Where to buy gold bullion
Everyone wants to possess their own piece of gold bullion. Certainly, physical gold beats paper gold in anyone’s mind. However, unless you’re an expert, it’s not always obvious where to buy gold bullion. You want to feel comfortable that the gold is genuine, in good condition and at a great price. So, if you’re looking to buy gold bullion in London there are several options. Investors can buy gold London-wide, here we provide some insights as to the best places to shop.
West End jewellery shops
You can’t beat the feeling of browsing and unearthing hidden treasures. London is fortunate to possess many obscure boutiques and jewellery shops selling all sorts of collectables. There is every chance that you may unearth the odd modest-sized pieces of gold bullion.
Also, watch our YouTube video – “How much is a gold bar worth?”
However, you are far more likely to find collectable and historical gold coins in these places. The problem is that you may well end up paying far more than the bullion price as the gold is deemed to hold a degree of numismatic value. After all, do you know the value of a Victorian gold Sovereign? – See our guide to buying gold Sovereigns here and also view our main gold sovereigns page here
Before you buy gold bullion, make sure you read our FREE Ultimate Insider’s Guide to Gold Investment
Hatton Garden
One of the most famous jewellery quarters in Europe is the area known as Hatton Garden, not far from Farringdon tube station, it is a must-go place to visit when you buy gold in London. This is one long road of continuous jewellers, meaning that they have to be relatively competitive to gain your business. Their focus will be more on selling jewellery so any second-hand bullion bars they receive may well be melted down before you get the chance to buy them.
Ask what they have as it’s unlikely that such small gold bullion bars will be on display. There is also a chance that you may be able to unearth the odd gold bullion coin at reasonable prices, but they may be in poor condition. Undoubtedly though, Hatton Garden has to be one of the best places where to buy gold in London.
Finding gold bullion from a reliable dealer in London can often involve quite a hunt
Buy Gold London – Other Areas to Consider
Within the Central London area, many retail outlets deal in gold jewellery and bullion. However, do bear in mind that much of this is likely to be jewellery and coins. There is one shop now though, where you can buy gold bars.
There are several shops around Old Bond Street, New Bond Street, Piccadilly Circus Station and Oxford Street. Oxford Street caters to the international tourists who flock to London each year and has nearly 20 shops on it. These range from mid-priced to extremely pricey. For example, the Selfridges building itself boasts of big names like Cartier, Van Cleef and Tiffany. That’s the high end.
Another area worthy of mention is Sloane Street near Knightsbridge, where several gold dealers London premises are. This is a stone’s throw from Harrods, which is right next to the Knightsbridge tube station subway. Of course, Harrods is expensive, but there are many concession stores within the premises of Harrods. The concession model involves a brand using a designated space within a large departmental store, where deals are offered to customers. By association with Harrods, these gold retailers boost their brand image significantly. One such example is the Graff Diamonds Concession.
and in the city…
Another area worth scouting is the area around the Bank of England. This is a well-spread area with Threadneedle Street and the Cornhill Road on one side and Princes Street and Queen Victoria Street on the other side. Near the Bank subway station, opposite the Bank of England lies the Royal Exchange – a shopping mall with several gold dealers in it. There are other large bullion dealers in the area as well on the Cornhill Road, as you go towards the Aldgate train station.
Gold dealers
There are many specialist gold dealers located in and around London. These guys should be able to offer you a variety of bullion options, from bullion gold coins or gold bars in a variety of sizes. Always buy from members of the British Numismatic Trade Association (BNTA) or British Numismatic Society as you’ll be able to trust the authenticity of their gold. However, before you decide to hunt down your nearest gold dealer and turn up with cash to buy your gold bullion, there are security issues to consider.
Criminals target people emerging from such premises as they know there’s a good chance that you’ll be holding some gold. As well as the threat of being mugged, it’s unlikely your gold will be insured – leaving you nursing a possible financial loss. Most gold dealers will not accept passing trade for this very reason and tend to despatch from alternative, discrete premises. You would also need to bring identification if you wished to purchase and walk away with more than £5k of gold. However, many of these suppliers will safely and securely post the gold bullion direct to your door or offer an insured storage option, this is particularly the case for bulk purposes.
