Life is like a camera ~~~
Focus on what's important....
Capture the good times....
Develop from the negatives...
And if things don't work out,
Take another shot ~~~~

Monday, November 29, 2010

2200 years old GOLD found in Israel



A rare gold coin dating back more than two millennia to the year 191 BC has been found at a dig in northern Israel, the antiquities authority said.

“The coin is beautiful and in excellent preservation. It is the heaviest gold coin with the highest contemporary value of any coin ever found in an excavation in Israel,” Donald T. Ariel, head of the authority’s coin department, said in a statement.

The coin weighs almost 27.71 grams (one ounce), whereas most ancient gold coins weighed 4.5 grams, he added.

It was minted in Alexandria, Egypt during the reign of Ptolemy V in 191 BC and bears the name of the wife of Ptolemy II, Arsinoe Philadephus (II).

The coin was uncovered at a site at Tel Kedesh near the border with Lebanon by a team of American archaeologists from the universities of Michigan and Minnesota.

“This extraordinary coin was apparently not in popular or commercial use, but had a symbolic function,” Dr Ariel said.

“The coin may have had a ceremonial function related to a festival in honour of Queen Arsinoe, who was deified in her lifetime.” Excavations at Tel Kedesh began in 1997 and have uncovered remains of a large Persian-Hellenistic building, complete with reception halls, dining facilities, store rooms and ar­chive, the antiquities authority said.

source: www.timesofmalta.com

Dont buy GOLD with loan...why??


From my opinion, several of us think that making money with GOLD from a loan bank are one of the strategies way. But do they forget something? Personal loan are completely riba and they know it. And yet, they still promote others to do it so that newbie can buy gold from them. I do not agree this because firstly, it against Islamic concept. And secondly, you still in debt although GOLD can achieve 15-25% per year but still it minimize your profit. I do agree if you buy your own GOLD by salary or profit from business but not from loan. Either from Islamic bank or else it still the same concept. If you are non-Muslim than its not an issue here. Think again...watch this video for further explanation.

credit to Nizam Ali
source: www.youtube.com

Saturday, November 27, 2010

GOLD in architecture

Did you know that religious building such as mosque do have a GOLD material? Man will spend a lot to make the their religious monuments and buildings look glorious and beautiful. Some people might think its kind of waste but it is the way how they show their appreciation to the CREATOR. For this posting, i show several mosques that have a GOLD in their domes and minarets structure.

1. Mosque of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin in Brunei

This mosque was opened to public since 1958. The domes are made with 24 carat gold. It was believed that the cost for this mosque almost USD 5 millions.

2. Mosque of Al-Askari in Samarra, Iraq
It was built since 944 M and was known as Shiah moqsue. However the dome of this mosque was bombed by US in February 2006 during the invasion in Iraq.

3. Mosque of Qubbah As Sakhrah/Dome of the Rock in Jerusalam, Palestine
This moqsue also known as dome of the rock. It was built by Abdul Malik bin Mirwan in 690M. Later the development of Al-aqsa mosque continued and officially finished on 710M.

4. Mosque of Suneri in Lahore, Pakistan
This mosque have 3 domes that have gold plated on it which at the main dome, left side and right side of domes. It was built by Nawab Syed Bhikari Khan in 1753.

5. Mosque of Sultan in Singapore
In 1928, the mosque was renovated in little india area from old domes to the gold domes. It was donated by British East India Company around 3000 singapore dollars.

6. Mosque of Dian Al Mahri in Depok, Indonesia

This mosque located in Java West and start built in 1999. It was officially use in April 2006. All the domes was made with 24 carat gold. It was belong to the individual people name Hajjah Dian Djurian Maimun Al-Rasyid.

p/s: i wish i can visit all these great places

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Recycle your GOLD from computers?


In IT industries especially for computer used a number of gold in their components. You can see through the CPU mainboard or MOBO. However, do we realize how many computers are dumped away since 20 years? Some might seen this as an opportunity in recycle business. Computer industries are moving faster and faster. Yet, the usage and demand of user are increasing and it may contribute towards MODERN waste. To make it useful than wasted, you need to recycle gold from the CPU components. But how? Read instructions below....

