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Aurum Resources Limited (ASX:AUE) is pleased to announce the appointment of MACA Interquip Mintrex (MIM) and ALS (Perth) to undertake metallurgical study activities for its Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire from Scoping Study level towards Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) level.
This appointment marks the commencement of scoping study of the Boundiali Gold Project’s potential future development.
MIM’s appointment involves both an initial metallurgical testwork scope and possible ongoing works to PFS and definitive feasibility study (DFS) levels.
At the current Scoping level, MIM will:
- Design a testwork program suitable for a scoping study, mainly consisting of:
- Comminution (BWi, RWi, CWi, Ai, SMC) – oxide samples, transition samples and fresh samples.
- Gravity – oxide, transition and fresh samples followed by various variability samples.
- Grind establishment
- Leach – samples of oxide, transitional and fresh all at the optimum grind size.
- Perform regular reviews and gap analysis on the testwork program to update program if needed;
- Manage and monitoring the progress of the testwork at ALS in Perth;
- Evaluate the final scoping testwork results;
- Provide Scoping Level Process Design Criteria inputs into scoping study work;
- Design testwork program based on scoping study results to support further engineering work up to DFS level;
- Provide advice on tests to be carried out for feasibility study.
ALS Perth will undertake Comminution Tests and Cyanide Leach Testwork.
Managing Director Dr Caigen Wang said: “We are at the beginning of a very exciting phase of preliminary studies for our Boundiali Gold Project’s development. Metallurgical studies are scheduled in line with our overall gold resources definition, project scoping study and PFS. The outcome of this preliminary met study will form a critical part of the Boundiali Gold Project’s scoping study and PFS.
Aurum’s executive team enjoyed past collaboration with Mintrex and ALS Perth on metallurgical studies on Tietto Minerals’ Abujar Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire from scoping to PFS and DFS and we look forward to this new collaboration on the very exciting Boundiali Gold Project also in Côte d’Ivoire.”
Aurum has extensive drilling programs underway at Boundiali, aimed at delivering an initial JORC Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) in late CY2024. Aurum expects to complete 45,000m of diamond drilling in CY2024, currently with five AUE-owned and operated diamond drill rigs operating 24 hours for 6 days a week.
Preliminary gold recovery tests (ASX 22/7/2024) through bottle roll tests on 50 samples from Boundiali target BDT1 confirmed gold mineralisation is free milling, with cyanide leach recoveries consistently exceeding 93% for samples grading 0.25 g/t gold or higher. Results from the test work are encouraging, with calculated recoveries for oxidised samples ranging from 91% to 99%, averaging 97.5%. Samples above 0.25 g/t Au reported an average recovery of 93%. Fresh samples of all lithologies reported an average gold recovery of 90.3% (sandstone is the most common lithology) (Table 1).
Table 1: Average cyanide gold recovery at BDT1 by weathering and lithology
Aurum is well funded with ~$23M cash available after shareholders approved Aurum’s Tranche 2 of a $17M Share Placement announced in June and $3M SPP. Aurum received approval at the company’s General Meeting held on 6 August 2024.
Click here for the full ASX Release
This article includes content from Aurum Resources Limited, licensed for the purpose of publishing on Investing News Australia. This article does not constitute financial product advice. It is your responsibility to perform proper due diligence before acting upon any information provided here. Please refer to our full disclaimer here.
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Aurum Resources
Investor Insights
Aurum Resources offers a compelling value proposition through its highly prospective gold assets in Côte d'Ivoire, a fast-emerging gold region in West Africa. Its cost-effective exploration strategy of drill rig ownership also distinguishes it from its peers.
Overview
Aurum Resources (ASX:AUE) is a mineral exploration company primarily focused on gold through its Boundiali and Napié gold projects in Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Côte d'Ivoire's gold mining sector is experiencing significant growth and development, with several key projects contributing to the country's economic expansion. The overall gold mining sector in Côte d'Ivoire is supported by substantial investments in infrastructure and exploration.
Geopolitically, Côte d'Ivoire outperforms most developing countries in the world in political, legal, tax and operational risk metrics. Additionally, Côte d'Ivoire continues to make notable strides in its political stability and Absence of Violence and Terrorism Index.
Boundiali Gold Project – BD Target 1 Artisanal Working
In March 2025, Aurum completed the acquisition of 100 percent of Mako Gold, bringing together its strong balance sheet and industry-leading drilling efficiencies to accelerate resource growth across northern Côte d’Ivoire. The company now holds a 90 percent interest in the highly prospective Napié Project, a 224 sq km land package with a 30 km strike near Korhogo.
Aurum has delivered a major milestone in 2025 with a +50 percent increase in the JORC Mineral Resource Estimate at its Boundiali Gold Project in Côte d’Ivoire, adding 820koz for a total of 2.41Moz. This lifts the company’s group resources to 3.28Moz, including Napié, highlighting the scale and growth potential of Aurum’s portfolio.
Supported by a seasoned board and management team with deep gold sector expertise—and strengthened by its recent capital raising—Aurum is well-funded to expand resources and advance development plans that drive long-term shareholder value.
Company Highlights
- 3.28Moz and Growing in Côte d’Ivoire: Two cornerstone gold projects — Boundiali (2.41Moz) and Napié (0.87Moz) — positioned for rapid growth with multiple resource updates and development milestones in 2025–2026.
