Description
One gram is about 1/31 of a troy ounce, or roughly 0.0322 troy ounces. Gram bars are minted by private refiners and stamped with the refiner’s mark, weight and purity, which for most gram bars is .9999 fine. Because the bar itself is very small, it is usually sealed in a tamper-evident card that protects it and documents its authenticity, often with a serial number.
Gram bars are popular as gifts, for introducing family members to precious metals, and for buyers who want to accumulate gold gradually in small, easily divisible units. They also make it simple to sell a very small amount of gold without parting with a larger bar or coin.
The trade-off is cost. Minting, assaying and packaging a tiny bar costs nearly as much as producing a larger one, so the premium per ounce of gold is far higher than for a one-ounce bar or coin. Buyers whose main goal is maximizing gold per dollar generally choose larger formats. A divisible bar such as the 50-gram Valcambi CombiBar offers one-gram pieces with a lower overall premium.
The refiner supplied varies with inventory and is confirmed with you before purchase. Gram bars can technically qualify for an IRA, but they are rarely a cost-efficient retirement holding.
