Shanghai residents raised concerns after a customer discovered dark impurities inside a gold bar purchased from a bank when having it made into jewelry. Despite initial resistance from the bank, which blamed the jeweler and suggested tampering, the matching serial numbers on the gold bar and bank documents confirmed it was the original purchase. Financial regulatory authorities have since become involved, stepping in on Tuesday following the Wednesday incident. The bank, reportedly located in Shanghai’s Nanxiang area, has stated that verification processes are underway. Online commentators have noted the difficulty in distinguishing genuine gold from counterfeits, particularly since materials like tungsten have similar density to gold.

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What the Silver-to-CPI Ratio Reveals That Spot Price Hides
Silver hit a nominal all-time high of $121.64 in January 2026 — yet the silver-to-CPI ratio tells a different story. Adjusted for inflation, silver remains well below its 1980 peak and barely above its 2011 cycle high. Here’s what the ratio reveals that spot price alone never can.