- Outstanding Metallurgy = Simple, Profitable Processing: Boundiali delivers free milling ore with 95 percent recoveries and a straightforward flowsheet, while Napié achieves +94 percent recoveries in tests, showcasing strong economics and low technical risk.
- Aggressive, Cost-Effective Growth Strategy: In-house drill fleet drives efficiency and scale: 100,000m at Boundiali and 30,000m at Napié planned in 2025.
- Premier Mining Jurisdiction: Located in Côte d’Ivoire’s prolific Birimian Greenstone Belt, backed by a stable, supportive government and excellent infrastructure—creating the right conditions for mine development success.
- Strategic Placement: Aurum has completed a AU$35.6 million private placement of 100 million shares at AU$0.356 per share. Key participants in the placement included:
- Lundin Family and Associates, with an AU$11.71 million cash investment, securing a 9.9 percent post-placement interest.
- Zhaojin Capital (subsidiary of Zhaojin Mining), with an AU$8.19 million cash investment, increasing its holding to 8.5 percent.
- Montage Gold with 2.9 million shares, resulting in a 9.9 percent post-placement interest.
- Leadership with a Proven Track Record: A seasoned management team with a history of value creation, supported by committed shareholders who back the company’s long-term growth vision.
Key Projects
Boundali Gold Project
The Boundiali gold project in Cote d’Ivoire is located within the Boundiali Greenstone Belt, which hosts Resolute’s Syama gold operation (11.5 Moz) and the Tabakoroni deposit (1 Moz) in Mali. Neighbouring assets also include Barrick’s Tongon mine (5 Moz) and Montage Gold’s Kone project (4.5 Moz).
The Boundiali project area covers the underexplored southern extension of the Boundiali belt, where a highly deformed synclinal greenstone horizon traverses finer-grained basin sediments, and to the west, Tarkwaian clastic rocks lie in contact with a granitic margin. The project benefits from year-round road access and excellent infrastructure.
The first stage of drilling at Boundiali occurred from late October 2023 to end of November 2024 for both the BM and BD tenements (BM1 and BM2; BD1, BD2 and BD3 targets) and was designed to test below-gold-in-soil anomalies oriented along NE trending structures, define new gold prospects and define maiden JORC resources. With over 63,000m diamond holes drilled during this period, Maiden JORC gold resources estimate was delivered in late December 2024.
Drilling costs are estimated at US$45 per metre, as Aurum owns all of its eight drilling rigs and employs its operators, representing a significant value proposition relative to peers who use commercial drilling companies that charge upwards of $200 per meter. The company believes there is potential for multi-million ounce gold resources to be defined with hundreds thousands meters of drilling over years within the Boundiali Gold Project’s land holding areas.
The Boundiali gold project comprises four contiguous granted licenses: PR0808 (80 percent interest), PR0893 (80 percent and earning to 88 percent interest), PR414 (100 percent interest), and PR283 (earning to 70 percent interest). Historic exploration at PR0893 includes 93 AC drill holes and four RC holes. Airborne geophysical surveying, geological mapping and extensive soil sampling have also been performed at PR0893, while PR0808 has had 91 RC holes drilled for 6,229 metres along with geochemical analysis and modeling. Detailed geochemical sampling and drilling at PR414 revealed three strong gold anomalies and returned impressive high-grade results.
In May 2024, Aurum entered a strategic partnership agreement to earn up to a 70 percent interest in exploration tenement PR283, to be renamed Boundiali North (BN). Aurum, through subsidiary Plusor Global Pty Ltd, has partnered with Ivorian company Geb & Nut Resources Sarl and related party (GNRR) to explore and develop the Boundiali North (BN) tenement which covers 208.87sq km immediately north of Aurum’s BD tenement. Further to this agreement,
Aurum announced it has earned 80 percent project interest after completing more than 20,000 m of diamond core drilling.
Boundiali Project JORC Mineral Resource Estimate
Aurum has announced a maiden independent JORC mineral resource estimate of 1.59 Moz gold for its 1,037 sq. km. The Boundiali Gold Project comprises the BST, BDT1 & BDT2, BMT1 and BMT3 deposits. Drilling is ongoing on these deposits, and Aurum has identified other prospects at Boundiali which have yet to be drilled. Since October 2023, the company has completed an extensive 63,927-metre diamond drilling program. This aggressive exploration campaign has rapidly defined a significant gold resource of 50.9 Mt @ 1.0 g/t gold for 1.6 million ounces.
In August 2025, Aurum announced a 50 percent increase in the JORC Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE). The update adds 820koz, lifting Boundiali’s resource to 2.41Moz and boosting total group resources to 3.28Moz, including Napié. The 2025 MRE covers six deposits, including BST1, BDT1, BDT2, BDT3, BMT1, and BMT3, with drilling ongoing and additional untested targets offering strong growth potential.
Aurum is working towards completing an open pit PFS for the Boundiali Gold Project by the end of 2025. This will provide an evaluation of the project's economics and technical feasibility.
Napié Gold Project
Aurum holds a 90 percent interest in the Napié Project in north-central Côte d’Ivoire, acquired through its takeover of Mako Gold. Located approximately 30 km southeast of Korhogo, the project covers a 224 sq km land package with a 30 km strike length along the highly prospective Napié Shear Zone.