1.Open your CPU casing

When open your CPU casing, you can see the motherboard with processor, components like graphic card, ram, hardisk drive, power supply etc. Pull out all this component and divide it by part. For laptops, maybe a bit difficult but still you can try.

2. Separate into pieces

Please ensure you separate the CPU parts into different bin. For instance rams and graphic card should be put differently. Most computer recycling might ask you to separate metal and plastic components. Beside recycle the gold component, you are advisable to recycle the rest of component part. This will make your recycle work much easier by divide it.

3. Collect the scrap in volume


Before you recycle it, better collect as many units as you can. You can get a better price with more volume of CPU components. From the research done by EOEarth, 1 metric ton of electronic scrap from CPU contains more GOLD than recovered from 17 metric ton of gold ore. So one computers would not advisable if you plan to make money with recycle. The more old computer, the more money you will get.

p/s: this might be one of my business opportunities :)

source: www.ehow.com

Monday, November 22, 2010

How to clean your GOLD ?


Have you make a clean service to your gold and jewelry? Why you should spending money for that purpose...you can DIY (Do it Yourself) to clean your gold and jewelry at home. The important is you must know what you are doing by referring to some experts or getting some knowledge from the internet. This are the items that you need to be prepared such as two bowls of warm water, dish-wash liquid, a soft toothbrush and of course your gold.

Step 1: Soak gold or jewelry in soap solution

Add a few drops of mild dishwashing liquid to a bowl filled with two cups of warm water. Drop your gold pieces into the solution and let them soak for about 15 minutes.

Step 2: Scrub the dirt away

Lift a piece of jewelry or gold out of the solution and gently scrub it with a soft-bristle toothbrush to remove any dirt lodged in nooks and crannies.

Step 3: Rinse in warm water


Swish the piece around in a bowl of warm water to remove the soapy residue.

Step 4: Blot dry with a soft cloth


Using a soft cloth, dry your jewelry thoroughly and buff it a little to bring back the shine.

p/s: please clean and handle with care :)

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Another gold investment?



Previously, maybank and publicbank offer their investment product such as gold investment using a passbook account. The account holder only buy the gold from the bank without receive in physical. Therefore, investor are less worried about risk in keeping the gold by their own. They only have to maintain when the exact time to buy and sell. Lately, i realize citibank also introduce their product investment in citigold. Let us see their benefits of the product...

Benefits of citibank gold accout:
  • easy access - use your investment as a hedge against inflation or as an alternative asset class
  • hassle-free - no physical delivery of gold or maintenance of a passbook. The account is reflected in your CitiOne statement
  • no additional cost - no handling/management fees
  • flexibility - enjoy multiple currency denominations against gold (USD/EUR/AUD)



What are the difference with the maybank and publicbank gold investment account? Citibank do not require a passbook, just a statement which make the investor easier to buy and sell with online just like forex. Each investment have pros and cons. It's your choice to decide which are much better. However, i do prefer more on physical investment although my first gold experience is maybank gold investment account. For further info, kindly visit citigold website.

source: www.citigold.com.my

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Emas penyelamat dunia dan akhirat - utusan


DALAM Islam, antara dua ibadat yang sangat dititikberatkan iaitu; solat dan zakat. Firman Allah SWT dalam surah al-Baqarah ayat 43 yang bermaksud: Dan dirikanlah kamu akan solat dan keluarkanlah zakat, dan rukuklah kamu semua (berjemaah) bersama-sama orang-orang yang rukuk. Solat ialah berhubungkait soal peribadi individu itu dengan Allah (hablun minallah) manakala zakat ialah hubungan dengan sesama manusia (hablun minannas).

Topik kewajipan mengeluarkan zakat bukanlah asing bagi setiap daripada kita. Ini diukur menerusi jumlah kutipan zakat setiap tahun yang meningkat dari semasa ke semasa, sekali gus membuktikan kesedaran telah mula ada dalam setiap individu Islam dan syarikat korporat. Apatah lagi kewajipan ini telah ditegaskan dalam surah at-Taubah ayat 103.

Kalau sedekad yang lalu, orang kurang mengetahui tentang kewajipan mengeluarkan zakat daripada pendapatan atau gaji yang diperoleh setiap bulan, tetapi kini dengan promosi agresif agensi-agensi berautoriti berkaitan zakat serta penyediaan pelbagai kaedah pembayaran, telah membolehkan mereka yang layak hanya melaksanakannya di waktu dan tempat tanpa perlu lagi pergi ke kaunter-kaunter pungutan zakat.

