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How to Invest in Gold & Silver: A Complete Guide with a Focus on Mining Stocks
Want to invest in gold and silver, but aren’t sure how?
How to Invest in Gold and Silver is a practical guide for investors who are new to the emerging gold and silver markets. Written in clear layman’s terms, this forward-thinking book is packed with information to help gold and silver investors navigate an exciting, timely and largely unexplored market.
How to Invest in Gold and Silver includes:
• An overview that explains the wisdom of gold and silver investments in today’s economic environment.
• Indispensible information on how to manage the risk of gold and silver assets.
• A step-by-step strategy to investing in bullion and coins.
• Clear explanations on using ETFs (Electronic Trading Funds) and options.
• The pros and cons of investing in major, mid-tier and junior mining companies – and a how-to methodology for making informed choices for the best gains.
In his pioneering work, author Don Durrett shares the details of his own systematic, successful approach to investing in gold and silver.
This easy to follow book shows investors how to take advantage of the rising prices of precious metals using a balanced portfolio of gold and silver assets. Armed with this knowledge you will be able to invest with confidence.
How to Invest in Gold and Silver is a practical guide for investors who are new to the emerging gold and silver markets. Written in clear layman’s terms, this forward-thinking book is packed with information to help gold and silver investors navigate an exciting, timely and largely unexplored market.
How to Invest in Gold and Silver includes:
• An overview that explains the wisdom of gold and silver investments in today’s economic environment.
• Indispensible information on how to manage the risk of gold and silver assets.
• A step-by-step strategy to investing in bullion and coins.
• Clear explanations on using ETFs (Electronic Trading Funds) and options.
• The pros and cons of investing in major, mid-tier and junior mining companies – and a how-to methodology for making informed choices for the best gains.
In his pioneering work, author Don Durrett shares the details of his own systematic, successful approach to investing in gold and silver.
This easy to follow book shows investors how to take advantage of the rising prices of precious metals using a balanced portfolio of gold and silver assets. Armed with this knowledge you will be able to invest with confidence.
350 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 15, 2010
About the author
Don Durrett
23 books4 followersI was born in 1960, on March 18th. That makes me a Pisces and a 5 of diamonds. I'm also a Cancer rising with a Sagittarius moon. In the Michael Teachings, I'm a priest-scholar, 5th level old soul. As for numerology, I'm a 28/10, with a 1 lifepath.
I began writing in 1990 and have written nine metaphysical books and one workbook. I turned 50 in 2010 and decided it was time to publish. I now have self published six books and a workbook, which are available in both print and digital format, and have plans to publish more in the future.
My books are for both those new to metaphysics and those who are challenged to find books that feed their soul. Five of my books are stories that make spirituality accessible and fun to explore. I recommend that you read Finding Your Soul first. It is a story that is enjoyable to read and also provides my spiritual philosophy.
I am more of a philosopher than a writer. In fact, I don't consider myself a great writer. I do, however, consider my books of substantial value. I'm an ancient philosopher. For this reason, I have the ability to write about metaphysics in a way that is very accessible and understandable. Moreover, because writing about the unknowable is not easy, I offer a unique quality that is not easily found.
One wonderful thing about my books is that if you like one, you have five more to read. Also, my books are short and fast to read. None of my books will take more than a week, and some fast readers can read them in one day. Read the first chapter of Finding Your Soul on my website, and you will know exactly what you have found.
I began writing in 1990 and have written nine metaphysical books and one workbook. I turned 50 in 2010 and decided it was time to publish. I now have self published six books and a workbook, which are available in both print and digital format, and have plans to publish more in the future.
My books are for both those new to metaphysics and those who are challenged to find books that feed their soul. Five of my books are stories that make spirituality accessible and fun to explore. I recommend that you read Finding Your Soul first. It is a story that is enjoyable to read and also provides my spiritual philosophy.
I am more of a philosopher than a writer. In fact, I don't consider myself a great writer. I do, however, consider my books of substantial value. I'm an ancient philosopher. For this reason, I have the ability to write about metaphysics in a way that is very accessible and understandable. Moreover, because writing about the unknowable is not easy, I offer a unique quality that is not easily found.