As of June 2022, Napié hosts a JORC 2012 Mineral Resource Estimate of 868,000 ounces of gold (22.5 Mt at 1.20 g/t Au), based on the Tchaga and Gogbala deposits—two of four known prospects along the shear. To date, only 13 percent of the Napié Shear has been explored, leaving substantial potential for further discoveries.
Napié Project – Previous results with detailed mapping area on Komboro Prospect shown in black rectangle
Project Highlights:
- Gold Resource: Shallow open pit 0.87Moz JORC Resource at 1.20g/t Au, with mineralisation open along strike and at depth. Maximum resource depth between 160 m – 195m across the two deposits
- Exploration Upside: Less than 13 percent of the 30 km Napié Shear has been explored, offering significant potential for resource growth.
- Drilling Commenced in June 2025: 30,000 m of diamond drilling has commenced to expand the project's resource.
- Preliminary Recovery Test Work: Returned more than 94 percent average gold recoveries.
- Resource Growth Target: First MRE update planned end of 2025, to significantly expand the resource base.
- Infrastructure: Excellent access to hydroelectricity, roads, and water, supporting future development.
Management Team
Troy Flannery – Non-executive Chairman
Troy Flannery has more than 25 years’ experience in the mining industry, including nine years in corporate and 17 years in senior mining engineering and project development roles. He has a degree in mining engineering, masters in finance, and first-class mine managers certificate of competency. Flannery has performed non-executive director roles with numerous ASX listed companies and was the CEO of Abra Mining until October 2021. He has worked at numerous mining companies, mining consultancy and contractors, including BHP, Newcrest, Xstrata, St Barbara Mines and AMC Consultants.
Dr. Caigen Wang – Managing Director
Dr. Caigen Wang founded Tietto Minerals (ASX:TIE), where he led the company as managing director for 13 years through private exploration, ASX listing, gold resource definition, project study and mine building to become one of Africa’s newest gold producers at its Abujar gold mine in Côte d’Ivoire. He holds a bachelor, masters and PhD in mining engineering. He is a fellow of AusIMM and a chartered professional engineer of Institution of Engineer, Australia. Wang has 13 years of mining academic experience in China University of Mining and Technology, Western Australia School of Mine and University of Alberta, and over 20 years of practical experience in mining engineering and mineral exploration in Australia, China and Africa. Other professional experience includes senior technical and management roles in mining houses, including St. Barbara, Sons of Gwalia, BHP Billiton, China Goldmines PLC and others.
Mark Strizek – Executive Director
Mark Strizek has nearly 30 years’ experience in the resource industry, having worked as a geologist on various gold, base metal and technology metal projects. He brings invaluable geological, technical and development expertise to Aurum, most recently as an executive director at Tietto Minerals’, which progressed from an IPO to gold production at the Abujar gold project in West Africa. Strizek has worked as an executive with management and board responsibilities in exploration, feasibility, finance, and development-ready assets across Australia, West Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Steve Zaninovich - Non-Executive Director
Ateve Zaninovich is a qualified engineer with over 25 years of experience in mining project development, business development, maintenance, and operational readiness, with a focus on gold, base metals, and lithium. He is currently director of operations at Kodal Minerals, where he is responsible for advancing the Bougouni Lithium Project. His previous roles include project director at Lycopodium Minerals for the Akyem Gold Project in Ghana and chief operating officer at Gryphon Minerals. Following Gryphon’s acquisition by Teranga Gold Corporation, he became vice-president of major projects and a member of Teranga’s executive management team.
Game-changing gold exploration at prolific Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa.
Earthwise Minerals: Advancing the Iron Range Gold Project in BC
Earthwise Minerals (CSE:WISE,FSE:966) is an emerging gold exploration company leveraging a data-driven strategy to unlock significant upside in a tier-one Canadian jurisdiction. The company is advancing its Iron Range project in southeastern British Columbia—a district-scale land package with geological analogues to some of North America’s most prolific polymetallic systems.
Earthwise Minerals is pursuing a measured growth strategy that blends investor outreach with disciplined exploration. By integrating over $8 million of historic data with modern techniques, the company is advancing the Iron Range Gold Project efficiently and cost-effectively. A staged four-year option agreement provides a low-entry framework for exploration and supports a clear path toward drilling.
The Iron Range Gold Project is Earthwise Minerals’ flagship asset, spanning 21,437 hectares in southeastern British Columbia, just northeast of Creston. The property sits along the Iron Mountain Fault Zone (IMFZ), a major regional structure within the Purcell Supergroup that also hosts the world-class Sullivan SEDEX deposit. Earthwise controls over 50 kilometres of strike length along the IMFZ and its associated splays. The project benefits from excellent infrastructure, including Highway 3 crossing the property, Canadian Pacific rail access, and nearby BC Hydro power, natural gas, and water. Exploration is further streamlined by a multi-year area-based (MYAB) permit, enabling trenching, geophysics, road access, and drilling without the need for annual approvals.