Selaras dengan perkembangan ekonomi dan peningkatan jumlah usahawan wanita yang berpotensi menjadi pembayar zakat, Pusat Pengutan Zakat, Majlis Agama Islam Wilayah Persekutuan (PPZ-MAIWP) mengadakan Bengkel Korporat Muslimah 2010 awal November lalu.

Bengkel setengah hari itu, menyentuh topik 'Perspektif Zakat Niaga & Emas' dengan tema Kilauan Firdausi telah membawa tiga pembentang iaitu; Pengurus Kanan Operasi Runcit Habib Jewels, Mohd. Zaruddin Mahmud yang mengupas tajuk 'Pengenalan Emas dan Perkembangannya di Malaysia'.

Panel kedua ialah Pengasas & Pengarah Urusan D'Navechee Beauty (M) Sdn. Bhd., Datuk Azlina Che Abdullah, yang membicarakan tajuk, 'Usahawan dan Perniagaan: Zakat Dilaksanakan' serta pembentang yang tidak perlu diperkenalkan, penceramah bebas dan perunding motivasi, Datuk Siti Nor Bahyah Mahamood dengan tajuk, 'Zakat dan Perhiasan'.

Pengurus Besar PPZ-MAIWP, Mohd. Rais Alias dalam ucapan perasmian berkata, wanita dan emas diibaratkan seperti irama dan lagu yang tidak dapat dipisahkan, ia begitu sinonim dengan kaum wanita. Begitu juga wanita dalam sektor perniagaan.

Maka, katanya, tidak hairanlah wanita masa kini dilihat mampu membantu meningkatkan ekonomi negara, khususnya dalam bidang keusahawanan.

Menurut beliau, jika dahulu orang mengatakan tempat wanita layaknya di dapur tetapi kini segalanya sudah berubah. Malah lebih membanggakan wanita mampu bersaing setanding dengan kaum lelaki.

"Namun, keghairahan usahawan wanita dalam meningkatkan ekonomi negara menjadikan mereka lupa bahawa sebenarnya mereka juga perlu menunaikan tanggungjawab berzakat.

"Atas dasar tanggungjawab itulah menyebabkan PPZ-MAIWP terpanggil mengadakan bengkel pagi ini, sekali gus memberi kesedaran kepada usahawan wanita kita," kata Mohd. Rais di hadapan hampir 200 peserta bengkel tersebut.

Peserta-peserta di dalam Bengkel korporat muslimah 2010

Sementara itu, dalam kertas kerjanya, Mohd. Zaruddin berkongsi maklumat mengenai perkembangan emas di Malaysia. Katanya, emas telah menjadi sebahagian daripada kaum wanita. Namun, sejak akhir-akhir ini, kaum lelaki juga mula berjinak-jinak dengan logam emas. Bukan untuk dipakai tetapi untuk pelaburan.

"Disebabkan nilai yang ada pada emas itulah maka ia amat berharga. Emas tidak terlalu terpengaruh dengan keadaan inflasi dan deflasi. Maka secara tidak langsung, orang gunakan emas sebagai alternatif menyimpan harta yang ada.

"Selain itu, emas juga menjadi menjadi simbol kekayaan dan kuasa. Emas juga boleh disimpan dalam bentuk nilai walau dalam keadaan ekonomi tidak menentu," katanya.

Terangnya lagi, trend semakin berubah iaitu daripada emas kuning kepada emas putih dan kini yang semakin diminati iaitu Rose Gold (emas yang berwarna ros). Perubahan cita rasa ini dikesan sejak tahun lepas. Pun begitu emas dengan reka corak sauh masih lagi diminati atau evergreen sampai sekarang.

Menyentuh perkembangan emas di Malaysia, sejak kebelakangan ini, ramai masyarakat tidak kira bangsa dan agama berlumba-lumba membeli emas sebagai satu alternatif untuk pelaburan.

