Putting a shine on your portfolio: the turbulent stock and currency markets have confirmed it's never too late to invest in gold. Most see this precious metal as a favourable component of any long-term investment portfolio, as well as a relatively safe haven--partly because it doesn't rely on an issuer's promise to pay. But gold isn't the only metal in demand among investors.

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Putting a shine on your portfolio: the turbulent stock and currency markets have confirmed it's never too late to invest in gold. Most see this precious metal as a favourable component of any long-term investment portfolio, as well as a relatively safe haven--partly because it doesn't rely on an issuer's promise to pay. But gold isn't the only metal in demand among investors.

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Evidence of mankind's mastery of gold dates back as far as 4,000 BC in Central Europe. Archaeologists presume that the gold was mined from the Transylvanian Alps, before it was fashioned into decorations. By 3,000 BC, gold was used by jewellery makers in southern Iraq. It has also been found in early Egyptian tombs dating from 2,500 BC.

Gold in history

The earliest gold coins emerged in Egypt 1,00...

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