Company Highlights
- Tight Capital Structure: Only 37.2 million shares fully diluted, providing strong leverage to exploration success without heavy dilution
- Flagship Iron Range Gold Project: District-scale property covering 21,437 hectares, strategically located along the Iron Mountain Fault Zone, within the same stratigraphy as the legendary Sullivan SEDEX deposit
- Strong Geological Foundation: Over $8 million of historical exploration, including geophysics, geochemistry, and drilling, provides a data-rich base for new high-impact targeting
- Low-cost Option Agreement: Earthwise can earn up to 80 percent of Iron Range from Eagle Plains Resources through staged payments and exploration commitments totaling $4 million over four years
- World-class Infrastructure: The project is road accessible, bisected by Highway 3 and Canadian Pacific rail, with nearby power, natural gas and water resources
- Proven Leadership: CEO Mark Luchinski and VP exploration George Yordanov bring capital markets expertise and technical discovery experience, supported by a well-rounded board with financial and digital strategy capabilities
This Earthwise Minerals profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
Click here to connect with Earthwise Minerals (CSE:WISE) to receive an Investor Presentation
Earthwise Minerals
Investor Insight
With a data-driven exploration strategy, Earthwise Minerals is an emerging gold exploration company with significant upside potential in a tier-one Canadian jurisdiction. The company is advancing the Iron Range gold project in southeastern British Columbia, a district-scale land package with geological analogues to some of North America’s most prolific polymetallic systems.
Overview
Earthwise Minerals (CSE:WISE,FSE:966) is a Vancouver-based exploration company advancing the fully permitted Iron Range Gold Project in southeastern British Columbia. The project benefits from a multi-year exploration and drilling permit that provides flexibility for efficient advancement. With a history of significant gold discoveries and more than $8 million in historic exploration work, Iron Range represents the company’s primary focus and a district-scale opportunity in a tier-one jurisdiction.
Iron range property looking from Talon Zone area towards Arrow Creek
Earthwise Minerals is pursuing a measured growth strategy that blends investor outreach with disciplined exploration. By integrating over $8 million of historic data with modern techniques, the company is advancing the Iron Range Gold Project efficiently and cost-effectively. A staged four-year option agreement provides a low-entry framework for exploration and supports a clear path toward drilling.
Company Highlights
- Tight Capital Structure: Only 37.2 million shares fully diluted, providing strong leverage to exploration success without heavy dilution
- Flagship Iron Range Gold Project: District-scale property covering 21,437 hectares, strategically located along the Iron Mountain Fault Zone, within the same stratigraphy as the legendary Sullivan SEDEX deposit
- Strong Geological Foundation: Over $8 million of historical exploration, including geophysics, geochemistry, and drilling, provides a data-rich base for new high-impact targeting
- Low-cost Option Agreement: Earthwise can earn up to 80 percent of Iron Range from Eagle Plains Resources through staged payments and exploration commitments totaling $4 million over four years
- World-class Infrastructure: The project is road accessible, bisected by Highway 3 and Canadian Pacific rail, with nearby power, natural gas and water resources
- Proven Leadership: CEO Mark Luchinski and VP exploration George Yordanov bring capital markets expertise and technical discovery experience, supported by a well-rounded board with financial and digital strategy capabilities
Key Project
Iron Range Gold Project
The Iron Range Gold Project is Earthwise Minerals’ flagship asset, covering 21,437 hectares in southeastern British Columbia, just northeast of Creston. The property is underlain by the Iron Mountain Fault Zone (IMFZ), a major regional structure within the Purcell Supergroup that also hosts the world-class Sullivan SEDEX deposit. Earthwise controls more than 50 kilometres of strike length along the IMFZ and associated splays. The project benefits from excellent infrastructure, with Highway 3 crossing the property, Canadian Pacific rail access, and nearby BC Hydro power, natural gas, and water. Exploration is further supported by a multi-year area-based (MYAB) permit, allowing trenching, geophysics, road access, and drilling without the need for annual approvals.
A robust exploration dataset underpins the project. A 2004 VTEM survey outlined conductivity trends coincident with the IMFZ, while systematic soil geochemistry defined multi-element anomalies (arsenic, lead, zinc, and gold), including “Sullivan-style” lead-zinc responses within the Lower–Middle Aldridge Contact — a stratigraphic horizon strongly associated with SEDEX mineralization. Induced polarization (IP) surveys completed in 2017 identified a down-plunge chargeability anomaly at the Talon/Canyon Zone. Follow-up drilling in 2018 confirmed this target, returning mineralized intercepts consistent with the geophysical model and demonstrating continuity beneath surface anomalies.
Mineralization styles at Iron Range are polymetallic and diverse, including intermediate-sulphidation epithermal systems with alteration assemblages of silica, K-feldspar, sericite, and carbonate. Mineralization occurs within brittle shear and breccia zones ranging from one metre to several tens of metres wide, spatially associated with the IMFZ and concentrated within approximately 150 metres of the LMC.
Historic drilling at the Talon/Canyon Zone has returned broad and high-grade intercepts, including:
- 56.5 m grading 1.9 g/t gold, 0.44 percent lead, 0.59 percent zinc, and 19.7 g/t silver
- 14.0 m grading 5.1 g/t gold, 1.86 percent lead, 2.1percent zinc, and 75.3 g/t silver
- 2.0 m grading 12.8 g/t gold, 4.18 percent lead, 5.06 percent zinc, and 122.5 g/t silver (drill hole IR10-010)
Mineralization remains open along strike and at depth, with overlapping geophysical and geochemical vectors indicating potential for parallel or offset mineralized shoots. Earthwise’s 2025 exploration program is focused on detailed structural mapping, systematic geochemical sampling, and expanded IP surveys to refine 3D chargeability and resistivity models, helping to de-risk future drill targeting. A Phase 1 drill campaign (~2,500 metres) is scheduled for 2026 to test down-plunge extensions of the Talon/Canyon Zone and evaluate additional parallel structures.