"Ketika ekonomi negara merudum iaitu pada tahun 1997 dan 1998 dan dua tahun lepas, harga emas tidak jatuh tapi terus naik. "Meskipun, emas dianggap sebagai penyelamat semasa keadaan ekonomi tidak menentu. Namun, untuk tujuan pelaburan, seseorang itu kena bijak tentang selok-belok pelaburan emas," jelasnya.

Akui Mohd. Zaruddin, satu perkembangan yang sihat berlaku di mana kaum wanita sekarang ini semakin lama semakin bijak. Ini kerana mereka bukan sahaja membeli emas sebagai perhiasan tetapi sebagai pelaburan.

"Bagi saya, kita tidak perlu menunggu sehingga harga emas turun barulah merancang untuk membeli emas tetapi boleh bermula daripada sekarang.

"Malah, kita boleh mulakan dengan menggantikan duit simpanan atau duit hari raya anak-anak dengan membeli barangan kemas mereka.

"Cara ini secara tidak langsung, mendidik anak melabur secara bijak berbanding wang yang diperoleh dibeli telefon bimbit dan sebagainya," ujarnya.

Pada pagi itu juga, jutawan tanah air, Datuk Azlina Che Abdullah berkongsi beberapa rahsia kejayaan yang bermula dengan menjual kuih-muih, kemudian menjadi guru, kerani, setiausaha dan akhirnya, bergelar jutawan.

"Dulu saya memang penggemar emas sehingga pernah diperli oleh suami tetapi apabila saya jatuh tahun 1996, barang kemas itulah yang menjadi modal untuk meneruskan kesinambungan peniagaan.

"Adat orang berniaga, ada ketikanya mengalami naik turun di dalam perniagaan. Tetapi dengan melaksanakan kewajipan berzakat, banyak bersedekah, bersih hati serta ikhlas kerana Allah dalam setiap perbuatan, maka keberkatan rezeki itu memang sukar dinafikan," jelasnya.

Dahulu, kata Azlina, hati beliau selalu berkata, hendak bayar zakat nanti tunggu kaya dahulu. Apabila sudah kaya, masih tidak bayar dengan alasan sibuk.

"Saya tidak salahkan orang lain kerana pada masa itu saya jahil, saya ingatkan dengan membayar zakat sendiri kepada fakir miskin itu sudah mencukupi tetapi lama-kelamaan saya sedar yang selama ini, saya tidak melakukannya secara betul," akui Azlina apabila mula membayar zakat secara betul bermula tahun 2004, rezekinya terus bertambah.

Cerita wanita gigih ini lagi, ibunya seorang ibu tunggal dahulunya adalah seorang penerima zakat. Bermula daripada saat itulah, beliau sentiasa berdoa dan meminta Allah SWT memudahkannya agar dapat menaikkan martabat ibu yang juga tulang belakang mereka anak-beranak.

Salah satu ayat yang sentiasa menjadi pemangkin semangat kepadanya, kata Azlina ialah sepotong ayat daripada surah ar-Rad ayat 11 yang bermaksud: Sesungguhnya Allah tidak mengubah nasib sesuatu kaum sehingga mereka mengubah nasib yang ada pada diri mereka sendiri.

Begitu juga dalam surah al-Insyirah ayat 5 dan 6 yang bermaksud: Kerana sesungguhnya sesudah kesulitan itu ada kemudahan.

sumber:www.utusan.com.my

Monday, November 15, 2010

My gold analysis based on BNM



When people calling you a gold bug or tokey emas, you must be very details in what you are doing. Some of us only think buy now, why wait...i would agree but if you are smart buyer you just have to wait a bit longer to buy when the time is right. This was my analysis that i reveal that some people which dealing in gold business might counter me back. But hey, if you want to help the community from fiat money, why you must keep your mouth shut to reveal that most of normal public do not realize. Below are the graph based on BNM statistics with 1/4 oz kijang emas data. I have made some transformation into graphs for better views. From 2006 until recently, march is the month where smart buyer do their work. Buy when the price is lower. DO NOT buy at the end of year because the price are much higher than march. Following by April also advisable but i choose march instead because the number of demand will increase. Stock may get limited than usual. From the analysis, you cannot cheat buyers...history will always repeat :)


Click image to enlarge the graph view


source: www.bnm.gov.my

p/s: i think i trolled so many gold dealers...hahaha

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Adolf Hitler's GOLD?



