For those who have never tried it before, investing in gold can be a tricky and unfamiliar concept. Indeed, gold investment works in different ways than other sorts of investments, and is often gone about with an entirely different set of goals and strategies. There are various aspects of the gold market that make it operate differently, and in a manner that is largely independent of other economic developments, in some sense. So, what do you need to know specifically before considering gold investment? Here are a few basic tips and explanations for you to consider if you are thinking about buying gold.

First, it is important to differentiate the two different types of “gold investment.” It is possible to invest in a gold mining company, and this works essentially like any other stock investment. As the company succeeds or fails, so will its stock, and you will make or lose money accordingly. However, you can also invest in gold bullion, which literally means that you are buying physical bars of gold (though the transaction will likely occur online, and you may not actually receive the gold, so much as store it). Gold bullion investments are the more unique types of financial dealings mentioned above, and the ones that operate differently from ordinary investments.

As normal stocks and companies experience gains and losses due to changes in sales, policies, news, etc., gold bullion is simply a resource that is not tied to any one world economy. As such, gold has a relatively stable value, and is essentially not subject to sudden or extreme changes. This is not to say that the value of gold bullion does not change over time, but instead merely to suggest that these changes tend to be smaller and less volatile than those of the stock market as you know it. So, why would you bother investing?

The trick in understanding gold bullion investment is not to compare gold bullion to other stocks, but instead to compare it to cash. Think of it this way: if you have a given amount of money in the bank, but your economy suffers the actual value of the U.S. dollar declines, then you will still have the same amount of money, but it will in theory be worth less. Alternatively, if you use some of your initial money to purchase gold bullion as an investment, then that money will be “protected” in gold, and will not experience a drop in value, as it is no longer represented in U.S. currency. This doesn’t mean that gold bullion is always a safe place to put your money – but it should help you to understand why there are some situations in which gold can be more stable than currency, and thus can protect your monetary value.