Gold as a store of value
From Turkish "under-the-pillow" savings to Indian wedding jewelry, gold remains Asia's most trusted hedge.
Why it's attractive
Gold does double duty across Asia: it is dowry, savings, and inflation insurance in one asset, with no counterparty risk and a multi-generational track record households trust more than any bank. In currencies that have repeatedly lost value — the Turkish lira, the Iranian rial, the Pakistani rupee — gold has outperformed almost everything else at the household level.
How to get access
Physical gold (jewelry, coins, bars) still dominates, but gold savings accounts, sovereign gold bonds (India), and gold-backed ETFs have grown fast as a lower-friction, storage-free alternative — see the platforms and banks in the resources directory.
What to watch out for
Physical gold carries storage and resale-spread costs, and jewelry purity/making charges mean it is a poor pure investment vehicle compared with bullion or ETFs — a distinction many first-time buyers overlook.
Where this shows up most
Find a platform, bank, or fund
Browse the directory of platforms, banks, and asset managers active across Asia.