Under the option agreement with Eagle Plains Resources, Earthwise can earn a 70 percent interest over four years through staged cash, share and exploration commitments. An additional 10 percent interest (to 80 percent) can be acquired for a $1-million cash payment within 120 days of vesting at 70 percent. Eagle Plains retains a 1 percent NSR on part of the property. This represents a low-cost entry relative to the more than $8 million of historical work already completed, allowing Earthwise to direct capital toward geophysics and drilling rather than re-establishing baseline exploration.
The emphasis on geophysics is strategic. In structurally complex belts where mineralization occurs in breccia, veins and disseminated sulphides, IP surveys are a proven, cost-effective discriminator. They can identify disseminated to semi-massive sulphides, distinguish mineralized from barren host rocks, and provide depth slices for 3D geological modelling. When integrated with legacy VTEM, geochemical surveys and drill data, modern IP provides the most efficient pathway to precise, high-value drilling designed to answer key questions of geometry, grade distribution and vectoring within the system.
Management Team
Mark Luchinski – Chief Executive Officer
Mark Luchinski is a seasoned entrepreneur and capital markets specialist with two decades of experience managing public companies and advancing exploration projects. He has guided multiple firms through financing, acquisitions, exploration and public listings. In addition to Earthwise, he serves as a director of Aeonian Resources.
George Yordanov – VP Exploration and Director
A professional geologist and NI 43-101 qualified person with over 15 years of exploration experience, George Yordanov has contributed to grassroots discoveries with Osisko Mining, Sumitomo Metal and Dundee Precious Metals, bringing expertise across gold, base metals and lithium exploration.
Solomon Kasirye – Director
Solomon Kasirye is a registered geoscientist with over a decade of experience across resource estimation, exploration, mine geology and commodity research. He is the managing director of SoloCore Solutions and holds advanced degrees in Metal & Energy Finance (Imperial College London) and Mineral Resource Management (University of Free State)
Mateo Arcila – Director
An engineer with 10+ years of business development and digital strategy experience, Mateo Arcila leads Earthwise’s corporate outreach, digital presence and capital markets engagement. His background spans marketing, big data analytics and international business
Ikavinder Deol – Chief Financial Officer
Ikavinder Deol is CPA with over six years of experience in financial reporting and regulatory compliance for junior mining companies. She is also with Cross Davis & Company, specializing in IFRS reporting for resource companies
What Was the Highest Price for Gold?
Gold market gurus from Lynette Zang to Chris Blasi to Jordan Roy-Byrne have shared eye-popping predictions on the gold price that would intrigue any investor — gold bug or not.
Some have posited that the gold price may rise as high as US$4,000 or US$5,000 per ounce, and there are those who believe that US$10,000 gold or even US$40,000 gold could become a reality.
These impressive price predictions have investors wondering, what is gold's all-time high (ATH)?
In the past year, gold has reached new all-time highs dozens of times. Find out what has driven it to these levels, plus how the gold price has moved historically and what has impacted its performance in recent years.
In this article
How is gold traded?
Before discovering what the highest gold price ever was, it’s worth looking at how the precious metal is traded. Knowing the mechanics behind gold's historical moves can help illuminate why and how its price changes.
Gold bullion is traded in dollars and cents per ounce, with activity taking place worldwide at all hours, resulting in a live price. Investors trade gold in major commodities markets such as New York, London, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
London is seen as the center of physical precious metals trading, including for silver. The COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange is home to most paper trading.
There are many popular ways to invest in gold. The first is through purchasing gold bullion products such as bullion bars, bullion coins and rounds. Physical gold is sold on the spot market, meaning that buyers pay a specific price per ounce for the metal and then have it delivered or stored in a secure facility. In some parts of the world, such as India, buying gold in the form of jewelry is the largest and most traditional route to investing in gold.
Another path to gold investment is paper trading, which is done through the gold futures market. Participants enter into gold futures contracts for the delivery of gold in the future at an agreed-upon price.
In such contracts, two positions can be taken: a long position under which delivery of the metal is accepted or a short position to provide delivery of the metal. Paper trading as a means to invest in gold can provide investors with the flexibility to liquidate assets that aren’t available to those who possess physical gold bullion.
One significant long-term advantage of trading in the paper market is that investors can benefit from gold’s safe-haven status without needing to store it. Furthermore, gold futures trading can offer more financial leverage in that it requires less capital than trading in the physical market. Investors can also purchase physical gold via the futures market, but the process is complicated and lengthy and comes with a large investment and additional costs.
Aside from those options, market participants can invest in gold through exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Investing in a gold ETF is similar to trading a gold stock on an exchange, and there are numerous gold ETF options to choose from depending on your preference. For instance, some ETFs focus solely on physical gold bullion, while others focus on gold futures contracts. Other gold ETFs center on gold-mining stocks or follow the gold spot price.
It is important to understand that you will not own any physical gold when investing in an ETF — in general, even a gold ETF that tracks physical gold cannot be redeemed for tangible metal.