One wonderful thing about my books is that if you like one, you have five more to read. Also, my books are short and fast to read. None of my books will take more than a week, and some fast readers can read them in one day. Read the first chapter of Finding Your Soul on my website, and you will know exactly what you have found.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
June 9, 2020
Great resource, best metals advice I have seen in a long time; very comprehensive.
Read
January 14, 2026This is a to-the-point business book. It presents a strong case for investing in precious
metals. In my mind the major questions are:
1. Which metal? Gold, Silver, or other more rare metals such as platinum, palladium or
rhodium.
2. Should the investment be in the metal itself or in miners?
3. If investing purely in the metal, should it be in your possession, allocated physical
metal stored in a warehouse, in an exchange traded fund, or merely a receipt – "paper
gold."
4. If investing in miners, should it be via ETFs or individual stock? Major producers or
smaller?
5. If investing in individual companies, how do you choose them?
This book does a good job of answering each of these questions. A related question, not
addressed in the book, is
6. Metals or cryptocurrency?
Just as it makes sense to choose some combination of the first five investing options, so does
including #6. Crypto has a different set of strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of
protection and appreciation potential. My favorite among the great many evangelists telling
you the what and why about Bitcoin is Doug Casey. Here are links to articles entitled Five
Common Bitcoin Misconceptions Debunked, which follows his recent Top 10 Bitcoin
Misconceptions Debunked.
Background information on gold itself is available from this outstanding series of videos.
Ore Deposits 101 Part 1 - Introduction
Ore Deposits 101 Part 2 – Layered Complexes, Kimberlites
Ore Deposits 101 Part 3 – Porphyries, Skarns and IOCG
Ore Deposits 101 Part 4 – Mesothermal and Greenstone Lode Gold
Ore Deposits 101 Part 5 – Epithermal Deposits
Ore Deposits101 Part 6 – Carlin Deposits
Ore Deposits 101 Part 7 – VMS and Sedex
Ore Deposits 101 Part 8 – Witwatersrand Gold
Ore Deposits 101 Part 9 - Uranium
Ore Deposits 101 Part 10 – Exploration Process
Ore Deposits 101 - 11 Mineral Reserves, Resources and Estimation
I have organized this review following the table of contents, with chapter titles in bold.
Why Invest in Silver?
Silver is a sort-of bank metal. It was widely used in the past for coinage. It has unique
electrical and medical qualities, making it, so Durrett claims, the second most versatile
commodity in the world after petroleum.
It is scarce. Per Durrett's table, reproduced here, mine production has been stagnant and
industrial demand has been growing. Investment demand, notably through ETFs, has gone
up and down but is trending up. The above-ground supply silver, about 5 billion ounces, is
worth about $150 billion. Compare that with $8 trillion for gold coins and bullion at May 2024
prices. Annual production and consumption are about 20% of the above-ground total,
whereas the amount of gold grows only by a couple of percent per year.
A lot of silver is committed in the form of "paper silver", redeemable certificates not backed up
by silver in storage; by options contracts and by other promises of one sort and another. If a
crunch comes there will not be enough to satisfy all the demand, and prices are likely to move
up quickly. A look back to the 60s shows two times when the nominal price of silver exceeds
today's $30. In the past the ratio of gold to silver has been around 20:1. Today it is 75:1.
Durrett's bottom-line argument is that silver is underpriced relative to gold. Many factors
could cause it to move quickly.
This reviewer adds, it is the only metal priced in the sweet spot for coinage. Copper, nickel
and aluminum are too cheap. Gold is too expensive, and platinum is both too expensive and
not abundant enough. If there is a return to the gold standard, it is likely that there will be a
role for silver as well.
Why Invest in Gold?
Gold is a simple call. Gold has always been the ultimate store of value. As the book says, an
ounce of gold has bought a good suit of clothes throughout history. A person who owns
10,000 ounces has been rich at any time in history.