Based on the article from Washington news, Germany believe they have found a location of 2 tons of gold and portions of the well-known Amber Room stolen from St. Petersburg by the Nazis. The treasure hunters were digging for Nazi gold where was buried on Hitler's orders near the land of Deutschneudorf. The digging was stopped for a week because of the safety reason that the shaft may be collapse or some kind of booby-trapped inside the cave where Nazi treasure are.


Treasure hunter Heinz Peter Haustein, mayor of Deutschneudorf and a member of Germany’s Parliament, said: “We have already hit a hollow area under the surface, it’s filled with water and we are not sure if it is the cave we are looking for.” “I’m well over 90 percent sure we have found the Amber Room,” Haustein, who led the search, told the German news agency Spiegel. “The chamber is likely to be part of a labyrinth of storage rooms that the Nazis built here. I knew it was in this area. I just never knew exactly where.”



At Friday’s news conference about the possibility the dig had found long hidden Nazi gold, fellow treasure hunter Christian Hanisch said their geological surveying equipment had located a possible cave about 30 feet under the surface containing “precious metals that can only be either gold or silver. The instruments would not have reacted to any other metal like copper.” Hanisch pointed out that his father, who was a navigator in the Luftwaffe, the Nazi air force, was one of the troops said to have been involved in hiding art, gold and silver as the Nazis realized that they would lose the war.



In what was code named Operation Sunset, trusted Nazi military personnel hid the valuables in caves and then dynamited the entrances to ensure the treasure survived to fund the rebuilding of the German army after the war. Hanisch said that when his father died, he left coordinates leading to the spot in Deutschneudorf where the two tons of gold are believed to be hidden. “There was a note written next to the coordinates that the site contained Nazi party gold in 12-kilo bars. If the gold is there, the Amber Room will be too.”


Many called the Amber Room “the eighth wonder of the world.” It disappeared after the war, and today a replica stands in its place in St. Petersburg. Although small parts of the legendary Amber Room have resurfaced, the vast majority remains missing. Haustein has been looking for the room for more than 12 years. “I am certain that large parts of the Amber Room are buried somewhere here.”

source: www.washingtontimes.com

How they GOLD mining?

How the modern world mining the minerals such as gold? Previously, ancient civilization generally mint along the side of river. From the research and information, they have 2 kinds of method that majorly used for large mining. The methods are surface mining and underground mining.

Surface mining

Surface mining like open pits from the above image are appropriate for large tonnage near surface deposits. The level floor of the pit is around 30 foot benches lower. This method using explosion through blasthole drill holes to remove big rocks. After blasting, the broken rock is leave as mark by the geologists either ore or waste. In addition, if the mill combine with other types of ore or if higher grade mill and lower grade ore is produced, the truck drivers may have a possibilities destination to bring out the broken rock.

The truck that use to load minerals with large rocks

Underground mining: 3 types of method
1.Block caving


Block caving is the lowest cost per ton underground mining method. It only require substantial upfront development costs as large excavations must be made to "undermine" the block that is to cave, and large milling infrastructure must be established to handle the big ore tonnages that a successful cave will generate. After the ore block is undermined, the ore block is fractured over time by gravity and the pieces fall down the finger raise. The size of the pieces passing to the chutes for loading is controlled by heavy duty sieves or "grizzlys" on the grizzly level.

2.Long hole stamping

This long hole stamping mining method is very popular, and is almost the underground analogy to the advances achieved in mechanising a large open pit. This method is productive and has low costs because the large blocks of ore can be identified in hard rock. Besides, it have the safety method where the loader is operate by a radio control as a remote away to an ore pass. Normally, a loader will pick up the broken ore manually but with radio control, it could avoid the risk of their workers.

3.Cut and fill


This cut and fill method is usually applied in large ore zones. However in narrow ore zones, it can very labour intensive with a negative impact on cost per ton. Because the higher costs, this method require higher grade ore than for long hole stoping. This method can be carried out in an underhand configuration towards weak ore zone. The advantage of cut and fill is the miners are working under a roof of cemented fill, which also for safety reason.

source: www.trustingold.com

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Can Malaysia's Islamic gold dinar thwart capitalism? - guardian

Imagine a world trading solely in gold and silver coins. Imagine the size of your wallet.