Gold has an interesting relationship with the stock market. The two often move in sync during “risk-on periods” when investors are bullish. On the flip side, they tend to become inversely correlated in times of volatility.
According to the World Gold Council, gold's ability to decouple from the stock market during periods of stress makes it “unique amongst most hedges in the marketplace.” It is often during these times that gold outperforms the stock market. For that reason, it is often used as a portfolio diversifier to hedge against uncertainty.
There are a variety of options for investing in gold stocks, including gold-mining stocks on the TSX and ASX, gold juniors, precious metals royalty companies and gold stocks that pay dividends.
What was the highest gold price ever?
The gold price peaked at US$3,702.45, its all-time high, during trading on September 16, 2025.
What drove it to this new ATH? Gold reached its new highest price the first day of the September US Federal Reserve meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee, at which an interest rate cut is widely expected.
On September 12, the prior trading day, the release of US consumer price index (CPI) data for August showed the overall inflation rose to 2.9 percent on an annual basis and 0.4 percent over July. Weak jobs data the week before further fueled expectations of a rate cut at the upcoming US Fed meeting.
Additionally, the US dollar index continued its largely downward trend that started in mid-January, falling to a year-to-date low 96.56 on September 16. Traditionally, gold often trades higher when the US dollar is weak, making gold a popular hedge investment.
While gold's fresh ATH came on September 15, on September 7 gold's record breaking run officially surpassed its inflation adjusted all-time high of US$850 per ounce set in January 1980 the week before.
It has set multiple news highs in the preceding weeks amid significant uncertainty in the US and global economies and surging gold ETF purchases.
One key driver came on August 29, when a US federal appeals court ruled that US President Donald Trump's "Liberation Day" tariffs, announced in April, are illegal, stating that only Congress has the power to enact widespread tariffs. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling, which will go into effect on October 14.
Bond market turmoil in the US and abroad on September 2 also provided tailwinds for the gold price.
2025 gold price performance
Gold price chart, December 31, 2024, to September 16, 2025.
Chart via the Investing News Network.
Why is the gold price setting new highs in 2025?
Gold's record-setting activity extends beyond the last two weeks as well.
Increased economic and geopolitical turmoil caused by the Trump administration has been a tailwind for gold this year, as well as a weakening US dollar, sticky inflation in the country and increased safe-haven gold demand.
Since coming into office in late January, Trump has threatened or enacted tariffs on many countries, including blanket tariffs on longtime US allies Canada and Mexico and tariffs on the EU.
Trump has also implemented 25 percent tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports.
The gold price set a string of new highs in the month of April amid high market volatility as markets reacted to tariff decisions from Trump and the escalating trade war between the US and China. By April 11, Trump had raised US tariffs on Chinese imports to 145 percent and China had raised its tariffs on US products to 125 percent. Trump has reiterated that the US may need to go through a period of economic pain to enter a new "golden age" of economic prosperity.
Falling markets and a declining US dollar have supported gold too, as well as increased buying from China. Elon Musk's call to audit the gold holdings in Fort Knox has also brought attention to the yellow metal.
What factors have driven the gold price in the last five years?
Despite these recent runs, gold has seen its share of both peaks and troughs over the last decade. After remaining rangebound between US$1,100 and US$1,300 from 2014 to early 2019, gold pushed above US$1,500 in the second half of 2019 on a softer US dollar, rising geopolitical issues and a slowdown in economic growth.
Gold’s first breach of the significant US$2,000 price level in mid-2020 was due in large part to economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To break through that barrier and reach what was then a record high, the yellow metal added more than US$500, or 32 percent, to its value in the first eight months of 2020.
Gold price chart, September 14, 2020, to September 15, 2025.
Chart via the Investing News Network.
The gold price surpassed that level again in early 2022 as Russia's invasion of Ukraine collided with rising inflation around the world, increasing the allure of safe-haven assets and pulling the yellow metal up to a price of US$2,074.60 on March 8. However, it fell throughout the rest of 2022, dropping below US$1,650 in October.
Although it didn't quite reach the level of volatility as the previous year, the gold price experienced drastic price changes in 2023 on the back of banking instability, high interest rates and the breakout of war in the Middle East.
After central bank buying pushed the gold price up to the US$1,950.17 mark by the end of January, the Fed's 0.25 percent rate hike on February 1 sparked a retreat as the dollar and treasury yields saw gains. The precious metal went on to fall to its lowest price level of the year at US$1,809.87 on February 23.
The banking crisis that hit the US in early March caused a domino effect through the global financial system and led to the mid-March collapse of Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second-largest bank. The gold price had jumped to US$1,989.13 by March 15. The continued fallout in the global banking system throughout the second quarter of the year allowed gold to break above US$2,000 on April 3, and go on to flirt with a near-record high of US$2,049.92 on May 3.
Those gains were tempered by the Fed’s ongoing rate hikes and improvements in the banking sector, resulting in a downward trend in the gold price throughout the remainder of the second quarter and throughout Q3. By October 4, gold had fallen to a low of US$1,820.01 and analysts expected the precious metal to drop below US$1,800.
That was before the October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel ignited legitimate fears of a much larger conflict erupting in the Middle East. Reacting to those fears, and to rising expectations that the Fed would begin to reverse course on interest rates, gold broke through the important psychological level of US$2,000 and closed at US$2,007.08 on October 27. As the fighting intensified, gold reached a then-new high of US$2,152.30 in intraday trading on December 3.
