With ensuing uncertainty in the markets, a lot of people are looking to more traditional forms of value store to protect their investments and savings against inflation.
Gold's value is fixed twice a day by the five members of the London Gold Pool, making it far less prone to the effects of a fluctuating global market.
Here are four tips to consider when looking to invest in gold:

1. In the UK gold is subject to capital gains tax.
   That is, at the time when you choose to resell your gold, you will be required to pay tax on the profit earned as a result of your ownership of the commodity.
   
2. Dealers typically deal in gold bars from 1 ounce to 100 ounces.
   Some companies, such as Baird & Co.
   have 2.
   5g bars available.
   Coins are extremely rare.
   A passport and two utility bills is what is typically required if you are purchasing more than £5000 worth of gold.
   
3. Some people think that stockpiling jewellery is an alternative to buying gold.
   In truth, the price of a piece of jewellery will include craftsmanship, handling and transport, so jewellery is rarely a true investment option.
   The metal won't be as pure as investment-grade gold, either.
   Old English pieces may be much more salable on the antiques market for their collectors value rather than their gold value.
   
4. A large proportion of gold investment is carried out over the internet.
   Payment is made and the gold is literally brought to you by courier.
   Unless you opt to store the gold with the company, for a fee.
   Storing it at home is a viable option, but you should be aware of insurance costs for this before proceeding with this as an option.
   Also many Gold brokers can be found on your local high street and this may be more trustworthy than an internet company.
   Your local bank can often store at a small cost too.
   

Other gold related investment options include exchange-traded funds or stocks in gold mining companies themselves.
It should be noted that these types of investment will carry additional transaction fees and could suffer from fluctuating markets.