Yet this is the ideal world envisaged by some of Malaysia's activists championing the Islamic gold dinar and silver dirham as a new form of legal tender to replace paper money – a utopia that could see the light of day as early as the middle of next month.

This is when one such group, Muamalah Council, plans to implement the dinar system in Malaysia's northern state of Kelantan. If information on its website is to be believed, the council has the blessing of the state's Islamist government, Parti Islam Semalaysia (Pas), to kickstart the dinar in three moves.

First, the state will pay a quarter of its public servants' salaries using the dinar. Second, all state companies will accept dinar payments. Lastly, some 600 commercial enterprises will also embrace this currency.

Inspired by selective religious sources and backed by historical precedents within the annals of Islamic history, the gold dinar system is touted by certain fiercely proud Muslims as the Islamic answer to thwart capitalism's woes.

Tun Dr Mahathir and Tuan Guru Nik Aziz had a conversation towards the usage of dinar and dirham

The idea was first mooted by Malaysia's former prime minister, Mahathir Mohamad, in the aftermath of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. He argued that the coins would never hang their possessor out to dry in the same way that paper money had. As precious metals with intrinsic value, gold and silver are more resistant to market fluctuations and devaluation compared to the US dollar – an argument he took to the Organisation of the Islamic Conference as a tool to battle western hegemony.

Today, Islamic gold dinar advocates would cite the recent credit crunch as proof. Indeed, the rocketing price of gold – possibly transcending a record high of $2000 an ounce – can only strengthen their pitch.

While Mahathir's grand plan for Malaysia to implement the dinar system by 2003 may have been unceremoniously scrapped by his successor, Abdullah Badawi, the idea has since gained currency beyond Malaysia's shores.

Wakala Induk Nusantara, one of the islamic mint in Indonesia

In neighbouring Indonesia, for instance, an outfit known as Wakala Induk Nusantara (WIN) had begun minting Islamic gold coins for use in Australia, Malaysia and Singapore. Its spokesman, Riki Rokhman Azis, claims that the number of dinars used in the world's most populous Muslim nation has more than doubled in 2009 to 25,000 pieces.

What is perhaps more striking is the UK connection to the increasingly globalised Islamic gold dinar movement. The Indonesian grouping is adhering to a fatwa issued by the South African-based cleric Sheikh Abdalqadir as-Sufi, a Muslim convert in Cape Town formerly known as Ian Dallas of Scotland.

Then there is Dinar Exchange, the British equivalent of Indonesia's WIN. As the "official certified supplier of Islamic gold dinar and silver dirham in the United Kingdom", the company had just concluded a month-long series of roadshows in May that saw it promoting the gold dinar to Muslims in key UK cities such as London, Birmingham and Edinburgh. The group is inviting more to spread this Islamic vision as dinar agents. For a fee, of course.

Sheikh Imrah Hosein, the one who also support dinar and dirham

As the dinar movement gathers momentum, its propagators – which include some of the Muslim world's most polemical figures such as the Trinidad-born cleric Imran Hosein – would doubtless dismiss Antony Lerman's recent suggestion in the Guardian that no credible anti-capitalist doctrine exists today. To them, the Islamic gold dinar is perhaps mankind's best-formulated answer to beat capitalism's excesses.

Yet, as an anti-capitalist weapon, the Islamic gold dinar is far from mint.

It is motivated by politics more than benign religious values. The Kelantan example is instructive. Implementing the Islamic dinar serves as a political statement to Muslim voters that Malaysia's Islamist opposition party, Pas, is more Islamic (and hence more legitimate) compared with its competitor, the United Malays National Organization. Even in its pristine form, the idea as it is originally propagated by Mahathir could be read as a radical attempt at power politics.

But a more serious flaw lies in its contradiction. At the heart of the dinar system can still be found the same capitalistic spirit of commodification.

It lacks the egalitarian spirit embodied in socialism's virtue of the common good. Its advocates say that the poor could never be taken advantage of because the coins they own have intrinsic value. But Britain's recent gold rush dilemma suggests that the poor do not always get their money's worth – even when trading gold.

Like paper money, gold is also vulnerable to the manipulations of valuers, our gatekeepers of wealth. And let's be honest, how many of the poor have stacks of gold already in their possession? Gold is a precious metal precisely because it is so rare.