Gold in hand has no counterparty risk. Its value does not depend on government or anything
else. There are always risks. Gold stored at home is vulnerable to theft. Gold stored in
vaults, whether in your home country or another, has some counterparty risk. There is also
the question of whether you can get it if the balloon goes up. Gold ETFs depend on the gold
being there. There are audits, yes, but can you trust them? On the riskier end of things there
is unbacked paper gold, options and such. These are the next three chapter titles:
• Physical Metal: Bullion and Coins
• ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds)
• Options
On the other hand, per Durrett, the upside potential of physical gold is limited. He wrote that
he would start to sell at $2500. It is almost there.
Mining Companies: Majors
Durrett's focus on mining companies is silver more than gold. Silver offers more upside
potential. There are few pure silver plays among miners – for most, silver is a byproduct of
base metal mining. While he provides tables of mining companies for the reader to
investigate, in his opinion buying ETFs of the major miners is a very reasonable option. The
people running the ETFs do a pretty good job of evaluating them. The ETF fees, usually a
fraction of a percent, are worth paying, especially in a bull market.
The considerations are similar for smaller companies. He has chapters on smaller operations
entitles:
• Mining Companies: Mid Tier Producers
• Mining Companies: Juniors
Since the smaller companies are the ones that will be less well researched and have the most
volatility, they are the ones he has focused on in his own portfolio. As he stresses, it is a
question of the balance among the amount of research a person is willing to do, the kinds of
returns he is seeking and the risk he can bear. Durrett will do quite a bit of research and
accept risk to shoot for five-fold returns. He tells you how.
All in all, a very useful guide to investment. For those who feel as Durrett does that the world
financial system is teetering on the edge of collapse, that the stock markets are significantly
overpriced, this is a good guide to contrarian investing.
metals. In my mind the major questions are:
1. Which metal? Gold, Silver, or other more rare metals such as platinum, palladium or
rhodium.
2. Should the investment be in the metal itself or in miners?
3. If investing purely in the metal, should it be in your possession, allocated physical
metal stored in a warehouse, in an exchange traded fund, or merely a receipt – "paper
gold."
4. If investing in miners, should it be via ETFs or individual stock? Major producers or
smaller?
5. If investing in individual companies, how do you choose them?
This book does a good job of answering each of these questions. A related question, not
addressed in the book, is
6. Metals or cryptocurrency?
Just as it makes sense to choose some combination of the first five investing options, so does
including #6. Crypto has a different set of strengths and weaknesses, both in terms of
protection and appreciation potential. My favorite among the great many evangelists telling
you the what and why about Bitcoin is Doug Casey. Here are links to articles entitled Five
Common Bitcoin Misconceptions Debunked, which follows his recent Top 10 Bitcoin
Misconceptions Debunked.
Background information on gold itself is available from this outstanding series of videos.
Ore Deposits 101 Part 1 - Introduction
Ore Deposits 101 Part 2 – Layered Complexes, Kimberlites
Ore Deposits 101 Part 3 – Porphyries, Skarns and IOCG
Ore Deposits 101 Part 4 – Mesothermal and Greenstone Lode Gold
Ore Deposits 101 Part 5 – Epithermal Deposits
Ore Deposits101 Part 6 – Carlin Deposits
Ore Deposits 101 Part 7 – VMS and Sedex
Ore Deposits 101 Part 8 – Witwatersrand Gold
Ore Deposits 101 Part 9 - Uranium
Ore Deposits 101 Part 10 – Exploration Process
Ore Deposits 101 - 11 Mineral Reserves, Resources and Estimation
I have organized this review following the table of contents, with chapter titles in bold.
Why Invest in Silver?
Silver is a sort-of bank metal. It was widely used in the past for coinage. It has unique
electrical and medical qualities, making it, so Durrett claims, the second most versatile
commodity in the world after petroleum.
It is scarce. Per Durrett's table, reproduced here, mine production has been stagnant and
industrial demand has been growing. Investment demand, notably through ETFs, has gone
up and down but is trending up. The above-ground supply silver, about 5 billion ounces, is
worth about $150 billion. Compare that with $8 trillion for gold coins and bullion at May 2024
prices. Annual production and consumption are about 20% of the above-ground total,
whereas the amount of gold grows only by a couple of percent per year.
