As a general rule, the most successful man in life is the man who has the best information Who controls the US economy? The "power of the purse" resides within the US Congress and the powers to set fiscal and monetary policy are delegated to the US Central Bank, otherwise known as the Federal Reserve. While the success of US Presidents often depends on how well the economy does during their t...Read More

By Hubert Moolman Previously, I have shown how we could be close to major financial crisis with the monetary system at the center. The following chart that shows the ratio of gold to the monetary base was used: The chart shows the ratio of the gold price to the St. Louis Adjusted Monetary Base back to 1918. That is the gold price in US dollars divided by the St. Louis Adjusted Monetary Base...Read More

As part of Merk's in-house research we regularly evaluate a consistent set of charts covering the economy, equities, fixed income, commodities and currencies. The aim is to keep our eyes open and to look through the noise of the headlines, avoiding the distractions of sensationalized click-bait. In sharing this content, we offer a cross-check to your own thinking and aim to add value to your own...Read More

By Frank HolmesIf you followed some of my posts from two years ago, you might recall that I was in favor of Brexit. I still am. One of British voters' main grievances was the heavy burden of European Union (EU) regulations, many of which are decided by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. Altogether, these regulations cost U.K. businesses an estimated 33.3 billion pounds every year. Voters should...Read More

Incredible! The Dow swung nearly 570 points on Tuesday without breaking above or below the previous day's range. This is what chartists refer to as an "inside day." In fact, the blue chip average didn't traverse even half of Monday's epic, 1214-point swing. Get used to the wild oscillations, since volatility is unlikely to subside until we come to regard a bet on more of it as a sure thing. Pa...Read More

- Gold Krugerrand coin worth $1,200 put in charity kettle - this time in Alaska- Mystery Salvation Army gold donors keep giving Gold Krugerrands- Gold, like pounds, euros and dollars can be used for good or ill- Give the gift of gold in this the Season of Kindness Gold Krugerrands (1 oz) being used for goodSalvation Army staff in Alaska got a big surprise while counting change from their red ke...Read More

Peter KrauthAt its core, gold is two things: wealth preservation and financial insurance.So when the head of the world's biggest hedge fund recommends an allocation of 5% to 10% in gold, investors need to listen.Another respected expert on the price of gold is Ray Dalio, founder and chief investment officer at Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, with some $160 billion under man...Read More

Michael gets back to the fundamentals of gold & silver in this article, and at the end, we are rewarded with one heck of a forecast...by Michael Ballanger via Streetwise ReportsCould there have ever been constructed four finer sentences strung together for the purpose of defining eight items related to money and social standing than the following?"Gold is the money of kings. Silver is the money of...Read More

Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | Stitcher | RSSMatt from Silver Fortune tells Silver Doctors why there may be a supply crisis in the future...Matt from Silver Fortune of Silver Fortune interviewed by Elijah Johnson of Silver DoctorsA large silver deposit was discovered in China recently. How does this impact the silver market?Matt says this shows...Read More

SD Midweek Update: Silver sure looks like it could break soon, and break hard. To the upside. Here are the details...I think back to my days of working for a company that ran a call center.This was just after the tech bubble burst in the early double-aughts.One day corporate came in with good news!They gathered all of us around to tell us that they weren't cutting wages!That was the good news!And...Read More

RAPAPORT... Brian Land has left his position as executive director ofthe Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA) after completing an 18-month contractwith the trade group. The CJA hired Land on a temporary basis in August 2017 tomanage its merger with Jewellers Vigilance Canada, which took effect in Octoberof last year. Carla Adams, a manager at CJA, will serve as interim directoruntil the orga...Read More

RAPAPORT... Fossil Group has appointed former Pandora chiefmerchandising officer Beth Moeri as executive vice president of portfoliobrands.  Moeri, who was an executive at the Danish charm jeweler for morethan six years, will be responsible for Fossil's portfolio of licensed watchand jewelry brands, including Armani Exchange, Emporio Armani, Diesel, KateSpade New York, Michael Kors and T...Read More

RAPAPORT... India increased its dominance in the cutting and polishingsector in 2017 due to relatively low costs that gave it a competitive advantageover China, according to Bain & Company. The Indian diamond-manufacturing industry grew 11% in 2017,outpacing the Chinese market, which increased 2%, Bain reported. That leftIndia with more than 90% of the market, versus China's low-single-di...Read More

RAPAPORT... De Beers has increased its production forecasts for 2018 and the coming years, as the miner anticipates solid consumer demand. The diamond company expects output for the current year to reach 35 million to 36 million carats, the highest level since 2008, whereas it recovered 33.5 million carats in 2017, parent company Anglo American said Tuesday. Recovery levels will dip to betwee...Read More

(IDEX Online) - De Beers has raised its forecast for output for this year to 35 million to 36 million carats, the highest level in a decade since demand was battered by the global financial crisis of 2008. The figure was revised upwards from 34 million to 36 million carats.   The updated figure compares with production of 33.5 million carats in 2017, according to a press statement from Anglo...Read More

(IDEX Online) - A little more than a month before the start of the winter edition of the Vicenzaoro show, which takes place from January 18th to 23, the Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A. (IEG) has unveiled the new brand identity of the exhibition which is to be officially launched at the fair.   FutureBrand, a brand consultancy company, was selected by IEG to rebrand the show and has done so al...Read More

(IDEX Online) - The Canadian Jewellers Association (CJA) has announced changes to its management personnel, with Executive Director, Brian Land leaving the role and the Association following the completion of his scheduled 18-month contract.   He will continue to be involved with the CJA as a freelance writer, while Carla Adams, currently a manager in the Association office, will discharge t...Read More

(IDEX Online) - Online diamond bridal jewelry retailer JamesAllen.com has officially opened its new brick and mortar retail store in Georgetown, Washington DC.   The firm said the store offers an OmniChannel experience by providing a new, complementary way for JamesAllen.com customers to explore, research, and purchase its products.   JamesAllen.com was acquired last year by Signet Jewe...Read More

(IDEX Online) - In the third departure of a senior figure in less than a year, Dominion Diamond Corp Chief Executive Officer Patrick Evans left the company last week.   Evans left on December 5, but will remain as an adviser to the Canadian miner until the end of next year. He is being replaced by COO Shane Durgin.   Evans was named as CEO 13 months ago following the company's acqui...Read More

PolarX builds bigger, richer Zackly pictureSPONSOREDpolar x limitedCEO Mark Cutifani told a briefing for investors and analysts Tuesday he was confident about the company's outlook, with Anglo's production expected to be 2% higher than the full-year 2018 guidan...Read More