Gold: Gold is the most famous and most investable precious metal, also known as "God's money" It shows durability (does not corrode), formability, and the ability to conduct heat and electricity. It has many industrial uses in dentistry and electrical equipment, but is mainly used in jewelry and as a currency since ancient times. The US Dollar was backed by gold until 1974, when the backing was removed. Silver: Due to its industrial use, silver has better protection against inflation than gold. This means that demand is high in strong economies and low in weak economies. Gold (compared to silver) is not needed for industrial use, so it has a weaker inflation coverage than silver.