That robust momentum in the spot gold price continued into 2024, chasing new highs on fears of a looming US recession, the promise of Fed rate cuts on the horizon, the worsening conflict in the Middle East and the tumultuous US presidential election year. By mid-March, gold was pushing up against the US$2,200 level.
That record-setting momentum continued into the second quarter of 2024, when gold broke through US$2,400 in mid-April on strong central bank buying, sovereign debt concerns in China and investors expecting the Fed to start cutting interest rates. The precious metal went on to hit US$2,450.05 on May 20.
Throughout the summer, the hits kept on coming.
The global macro environment was highly bullish for gold leading up to the US election. Following the failed assassination attempt on Trump and a statement about coming rate cuts by Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the gold spot price hit a then new all-time high on July 16 at US$2,469.30. One week later, news that then-President Joe Biden would not seek re-election and would instead pass the baton to Vice President Kamala Harris eased some of the tension in the stock market and strengthened the US dollar. This also pushed the price of gold down to US$2,387.99 on July 22, 2024.
However, the bullish factors supporting gold remained in play, and the spot price for gold went on to breach US$2,500 on August 2 that year on a less-than-stellar US jobs report; it closed just above the US$2,440 level. A few weeks later, gold pushed past US$2,500 once again on August 16, closing above that level for the first time ever after the US Department of Commerce released data showing a fifth consecutive monthly decrease in a row for homebuilding.
The news that the Chinese government issued new gold import quotas to banks in the country following a two month pause also helped fuel the gold price rally. Central bank gold buying has been a significant tailwind for the gold price this year, and China's central bank has been one of the strongest buyers.
Market watchers expected the Fed to cut interest rates by a quarter point at its September 2024 meeting, but news on September 12 that the regulators were still deciding between the expected cut or a larger half-point cut led the gold price on a rally that carried through into the next day, bringing the metal near US$2,600.
At the September 18 Fed meeting, the committee ultimately made the decision to cut rates by half a point, news that sent gold even higher. By September 20, it had moved above US$2,600 and was holding above US$2,620.
In October 2024, gold first breached the US$2,700 level and continued to higher on a variety of factors, including further rate cuts and economic data anticipation, the escalating conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Hezbollah, and economic stimulus in China — not to mention the very close race between the US presidential candidates.
While the gold price fell following Trump's win in early November and largely held under US$2,700 through the end of the year, it began trending upward in 2025 to the new all-time high discussed earlier in the article.
What's next for the gold price?
What's next for the gold price is never an easy call to make. There are many factors to consider, but some of the most prevalent long-term drivers include economic expansion, market risk, opportunity cost and momentum.
Economic expansion is one of the primary gold price contributors as it facilitates demand growth in several categories, including jewelry, technology and investment. As the World Gold Council explains, “This is particularly true in developing economies where gold is often used as a luxury item and a means to preserve wealth.”
Market risk is also a prime catalyst for gold values as investors view the precious metal as the “ultimate safe haven,” and a hedge against currency depreciation, inflation and other systemic risks.
Going forward, in addition to the Fed, inflation and geopolitical events, experts will be looking for cues from factors like supply and demand. In terms of supply, the world’s five top gold producers are China, Australia, Russia, Canada and the US. The consensus in the gold market is that major miners have not spent enough on gold exploration in recent years. Gold mine production has fallen from around 3,200 to 3,300 metric tons (MT) each year between 2018 and 2020 to around 3,000 to 3,100 MT each year between 2021 and 2023.
On the demand side, China and India are the biggest buyers of physical gold, and are in a perpetual fight for the title of world’s largest gold consumer. That said, it's worth noting that the last few years have brought a big rebound in central bank gold buying, which dropped to a record low in 2020, but reached a 55 year high of 1,136 MT in 2022.
World Gold Council data shows 2024 central bank gold purchases came to 1,044.6 MT, marking the third year in a row above 1,000 MT. In H1 2025, the organization says gold purchases from central banks reached 415.1 MT.
“I expect the Fed’s rate-cutting cycle to be good for gold, but central bank buying has been and remains a major factor," Lobo Tiggre, CEO of IndependentSpeculator.com, told the Investing News Network (INN) at the start of Q4 2024.
David Barrett, CEO of the UK division of global brokerage firm EBC Financial Group, is also keeping an eye on central bank purchases of gold. “I still see the global central bank buying as the main driver — as it has been over the last 15 years,” the expert said in an email to INN. "This demand removes supply from the market. They are the ultimate buy-and-hold participants and they have been buying massive amounts."
In addition to central bank moves, analysts are also watching escalating tensions in the Middle East, a weakening US dollar, declining bond yields and further interest rate cuts as factors that could push gold higher as investors look to secure their portfolios. “When it comes to outside factors that affect the market, it’s just tailwind after tailwind after tailwind. So I don’t really see the trend changing,” said Eric Coffin of Hard Rock Analyst.
Randy Smallwood of Wheaton Precious Metals (TSX:WPM,NYSE:WPM) told INN in March 2025 that gold is seeing support from many factors, including central bank buying, nervousness around the US dollar and stronger institutional interest. Smallwood is seeing an influx of fund managers wanting to learn about precious metals.
