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When you hear the term gold, you automatically think of
 something precious and expensive. Since its discovery, gold has remained among the most precious and popular investments. Like most markets, the gold
 market is prone to speculation and instability. For years, gold has been used
 as a currency from the past and a standard currency for many economies of
 different countries. The price of gold is very important, and as an individual
 or investor, you need to look at the price of gold to learn more about it.


 
 
 Like any
 other item in the market, the price of gold is influenced by factors such as
 supply and demand. When looking at the history of gold prices, you need to look
 at mainly three trends, uptrend, downtrend, and sideways. Having an idea of how
 the market behaves and moves is very important for an investor. Looking at a
 few gold historical charts will give a trend of prices over the previous fifty
 years or more. In the early 1970s, the price of gold increased gradually as the
 years passed. In 1980, gold’s price peaked, increasing from 101.50 USD per
 ounce to 873 USD per ounce. This was a very upward trend for gold. 
 


 


 
 
 Between
 1982 and 1996, the price of gold went into a sideways trend. The market backed up,&nbsp;and the price went down from an estimated 514 USD to 281 USD, a very
 big difference. When you look at the price of gold in the 90s, you will notice
 that people thought the market of gold was dead. The prices fluctuated from a
 high of 325 USD to a low of 250 USD per ounce. This market situation did not
 last for long. In 2001, the price of gold started increasing due to several
 factors, and in 2011, the price of gold reached a mark of 1900 USD. Since then,
 the price of gold has continued to fluctuate due to several market influences,
 both internal and external.
 
 



 
 
 Over the
 past recent years, there has been an increase in demand for gold. The demand for
 bars and coins has gradually increased, with estimates of around 6%, making
 302.2 tons, mainly in Asia and the Middle East. Currently, the demand for gold is
 so high, but the supply is slowly diminishing, taking an unusual turn, and the
 value of gold has decreased. This might not be a bad sign with gold since the
 value is expected to rise again soon.

Gold

Silver is another precious metal; like gold, it is also used for
 investment. Silver has been around for more than four thousand years now. When
 you look at the silver market, you will find a few similarities to the gold market. Over the past several years, the price of silver has been
 manipulated by several factors, which have seen the value go up and down for
 the past 50 years or more. If you look at the price of silver in the 70s or 80s
 and today, you will find that the price manipulation is high. There are several
 historical instances where you will find the price of silver largely affected
 by several factors. For example, in the 1970s, the Hunt Brothers started
 accumulating large amounts of silver.


 
 
 In 1792, silver
 played an important role in the monetary system of various countries,
 especially the USA. The US government utilized gold and silver as a bimetallic
 monetary form, which gradually increased the value of silver. In 1965, the US
 and other countries halted the monetary use of silver except in bullion coins.
 
 



 
 
 By 1979,
 the Hunt brothers had almost cornered the worldwide market of silver. It is
 estimated that within the last nine months of 1979, the two brothers made 2 to
 4 billion in silver speculation, having an estimated 100 million ounces in
 holdings. Due to this, the silver futures contracts and the silver bullion increased
 from 11 USD in Sep 1979 to 50 USD in Jan 1980. Within two months, the silver
 prices largely collapsed to less than 11 USD per ounce, the largest single-day
 drop in silver. After this tragedy, the Hunt brothers filed for bankruptcy in
 1988, mainly due to the many lawsuits they got from the silver speculation. In 1979,
 Warren Buffet bought 130 million silver troy ounces at an estimated 4.50 USD
 per troy (totaling 585 million USD).
 
 



 
 
 Today you
 will find that silver does not play the stronghold it used to, and it is highly
 valued today as an industrial commodity. Today’s prices are mainly affected by
 the scarcity of silver and increasing demand. Currently, banks are responsible
 for the price manipulation of silver prices. As the years continued, the demand
 for silver continued for its coin, bullion form, and industrial uses. It is
 believed that the high demand for silver will eventually catch up with the
 supply. Thus, it will affect silver prices. Over one billion USD worth of
 silver is being used annually, which will gradually increase, thus affecting
 the market of silver. Silver goes for 16 USD per ounce, expected to increase
 over the coming years. This is because of the non-ending demand for silver at
 the industrial scale.

Silver

When you think of precious metals, gold or silver will be the
 first thing that will come to your mind, and many will not think of platinum. Platinum
 is one of the most precious metals, much rarer than gold or silver. All the
 platinum mines today can barely fill a normal living room. The characteristics
 of platinum, such as the metal hardness, make it so precious and rare.
 Discovered in the 17th century, platinum has unique uses that make it more
 precious than gold or silver. Being a very high-demand mineral, platinum prices
 are prone to changes due to the supply and demand external and internal
 factors. This metal is used in many various ways and items today.


 
 
 Looking
 at the price of platinum over the past fifty years, you will see steady growth.
 The price of platinum has continued to rise due to its increased demand and low
 supply rate. In the 1980s, platinum was approximately 15 USD per gram,
 which has continued to increase. From 1986 to around 2001, the
 price of platinum has been almost constant, ranging from 10 USD to 20 USD per
 gram. After the year 2001, the price of platinum skyrocketed and reached a max
 of almost 70 USD per gram in 2008. Since then, the price has fluctuated,
 reaching a low price of approximately 27 USD per gram.
 
 



 
 
 Since
 2011, the price of platinum has decreased, but it has continued to be steady.
 The price of platinum is affected by several factors. Considered precious,
 platinum is an industrial commodity mainly affected by demand pressures. Once
 the demand for this metal increased in the industry, the prices also increased.
 Platinum is used in automobiles, creating Jewelry and coins, and its demand increases
 yearly.
 
 



 
 
 Another
 factor that affects the price is the market condition and the production of the
 metal. If the product is expensive or decreases, the price of platinum will be
 affected largely. With increased jewelry production and the automobile
 industry, the need for more platinum is expected to increase with time. The
 production of platinum continues to decrease in the main production country,
 South Africa, which will directly affect the entire platinum market, thus
 causing fluctuation in the prices. As 2015 comes to an end, the prices of
 platinum are accepted to increase with the increase of the platinum demand in various
 sectors.
 
 



 
 
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Platinum

The world is filled with minerals; some have a higher value than
        others because of their rarity or uses. Among these minerals, the most common
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Gold, Platinum, Silver and Their Prices over the Years