Elemetal Silver Bars

Been seeing a lot of chatter about Elemetal bars lately. I remember when I was first looking at diversifying my portfolio back around 2018-2019, someone here on GIRAB actually recommended checking out a site called Silver Seeker on YouTube. He did a pretty deep dive on various refiners, including Elemetal, and it really helped me understand the quality differences and potential issues to look out for beyond just the spot price. Ended up going with something else for my initial buy, but those videos were super helpful for due diligence.

I picked up a few of their 10 oz silver bars a couple years ago to diversify my precious metals holdings beyond just gold for my gold IRA. The premiums weren't terrible at the time, and it felt good adding more physical metal to my retirement savings. Still glad I did, especially with all the volatility lately.

Yeah, I can definitely back that up from my experience. I picked up some Elemetal 10oz bars from SD Bullion back in 2021 when the premiums were insane, thinking it was a solid play. They're well-struck, no complaints there, but when it came time to offload half of my stack to rebalance into some platinum a few months ago, trying to sell those specific Elemetals to a local coin shop here in Dallas was a bit of a headache. They were pushing for a bigger discount than I wanted compared to other generic bars I had. Ended up selling them online for a better price, but it did make me lean more towardsSunshine and Valcambi going forward for easier liquidity.

Totally agree with your breakdown on Elemetal. I picked up a few 10oz bars a couple of years back through my Gold IRA, specifically because the premium was decent at the time. No issues with them at all – solid, recognizable, and the custodian had no problem accepting them. Sometimes those smaller, lesser-known refiners can be a gamble, but these have always felt legit. It's not always about the flashy PAMP Suisse, sometimes value is where it's at.

Anyone still holding Elemetal? I dumped mine last year when all the news broke. Switched fully to JM Bullion and SD Bullion for physical, and consolidated my gold IRA with a new custodian focused purely on precious metals. Didn't want any funny business with my retirement savings, especially after all the work doing the 401k rollover for the tax advantages.

Stay clear of Elemetal. Had a few 100oz bars from them back in 2017 and trying to liquidate them last year was a headache. Most dealers offered a significant discount compared to other refiners, citing their past legal troubles. For bulk silver, stick with known, reputable mints like Sunshine or Engelhard. Saves you grief down the road.

You know, I dabbled with Elemetal a few years back when I was first building out the silver part of my IRA. They're fine, nothing inherently wrong with them, but I quickly pivoted to tubes of Eagles and Maples. The premium on Elemetal bullion felt a little high for generic bars compared to sovereign coins sometimes, especially when you factor in the recognition factor for future liquidation. If you're buying smaller quantities, it might not be a huge deal, but for anything substantial, I'd compare the per-ounce cost closely. Just my two cents from Tulsa.

@Kenneth Parker

That's interesting to hear about Elemetal. I definitely remember the buzz around them back then, but also some of the questions that popped up later. Given that you were looking into them pre-2020, did you ever end up diversifying with Elemetal specifically, or did those concerns lead you to pivot to a different refiner for your Gold IRA allocations?

You know, I've seen a few posts here about Elemetal silver bars and everyone seems pretty keen on the low premiums. And yeah, for sheer weight of silver, they're probably fine. But honestly, as someone who's looking at gold and silver for long-term wealth preservation and not just a speculative trade, I'm finding it harder to get excited about these newer, less recognized mints. I started my Gold IRA a few years back, mainly with Eagles and Maples, and I'm sticking to that for any new purchases. The thought of liquidating a large stack of generic bars if things ever really went sideways just doesn't sit right with me. I've got enough to worry about closer to retirement; actually used the RMD Calculator at https://rmdcalculator.goldirablueprint.com/?forum the other day – super helpful, by the way. I'd rather pay a bit more for something universally recognizable. Call me old-fashioned, but premium is sometimes worth peace of mind.

Good point about the reputation. I've been eyeing some Elemetal silver for my IRA, typically adding about $10k-$15k in silver with each gold purchase, but that 2017 conviction record for money laundering is definitely a red flag. Has anyone seen any *official* statements from recognized industry bodies, like the NGC or PCGS equivalent for bullion, clearing them or commenting on their current status post-conviction? Just trying to gauge if it's a lingering specter or something that's been thoroughly addressed.

@Mark Adams – Ugh, that's rough to hear about Elemetal. It really highlights the importance of choosing reputable refiners, especially when you're looking at significant precious metals investments. My gold IRA is mostly American Gold Eagles and Canadian Maple Leafs, specifically for this reason – liquidity is paramount when planning for retirement savings. I did a major 401k rollover a few years back and the last thing I'd want is trouble selling when I need to take distributions and leverage those specific tax advantages.

@Ashley Baker That's a smart move, Ashley. I remember back in 2021, I was seriously considering adding some physical silver to my Gold IRA, specifically those Elemetal 10 oz bars. I was in Salt Lake City, watching the housing market go absolutely berserk, and frankly, my 401k just wasn't feeling like enough of a safe harbor. I'd been holding gold for a while through a Gold IRA, but the idea of diversifying into silver, especially with the inflation chatter picking up, really appealed to me. I almost pulled the trigger, but then my wife and I decided to sink a chunk of cash into some home improvements, which ate up my liquid capital. No regrets on the house, mind you, but sometimes I kick myself for not grabbing those bars when the premiums were still reasonable. It just felt like such a tangible hedge against the crazy world, you know?

@Nancy Hall Glad to hear someone else has had a decent experience with Elemetal. I actually got into them around the same time, mostly for my *gold IRA* though, not silver. Was doing a 401k rollover and looking for lower premium options to maximize my *precious metals* allocation without eating into my *retirement savings* too much right at the start. So far, no regrets, and the *tax advantages* are certainly a plus. Thinking about adding some more diverse assets to my portfolio soon, maybe platinum.

Elemetal bars are legit, but honestly, I've shifted most of my physical allocation to coins like Eagles and Maples. Liquidity is just better when you're talking about anything over 100oz. Unless you're getting a killer deal on Elemetal premiums, it's worth the slight bump for recognized government mints.