Joe Cavatoni, senior market strategist, Americas, at the World Gold Council, believes that market risk and uncertainty surrounding tariffs and continued demand from central banks are the main drivers of gold.
"Market risk in particular is a key strategic driver for the gold price and performance," Cavatoni told INN in a July 2025 interview. "Think strategically when you think about gold, and keep that allocation in mind."
Check out more of INN's interviews to find out what experts have said about the gold price during its 2025 bull run and where it could go next.
Should you beware of gold price manipulation?
It’s important for investors to be aware that gold price manipulation is a hot topic in the industry.
In 2011, when gold hit what was then a record high, it dropped swiftly in just a few short years. This decline after three years of impressive gains led many in the gold sector to cry foul and point to manipulation.
Early in 2015, 10 banks were hit in a US probe on precious metals manipulation.
Evidence provided by Deutsche Bank (NYSE:DB) showed “smoking gun” proof that UBS Group (NYSE:UBS), HSBC Holdings (NYSE:HSBC), the Bank of Nova Scotia (TSX:BNS,NYSE:BNS and other firms were involved in rigging gold and silver rates in the market from 2007 to 2013. Not long after, the long-running London gold fix was replaced by the LBMA gold price in a bid to increase gold price transparency. The twice-a-day process, operated by the ICE Benchmark Administration, still involves a variety of banks collaborating to set the gold price, but the system is now electronic.
Still, manipulation has by no means been eradicated, as a 2020 fine on JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) shows. The next year, chat logs were released in a spoofing trial for two former precious metals traders from the Bank of America's (NYSE:BAC) Merrill Lynch unit. They show a trader bragging about how easy it is to manipulate the gold price.
Gold market participants have consistently spoken out about manipulation. In mid-2020, Chris Marcus, founder of Arcadia Economics and author of the book “The Big Silver Short,” said that when gold fell back below the US$2,000 mark after hitting close to US$2,070, he saw similarities to what happened with the gold price in 2011.
Marcus has been following the gold and silver markets with a focus specifically on price manipulation for nearly a decade. His advice? “Trust your gut. I believe we’re witnessing the ultimate ’emperor’s really naked’ moment. This isn’t complex financial analysis. Sometimes I think of it as the greatest hypnotic thought experiment in history.”
Investor takeaway
While we have the answer to what the highest gold price ever is as of now, it remains to be seen how high gold can climb, and if the precious metal can reach as high as US$5,000, US$10,000 or even US$40,000.
Even so, many market participants believe gold is a must have in any investment profile, and there is little doubt investors will continue to see gold price action making headlines this year and beyond.
This is an updated version of an article first published by the Investing News Network in 2020.
Don’t forget to follow us @INN_Resource for real-time updates!
Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.
Editorial Disclosure: The Investing News Network does not guarantee the accuracy or thoroughness of the information reported in the interviews it conducts. The opinions expressed in these interviews do not reflect the opinions of the Investing News Network and do not constitute investment advice. All readers are encouraged to perform their own due diligence.
Angkor Resources: Unlocking Cambodia’s Resource Potential through Energy and Minerals Assets
Founded in 2009 and listed in 2011, Angkor Resources (TSXV:ANK,OTCQB:ANKOF) has developed a dual focus on energy and minerals across Asia and North America.
Angkor Resources is advancing a dual-track strategy across energy and minerals. In Canada, its subsidiary EnerCam Exploration generates revenue from oil production, water disposal, and gas processing, while also pioneering carbon capture and conversion solutions.
In Cambodia, subsidiary EnerCam Resources is driving the nation’s first-ever onshore oil and gas exploration on Block VIII, positioning the company for transformational growth. On the mineral side, Angkor is a first-mover in Cambodia’s underexplored belts, with licenses at Andong Meas and Andong Bor targeting both precious and base metals, where exploration has already confirmed copper porphyry systems and high-grade gold mineralization.
Angkor mitigates risk by diversifying revenue, combining recurring Canadian cash flow with high-impact exploration in Cambodia, where management prioritizes hydrocarbons and copper, highlighting 25 million recoverable barrels and significant copper-gold potential.
Company Highlights
- Diversified Energy & Mineral Portfolio: Exposure to high-impact oil and gas exploration in Cambodia (Block VIII), recurring energy revenues in Canada, and copper-gold porphyry systems with gold epithermal near-surface prospects in Cambodia.
- Near-term Catalysts:
- Results from copper porphyry in Cambodia within 30 to 60 days;
- Seismic completion and interpretation for drill targets on Block VIII within 90 days; and
- Acquisition of oil production for increased recurring revenue streams.
- Transformational Asset: Block VIII is Cambodia’s first onshore oil and gas exploration license, strategically located near export infrastructure. Potential minimum targets estimated at 25 to 50+ million recoverable barrels.
- Revenue-backed Model: EnerCam Canada provides recurring revenue streams via oil production, water disposal, gas processing, and carbon capture solutions, insulating Angkor from over-reliance on equity markets.
- Strong ESG Commitment: Recognized at the United Nations for sustainability, Angkor integrates carbon capture, community partnerships and environmental responsibility into every project.
- Aligned Shareholder Base: Over 40 percent insider ownership with regular insider buying, demonstrating management’s confidence in long-term growth.
This Angkor Resources profile is part of a paid investor education campaign.*
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