I think I misunderstood your title here--are you looking for investment gold or are you doing some sort of goldsmithing? You wrote 'casting' and I took that to mean you were working with the gold.
They way I understand it, he wants 24k gold items to turn it into 0.01 to 0.10 gram gold bars. I guess that would be a very good route to go to hedge against the current world markets. I considered buying some from some people I know, but friends advised against it. They say people are finding unique ways to cheat people into thinking these bars are solid 24k carat gold and it is not the case. How are you guaranteed that you are buying a solid 24k carat gold bar, if it was done by a private individual? <Certification>
I find that Gold bars direct from the mint have the highest "visual" appeal, and lowest chance of being counterfeit. These bars should come with a certificate of authenticity from the mint. Many of the second-hand gold bars, have lost some shine due to oxidation, but they are still valuable. < The U.S. Mint
officially only sells gold bullion in legal tender coins, not bars. >
Do you sell your bars or are you just collecting them for yourself?