Precious Metals FAQ
Answers to the questions we get most: how prices update, Premium and cancelling, the free API, widgets and downloads, plus a few precious metals basics.
Prices and data timing
How often do prices update?
Price pages check for a new quote every 30 seconds while they're open, and each price shows when it was last updated. If a quote stops updating, the page labels it as the last available price and shows its date.
What happens to prices on weekends?
COMEX futures stop trading from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening, New York time, so gold and silver spot quotes hold near Friday's close. The 24/7 markets page follows perpetual futures on gold, silver and other markets that keep trading through weekends and holidays.
Where do the prices come from?
Spot prices follow the main exchanges and over-the-counter trading: COMEX and NYMEX futures for gold, silver, platinum, palladium and copper, and the London Metal Exchange for aluminum, nickel, zinc, lead and tin. Our price pages each carry a Data Methodology section, and the data sources page lists the publishers behind our exchange data.
The free API
Is there a free metals price API?
Yes. The free tier returns live spot prices for every metal we track, plus currency conversion and market status, for about 200 price requests a month. It needs an account but no credit card, and it doesn't expire. Free-tier prices shown publicly need a visible credit link to MetalCharts. See what's included on the free metals API page.
How do I get an API key?
Sign in, open the API console and generate a key. Paid plans add price history, news, crypto and exchange data such as COMEX inventory, with higher rate limits; they're listed on API pricing.
Widgets
Can I put a live price on my website?
Yes. The widget builder makes a live price ticker or chart for metals, crypto, metal ETFs and the US Dollar Index. You copy one iframe snippet into your site, and it works on WordPress, Shopify, Squarespace and most other platforms.
Do widgets cost anything?
No. Widgets are free on personal and commercial sites and don't need an account or an API key. The only condition is keeping the attribution link under the widget visible.
Downloads
Can I download price data?
Yes. The data downloads page has free CSV files: annual gold and silver prices since 1970, the annual gold to silver ratio, weekly and annual Shanghai silver premiums, and weekly COMEX gold and silver registered and eligible stocks. You can use them in articles, videos and research as long as you include a visible credit link to metalcharts.org.
Is daily price history available?
Daily history comes with the paid API plans on API pricing. The free downloads stay at annual and weekly resolution.
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Precious metals basics
What is the spot price of gold?
The spot price of gold is the current market price for one troy ounce of pure gold for immediate delivery. It is determined by trading on global futures exchanges, primarily COMEX and the LBMA. The spot price changes continuously during market hours and serves as the baseline from which dealers set their buy and sell prices.
How do I buy physical gold?
Buy from authorized dealers, online bullion retailers, select banks, or directly from government mints. The most common forms are gold bars, sovereign coins (American Gold Eagle, Canadian Maple Leaf, Krugerrand), and privately minted rounds. Compare premiums across dealers, verify dealer reputation, and arrange secure storage before purchasing.
What is the gold-silver ratio?
The gold-silver ratio shows how many ounces of silver it takes to buy one ounce of gold at current prices. Historically, the ratio has ranged from about 15:1 in ancient times to over 120:1 during 2020. Investors use the ratio to identify which metal offers better relative value: a high ratio suggests silver is cheap relative to gold, while a low ratio suggests the opposite.
Is platinum more valuable than gold?
Platinum traded at a premium to gold for most of the 20th century. Since 2015, gold has consistently traded above platinum due to declining diesel vehicle production, strong gold investment demand, and record central bank gold purchases. This relationship will shift if industrial demand for platinum recovers or if gold investment flows decline.