The Top Gold Stories in 2013

Gold has had a spectacular multi-year bull run, but in 2013, the yellow metal defied its reputation as a store of value. Even though the drivers for gold remained in place, many wondered if the metal reached the end of its run or if it was a great time to buy.

Time will tell, but gold undeniably captured plenty of the headlines. Here is a countdown of our most-viewed gold stories of the year:

9. Dressed to the Nines with Gold
As paper gold received the cold shoulder in the West, the Love Trade buyers in the East wrapped their arms around all the physical gold they could get their hands on.

8. Fifty Shades of Gold
Unlike many commodities, there are many shades of gold. One shade investors need to question is the data that determines the recovery of the U.S. economy.

7. Will Gold Follow Its Seasonal Pattern This Year?
Historically, September has been gold’s best month of the year. What happened this year after gold, in Indian rupee terms, climbed nearly 60 percent in three years?

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6. What Happens When You Tell Indians to Stop Buying Gold
When India imposed tax hikes on gold, I was skeptical that gold demand would be curtailed because of the country’s affinity for the precious metal. Here’s what really happened.

5. What Gold Miners are Thinking Today
We share our boots-on-the-ground knowledge learned from gold miners at the 2013 Denver Gold Forum.

4. This Chart Answers a Classic Question about Gold
Research from Commerzbank compared the price of the precious metal in relation to the historical price increases in oil and technology to answer this classic question about gold’s tremendous bull run.

3. The Fire Fueling Gold
As interest rates began rising and inflation remained low, investors began to see the rate of return turn positive from negative. In this post, I addressed one of the strongest drivers—the Fear Trade—having a dramatic effect on gold as an asset class.

2. 4 Sensational Facts About Gold Investing that You Might Not Know
Several historical facts about gold continue to surprise our investors. We list four in this post and then a few more here .

1. When it Comes to Gold Stick to the Facts
After hedge fund manager George Soros revealed that he sold half of his gold ETF holdings in the fourth quarter of 2012, gold ETF investors grew nervous and followed suit. I pointed out that Soros didn’t hate gold; rather, he recognized a different lucrative investment.