We recently spoke to Alice Or, Account Executive at ABC Bullion, about her journey in Australia’s gold industry and her lifelong passion for precious metals.
Why did you join the gold industry?
Since a young age, and during my teenage years, I have always had a role in handling diamonds and gold at my family’s jewellery shop. This allowed me to familiarise myself with precious metals and gems. The choice was either piano lessons or learning about the business, to me it was quite clear which one I preferred.
Gold has always fascinated me, as far back as I can remember. Initially with its glitter and gloss, nonetheless I was deeply interested in its perceived value and role as a savings vehicle. With knowledge from my family's business, it gave me an opportunity to start a new learning curve in another chapter of my life.
Tell us about The Pallion Group?
The Pallion Group formed just after I started at ABC Bullion. It brings together a number of gold businesses under the one roof, from jewellery CAD design and manufacture to gold and silver refining, bullion trading, vaulting and much more.
I was familiar with Pallion’s Palloys jewellery business before I joined, as it is where jewellers in Australia can find everything they need in the one place.
ABC Refinery processes a significant amount of gold and silver from mines across Australia and at ABC Bullion we service a wide range of investors from those using our Gold Saver program to buy a few hundred dollars of gold a month through to multi-million dollar institutional investors.
Pallion has a great team across bullion and jewellery and they really make it easy to do business. It is also exciting to be involved in the making of the Melbourne Cup trophy and following the Cup’s journey each year.
What does your day-to-day work involve?
No day is ever the same! There are always different variables impacting precious metals prices and discussing the ever-changing market with clients is definitely a highlight.
My typical day includes setting up trading accounts, handling incoming enquiries and locking in prices for precious metals trades across gold, silver, platinum and palladium. We also initiate welcome calls to all new clients to help them with any questions they might have being new to the market. We assist our clients as much as we can in the sales, purchase and metal account maintenance processes.
The gold bullion market has grown dramatically over the past few years, with many investors that are brand new to the market coming to ABC Bullion as a first step.
What drives you in your role?
I can understand that people who may be new to buying gold and silver need some assistance as financial markets can be difficult to grasp at times. This is why helping them get started with their precious metal investment is always a rewarding task. We also have an incredibly diverse client base with people of all ages and backgrounds, so it is nice to meet so many different individuals and work with various companies.
What has been your biggest learning curve or challenge so far in the industry?
I was amazed at how busy some trading days can be, especially on big event days. The phones ring incessantly and it is exciting and challenging at the same time. The yearly Diwali event, which is an auspicious day for Hindus to purchase gold and silver, is a day in which we can expect hundreds of people through the office doors and many more purchasing via our online shop. It is amazing to see the various reasons for purchasing gold and how it relates to different cultures across the world.
Some highlights over the years have been the day of Brexit and the Trump election, as activity goes through the roof when unexpected news starts moving the price of gold.
What gets you excited about gold?
Watching it increase in value over the past five years has been really inspiring, and it’s rewarding to see investment portfolios increasing in value over this period. Gold has many uses not only as an investment, but also in jewellery, industry and nanotechnology. It is clearly a very special metal with many applications.
What is your view on the gold price moving forward?
It is always an uncertainty how the gold price will trade within a year, a few months or even tomorrow. Especially with the global COVID-19 pandemic, I believe the fundamentals for gold are looking positive.
If I had to make a call – I would suggest gold is such a reliable long-term investment that I think it will continue to outperform many other asset classes in years to come, with silver looking very cheap in comparison.
Why is buying or trading in gold important right now?
It is safe to say, gold is a considerably secure way to invest. Considering the Australian dollar is much higher now than in March, it can be a great way to hedge any potential AUD weakness moving forward. With the current global crisis, investing in gold could be a great way to further build a solid and safe portfolio.