As a suggestion to all my Authors Den friends, those I know and those I do not know,  most of us have “junk jewelry”: broken or unused odds and ends that are sitting buried in a drawer or a jewelry box. 

    Within the last week the price of gold has risen to $957.50 an ounce and the price of silver has gone to $14.73 an ounce.... Week ending 5/22/09.  

     I’d suggest digging that gold or silver jewelry (or coins) out and finding a local stamp and coin, or jewelry store that will test to make sure what you have is really gold, then give you a price to buy what you no longer have any logical use for.

     Remember, though,  gold jewelery is rarely soild gold so what you may think to be, more or less, an ounce will usually be less than an ounce. This is why you need a reputable dealer or a jewler you can trust.  

     You may also look in you telephone book under "Numismatic" as they, and most gold dealers will purchase scrap gold, melt it, remove the impurities, then reform it into 100% certified gold  ingots and sell it by the ounce. 

     In the Los Angeles area a very reputable company is:

California Numismatic Investments, Inc.  800- 225-7531  

    Money is very tight for many, many people, and you may have a unremembered small fortune buried someplace within your home, and if not a fortune, than possibly enough to just help you get by. 

     Just a suggestion.