On a wider scale, who is to prevent gold-rich nations from banding together as a cartel to fix prices at exorbitant amounts in the same way that the oil-producing nations of OPEC did?

Demonstration of CAFTA in 2005 by local people against several issues

Or multimillion corporations from exploiting poor but gold-rich nations? This is best exemplified in the case of Pacific Rim, a Vancouver-based firm that has filed an appeal via the Central American Free Trade Agreement (Cafta) to bypass local legislation so they can mine for gold in El Salvador despite local objections. In a world mired by climate change troubles, one also needs to mind the environmental cost of gold mining – an operation that involves huge amounts of water and toxic chemicals.

The Islamic gold dinar could not thwart capitalism's excesses. It is only providing one more avenue for exploitation. For this reason alone, it will not have my buy-in.

source: www.guardian.co.uk

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Silver experiment, fake or genuine

Previously, I posted some fake silver and gold coins that was brought from China. Therefore, it is our responsibilities to avoid this matter occur to the public as people are now getting more interest to the precious metal than money. This are the guidelines that you MUST know especially when buying on the internet.

Weight experiment
Weight experiment - generally, fake silver coins are less heavy than genuine because the fake one made from silvery metal alloys. Besides, the weight range must be precise between -0.015 or +0.015. For example, 1/4 oz is equal to 7.78 g. If the scale are more or less than the range itself, it could be a fake.

Surface experiment
Surface experiment - fake silver coins maybe or none of it have a silver-plated finish on them. The genuine silver are more shiny and reflect in lighting spot while the fake are soapy and less shiny. Test under lighting spot and move 360 degree forward and backward continuously. Less reflection means fake.

Reeded experiment



Reeded experiment - this is one of interesting experiment. If you can see details, silver or gold coins do have edge reeding in view elevation. Reed is the line marked at the edge of coin to show the weight ratio are correct without using weight scale. There are 2 types of reeding which are "fine reeding (FR)" and "course reeding (CR)". Simple test, 1/2 oz = 15.5g. Therefore the reeding should have 155 -158 reed.


p/s: Try this at home and you will regret :)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Sulu-China uses silver (Dirham) for trading in 13th century

In China history during the Song, Yuan until Ming dynasties period, they (the historian) believes that China and Sulu have a diplomatic and trade relations long time ago. This statement are supported since the period of southern Song Dynasty where they defending their land and coast for maritime mission abroad. Moreover, Song Dynasty also have a diplomatic relations with Europeans, Indians, Arabs and other countries which give a positive impact for their domestic and foreign policy.

However, the most influence foreign country that brought the power of Song dynasty is Sulu. Although Sulu at the first stage having internal crisis with China and yet they were unite again under Yuan Dynasty and followed by Ming Dynasty. Interestingly, historian claimed that Ming emperor; Zhu Yuanzhang or Hongwu Emperor was a Muslim of Semitic origin but several disagree with this discovery.

In 1405, Emperor Yong Lo sent their trust man Chinese Muslim named Zheng Ho (Laksamana Cheng Ho) for international tributary missions to Sulu. Sulu was ruled by Sayyid Abubakar as Paduka Batara Maulana Al-Sultan Shariful Hashim in Buansa City known as the first Sultan of Sulu. Previously, Sulu was in the kingdom of Raja Baginda under Rajaship system of Banua or villages fragmented governance.

As a return, the Sulu missions to China then not only to give gifts for Chinese Emperor but also bringing goods to be sold on the markets. The Chinese court fixed the price for these good without paying taxes. They traded according to the spirit of mutual trust and that is so called Islamic in business. In the rural areas of Sulu market, they still practices mutual exchange of goods in good faith known as Silver and Gold coins. It is called Pilak (Perak) as a currency of Sulu. Besides, Sulu pearls also one of precious material besides gold that has been brought to Ming Emperor in 1421. It was believed that the Sulu kingdom gave around 350kg of pearl to the Emperor.

All the historical facts shows that Sulu and China had a great international relations. This will remind people of Sulu and China for ther great relationship in the past. The silver and gold coins shall rise again. Sulu will become the first country that introduce to the world about the use of dinar and dirham in the market. History shall be repeat again.

source: www.theislandsofpearls.blogspot.com