When choosing where to buy gold bullion, choosing gold dealers assures you of authenticity, purity, price and security.
Our London despatch centre address:
- Physical Gold Limited, 63/66 Hatton Garden, London EC1N 8LE – All purchases have to be completed online as we don’t sell over the counter. Pick up of orders is possible from our despatch centre by appointment.
Call our investment advisors to find out more about reliable dealers in London
We hope you have enjoyed our guide to where to buy gold in London. Our team of experts can be reached if you need to find out more about the safest and most reliable way to buy gold as well as silver and take delivery physically. Physical Gold experts have been in the gold business selling products such as gold Britannia coins for years and can advise and guide you to avoid common pitfalls. Call us today on 020 7060 9992 or get in touch via our website. We’re always happy to help.
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Gold’s unique physical properties
The everlasting symbol of luck, prosperity and wealth, choosing to invest in gold – especially rare gold – has always shown to be a shrewd move thanks to its easy liquidity and high value. As one of the most sought-after precious metals in the world, demand has long outstripped supply, meaning it’s always been hot property. But what actually makes up gold itself? What are the physical properties which help keep gold so investable and ensure it’s used in many different ways?
It’s a soft, ductile metal
Gold is extremely ductile and malleable which makes it highly versatile. It’s a heavy metal with a density of 19.3 g cm-3. In fact, just one single gram of gold can be flattened out into a thin sheet of gold which covers an area of one metre – that’s around just 230 atoms thick. It is actually so soft that even a small item such as a coin is enough to scratch a pure piece of gold.
Gold has a very high boiling and melting point
The temperature you need to melt gold is 1,948 degrees Fahrenheit, which is an incredible 1,065 centigrade. In order to strengthen the gold for practical uses, other alloy metals such as zinc, silver and copper are added whilst the gold is being melted. Gold boils at 5,173 degrees Fahrenheit (2,856 Centigrade).
Dowload our FREE Insiders Guide to Tax-Free Gold Investment here
It’s a good conductor of electricity and heat
Gold is an excellent conductor of electricity although it is too expensive to use in cabling, hence the use of copper instead. Exposure to air, moisture, heat and other corrosive agents have an extremely minimal effect on gold, which is why it’s so suited for manufacturing jewellery and coins.
Gold will not tarnish
Unlike silver which can degrade in the air over time, gold will not rust or taint. Gold, in particular, is extremely difficult to corrode. Only very strong acids such as nitric acid and hydrochloric acid can cause gold to become damaged. This is why wedding bands are traditionally made of gold, as they are guaranteed to stand the test of time.
Gold is a noble metal
Gold is a noble metal. Noble metals are a group of metals that do not corrode over time under normal conditions.
Gold is highly reflective
Gold does not absorb light or heat,
meaning it’s supremely reflective. No rays of light are absorbed at all, they are simply reflected.
Gold is very heavy and dense
Gold is also extremely heavy, with a density of 19.4 g cm-3. By way of comparison, lead is only 11.4 g cm-3 in density. This heaviness plays a vital part in many of the physical methods required to mind gold from its many sources.
Carats for purity
Most natural gold is actually impure. It generally contains small but notable traces of other metals including silver, copper, silver, mercury and palladium. It’s actually these other elements that give gold its distinctive colours. For instance, gold that has a large amount of copper will have a red hue to it, whilst gold that contains a lot of less expensive silver will be much paler are far less bright yellow than you would expect from pure gold. The purity of gold is measured in carats with 100% pure gold being 24 carats. 18-carat gold is then 18/24, (75%) pure, and 14-carat gold has 58% purity. Carat values are often used to describe gold bars only come in the following integers: 24, 22, 18, 14 and 9.
Invest with Physical Gold today
Here at Physical Gold we are experts in our field and can help with any aspect of gold investment. This includes gold sovereign coins, gold Britannia coins and bars in weights such as 1oz, 100g and a mighty 1KG. Speak to us on 020 7060 9992 or drop us an email to discover more about our investment opportunities or get advice on trading gold now.