In the financial or precious metals worlds, the weight or price of a gold brick is often discussed.
However, it can be difficult to know just what the actual size of a gold bar is, how much it weighs, and what that means in terms of value.
There are several different gold bar standard sizes, each with its own use.
The following information will show you the weights of a gold brick.
Good Delivery Bars
The Good Delivery bar is a large gold or silver bar used in large international markets, such as New York, London, Tokyo, and Zurich.
These bars are also used by governments as gold reserves. Good Delivery bars have the typical flattened pyramid shape most people think of when they envision a gold brick, with a top that’s slightly smaller than the bottom.
These bars vary in dimension, but they’re usually between 8 and 11 inches long at the top, 2 and 3 inches wide at the top, and 1 to 2 inches tall. Despite their differing dimensions, these bars always weigh 400 troy ounces, which equals about 12.5 kilograms.
Good Delivery bars are valued because they have a high gold purity level. The bars should contain a minimum of 995 parts per thousand of fine gold, or, in other words, must be 99.5% gold, as compared to other gold bars that may not be as pure and might contain a mixture of other metals, lowering their overall value and weight.
Kilobars
Kilobars are smaller than Good Delivery bars and are therefore more widely used for investments and trading outside of the largest markets.
These bars are usually flat in shape, but they can be found in a range of shapes and designs, including the typical flattened pyramid shape.
As their name suggests, kilobars are 1 kilogram or 1,000 grams in weight, which equals just over 32 troy ounces.
They can vary in size, but they’re usually about 1.5 inches wide, just over 3 inches long, and just less than an inch tall.
Gram Bars
For smaller trades, such as personal investments, gram bars are used. These bars are also popular in Asia.
Gram bars can be found in a number of sizes and shapes, but the most common sizes are bars that weigh 10, 100, or 1,000 grams.
Depending on their weight and shape, gram bars can vary when it comes to their dimensions, but they’re usually only between 1 and 3 inches long or wide and less than 1 inch tall.
Tola Bars
Tola is a traditional weight measurement used in India, and it’s still a common way to measure gold and other precious metals in India and around the world.
One tola is equal to about 11.6 grams, or .375 troy ounces. Tola bars often contain 10 tola, which is about 117 grams.
Tola bars are prized for their extremely high gold purity.
Most tola bars are 99.96% pure gold.
Cast and Minted Bricks
No matter what their final size is, gold bars can be made in one of two ways. Cast bricks are formed when gold is melted down and poured into a mold.
When the gold cools, it’s removed from the mold and can then be stamped or engraved. Minted bricks generally start as cast bricks but are then compressed.
These bricks, which are much smoother than cast bricks, are often cut to form the precise shape and size of the finished bar.
Minted bricks are also put through a striking process before being thoroughly cleaned and polished.
Troy Ounces
If you have ever invested in or traded gold, you’ll quickly notice that most buyers and sellers use troy ounces to determine how heavy a particular gold bar is and what the gold is worth.
Troy ounces were originally used in Troyes, France, and they are still the standard way to measure precious metals around the world, particularly in the American and European markets.
One troy ounce is equal to just over 31.1 grams. This is slightly larger than the standard ounce, which is equal to just over 28.3 grams.
Troy ounces are generally only used to measure metals these days, but when they first came about, the Troy measuring system was used to weigh and measure a variety of substances, including staples such as grains and luxury items such as sugar.