A lot of silver is committed in the form of "paper silver", redeemable certificates not backed up
by silver in storage; by options contracts and by other promises of one sort and another. If a
crunch comes there will not be enough to satisfy all the demand, and prices are likely to move
up quickly. A look back to the 60s shows two times when the nominal price of silver exceeds
today's $30. In the past the ratio of gold to silver has been around 20:1. Today it is 75:1.
Durrett's bottom-line argument is that silver is underpriced relative to gold. Many factors
could cause it to move quickly.
This reviewer adds, it is the only metal priced in the sweet spot for coinage. Copper, nickel
and aluminum are too cheap. Gold is too expensive, and platinum is both too expensive and
not abundant enough. If there is a return to the gold standard, it is likely that there will be a
role for silver as well.
Why Invest in Gold?
Gold is a simple call. Gold has always been the ultimate store of value. As the book says, an
ounce of gold has bought a good suit of clothes throughout history. A person who owns
10,000 ounces has been rich at any time in history.
Gold in hand has no counterparty risk. Its value does not depend on government or anything
else. There are always risks. Gold stored at home is vulnerable to theft. Gold stored in
vaults, whether in your home country or another, has some counterparty risk. There is also
the question of whether you can get it if the balloon goes up. Gold ETFs depend on the gold
being there. There are audits, yes, but can you trust them? On the riskier end of things there
is unbacked paper gold, options and such. These are the next three chapter titles:
• Physical Metal: Bullion and Coins
• ETF's (Exchange Traded Funds)
• Options
On the other hand, per Durrett, the upside potential of physical gold is limited. He wrote that
he would start to sell at $2500. It is almost there.
Mining Companies: Majors
Durrett's focus on mining companies is silver more than gold. Silver offers more upside
potential. There are few pure silver plays among miners – for most, silver is a byproduct of
base metal mining. While he provides tables of mining companies for the reader to
investigate, in his opinion buying ETFs of the major miners is a very reasonable option. The
people running the ETFs do a pretty good job of evaluating them. The ETF fees, usually a
fraction of a percent, are worth paying, especially in a bull market.
The considerations are similar for smaller companies. He has chapters on smaller operations
entitles:
• Mining Companies: Mid Tier Producers
• Mining Companies: Juniors
Since the smaller companies are the ones that will be less well researched and have the most
volatility, they are the ones he has focused on in his own portfolio. As he stresses, it is a
question of the balance among the amount of research a person is willing to do, the kinds of
returns he is seeking and the risk he can bear. Durrett will do quite a bit of research and
accept risk to shoot for five-fold returns. He tells you how.
All in all, a very useful guide to investment. For those who feel as Durrett does that the world
financial system is teetering on the edge of collapse, that the stock markets are significantly
overpriced, this is a good guide to contrarian investing.
June 4, 2026
Nothing wrong with this overview, but expected a bit more from the well respected investor Don Durrett. For the starting investor this could be your guide into the world of precious metals investing, but there are a lot of good alternatives available. On the subject be sure to check out: The Great Silver Bull: Crush Inflation and Profit as the Dollar Dies.
September 30, 2024
This book is fantastic. Don is an incredible resource and absolutely generous with his knowledge. I’ve shot him a message or comment a few times and he freely shared his knowledge on my investments to my benefit.
Read this book, re-read it, and model out your spreadsheet. Add in your own judgement to the model but it will likely not deviate much from his methods.
Enjoy the bull run.
Read this book, re-read it, and model out your spreadsheet. Add in your own judgement to the model but it will likely not deviate much from his methods.
Enjoy the bull run.
March 31, 2025
Best book on investing in gold, silver, bullion, mining stocks, etc, that I've ever read. I'd say this it it. It's The Book. It's like a college course on the subject. If you like money, read this book!
December 28, 2021
Excellent book on precious metals investing.
June 25, 2015
Bietet einen guten Einstieg in die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten, in Edelmetalle zu investieren und behandelt die Fundamentalanalyse von mining stocks als Bewertungsgrundlage. Viele Beispiele sind leider nicht mehr aktuell. Trotzdem Informativ.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews