continent is considered the richest of all and has the largest area of natural environment still intact. Brazil is considered to have the greatest biodiversity, with 55,000 plant species which is equivalent to almost 22% of the approximate total plants existing in the world. Also it is the first for mammals (with 524 species), fresh water fish, insects, macaws and parrots. Colombia follows with 1,815 bird species out of the 9,000 on the planet. This country also has more amphibians than Brazil and is also second in plants and third in reptiles. Ecuador, the smallest of the 17, qualifies as megadiverse for the variety in ecosystems and for the species of birds and reptiles which it has on the Galapagos Archipelago.
Peru is not the largest country among the mega diverse nations. Nevertheless, it has the greatest concentration of ecosystems ranging from the most arid deserts on the planet on the Pacific coast to snow capped peaks of the Andes, forest clad mountainsides on the eastern Andes and tropical rain forests of the Amazon in the lowlands. The tropical rain forests of Peru are some of the most extensive still found on earth, and its portion of the Amazon (almost 700,000 Km2) is the fourth largest rain forest in the world. Peru is one of the first 7 megadiverse countries originally selected, due to its high levels of biodiversity and endemic species among certain organisms. Depending on the system applied, Peru has 11 ecoregions (Brack, 1987), 15 biogeographic provinces (CDC, 1987), or 84 of the 101 life zones described by Holdrige, having the highest concentration of Holdrige zones of any one country. In analyzing the number of species, it places third among vertebrates, excluding fish (2,873 species), second in diversity of birds (1,710 species), fourth place for mammals (466 species), first for butterflies (3,532 species) and third place for endemic species (350).
For more information on how to visit Peru and to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime adventure, visit www.perugoldtours.com
Sounds of Peru
June 9, 2008
El Cóndor Pasa is a song from the zarzuela. It is by the Peruvian Composer Daniel Alomía Robles written in 1913 and based on traditional Andean folk tunes. It is possibly the best-know Peruvian song worldwide.
This version is from the group Urubamba led by Jorge Milchberg.
Here are some videos of Urubamba playing traditional instruments. Amazing!
For more information on how you can hear music like this live and in person, please visit www.pergoldtours.com
The Real Riches
June 9, 2008
Excerpts and photos taken from Rhumbos online:
Peru not only possesses the greatest diversity of butterflies in the world, it also has the most species. More than 3,700 butterfly species have been found in this country, more than the 3,607 species counted in all of sub-equatorial Africa. It is estimated that the total butterfly fauna of Peru will exceed 4,200 species. The neo-tropical region of the Americas (Central and South America) is considered to shelter some 7,500 species, therefore it is correct to assume that more than half of these are present in Peru. Finally, as some 18,000 butterfly species are believed to exist on Earth, it is concluded that Peru has been graced with more than 20% of the total butterfly fauna on the planet.
By far, the greatest diversity in butterflies is found on the eastern slopes of the Andes and in the Amazon Basin. There, especially at altitudes of less than 800m (2600 ft), butterflies fly in astonishing quantities and varieties, forming a veritable explosion of color, form, and movement. In favourable spots and with ideal climate conditions, hundreds of species and thousands of individuals can be observed in a single day.
To read more about how you can be surrounded by butterflies while panning for gold in the Amazon, please visit www.perugoldtours.com
Just the Facts
June 7, 2008
This excerpt was taken from the new exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Click here for more information.
QUICK FACTS ABOUT GOLD
- It is estimated that the total amount of gold ever mined worldwide is 152,000 metric tons, only enough to fill 60 tractor trailers. By comparison, each year 907 million metric tons of iron is produced worldwide, 6,000 times the total gold produced throughout history.
- Gold is so malleable that a single ounce of it (about the size of a quarter) can be beaten into a thin continuous sheet measuring roughly 100 square feet. It would take 576 ounces (or just 36 pounds) of gold to completely cover a football field.
- One ounce of gold can be stretched into a thin wire measuring only five microns—or five millionths of a meter—thick, a distance of 80 kilometers or 50 miles.
- Most gold—78 percent of the annual gold supply—is made into jewelry. Other industries, mostly electronics, medical, and dental, require about 12 percent. The remaining 10 percent of the annual gold supply is used in financial transactions.
To read more about gold and to join the Gold Hunting Expedition, visit www.perugoldtours.com
Repoussé and Annealing
June 7, 2008
This post will help explain some of the ancient metalsmithing techniques used by the Inca and Pre-Inca South Americans. Again – to reiterate earlier posts – gold had value in its utilization, not as a form of currency. Objects of gold were used for decorative and ceremonial purposes. The brilliance of the gold was associated with beauty, with the sun and with the deities.
The first step in creating many golden objects was to hammer gold into a paper thin sheet. The problem is that by hammering any metal, the micro-structure changes and the metal becomes brittle. To restore malleability, the smiths employed a process called annealing. This happens when hammered metal is heated under read coals and then dunked into water to instantly cool. The hammering and cooling process is repeated until the desired thickness and flexibility is achieved.
Once the gold was paper thin, the artist would draw on the backside of the image in order to add relief and texture. This process is known as Repoussé. (This is technically different than embossing since embossing is defined as using a mechanical press) Repousséd sheets were then often placed over background materials such as wood or clay – an early form of gold platting. Or they were hammered down like the image below:
For more information or to join us on our hunt for gold, please join us at www.perugoldtours.com
Modern Day Gold Rush
June 5, 2008
I just ran across an interesting article posted in a stunning blog devoted to mineralogy.
Here is an excerpt. Read the full article here:
Modern Day Gold Mining
The 2007 “Gold Rush”
The price of gold is 2 times what it was when I was out mining full
time in the early 1980’s. It has been $800.00 plus in the recent
months and has contributed to another small scale gold rush back into
the known “Gold Country” around the world.
This can make for a great vacation outing for the whole family.
One has to understand the actual worth of any gold found
though. In most cases, the public view is simply what the market
value says it is. This is not quite true. For the miner, the value of
gold is quite different and in most cases quite a bit more in value
than what the daily spot/quote price says.
Weight of gold is measured by troy. 24 k (used by jewelry
makers) is equal to 1,000 fine (bullion) which is equal to 100% gold.
In gold mining we use the bullion measurement or “troy”. California &
Alaska is about 950 fine or better. Arizona is next being easily 900
fine and better, Nevada & Colorado about 850 fine or better.
The difference in quality or “purity” of gold has to do with
the amount of other minerals that it contains. If a nugget is found
to be 870 fine, then the remaining 130 fine would consist of elements
such as silver, nickel, zinc, etc. in it. This is an important
factor for jewelers. The purity of the raw gold nuggets will also pay
more. The darker yellow being the purest and pays the best.
For more information on how you can find your own gold troy, visit www.perugoldtours.com
Sounds of the Jungle
June 5, 2008
Please visit one of my favorite sites to hear field recordings from the Amazon. The nighttime sounds are otherworldly. I can not believe we will be camping in the jungle for 3 days.
Click here to listen to the Amazonas sound pack from the freesound project. My Favorite sound track is the one of the Frio Frio bird. Thank you reinsamba for posting these
For more information on how to join us, please visit www.perugoldtours.com
