By Tim Schmidt - UPDATED: January 15, 2025
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Buying the right precious metals and collectibles ensures you prepare for the future. We never know what may happen to the economy, especially considering past events like the 2020 pandemic.
By investing in gold coins or other precious metals, you can address the uncertainty that often comes with the economy. With so many companies out there, which one would be right for you?
Our job is to test the most popular companies out there to determine which one is right for investors. Today, we'll look at Gem State Gold and Silver. Gem State Gold and Silver is a business located in Idaho. It offers a few interesting services, including precious metals investments.
What makes Gem State Gold/Silver unique is that it goes the extra mile and offers other services that may interest you. How does this company compare to others? Is it good enough for beginners and seasoned investors? Let's find out!
Before you move on and read more, know that I personally did NOT buy my metals here. I used the #1 ranked gold provider, which I reveal on the link <------.
About Gem State Gold and Silver
Although Gem State Gold and Silver started working in 2007 in Boise, Idaho, and surrounding areas, it seems like the company started working back in 1990. That's over 30 years of experience that won't go unnoticed!
This business is operated by Marvin and Yvonne Tanner. They sell precious metals online, but they also have a local storefront that you can visit if you're in the Idaho area.
Marvin and Yvonne are a knowledgeable couple that is more than willing to help buyers get to the right option for them.
However, that's not everything the company offers. What makes Gem State Gold and Silver unique is the fact that it also assays precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. The couple doesn't charge clients for testing their jewelry or precious metal, as long as they sell it to them.
Also, you can give them old scrap metal or jewelry, and the team will melt and stamp it into a bar. If you only want to test your products, they can also give you their purity level and type.
According to the dealers, they have "energy-dispersant, X-ray fluorescent spectrometers." Their job is to analyze a wide range of precious metals.
The team at Gem State Gold and Silver states that they have a variety of options to buy from their site. Apparently, they have "nearly all types" of silver and gold bars and coins in their inventory. This company prides itself on being one of the most reliable precious metal dealers in the area.
If you want to contact the owners, you can set up an appointment at the storefront. Otherwise, you can leave a voicemail or text the number posted on the website to get more information about their silver and gold products.
What Products Are Available?
We can confidently say that Gem State Gold and Silver offers an impressive selection of silver/gold products for a fair price. You can pick metals in different sizes and denominations, or if you don't know which option is better for your needs, you may ask the owners for advice.
Something that some people may not like about this company is the website. It's minimalistic, and it doesn't offer much information about the products themselves. To find out specifically which products you can get, you must call the owners or set up an appointment.
Most gold, silver, palladium, and platinum buyers prefer having all the information they need outlined on the company's website. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for Gem State Gold and Silver.
Other than that, you won't have any problems contacting the owners to learn more about the inventory. If you already know what you're planning to buy, the process may become even faster.
What About the Selling Process?
Thanks to Gem State Gold and Silver, you can eliminate the middleman from your transactions. According to the owners, they pay over spot for certain gold coins. Also, they offer competitive rates for gold from jewelry, broken, and whole products.
What makes this company unique is that the owners use plenty of accurate methods to test every metal. In other words, you'll get a fair grade of honesty and transparency when reviewing your assets with the team.
Again, if you're interested in selling, you will have to contact the company directly. It doesn't offer much information about the process on the website.
Is Gem State Gold and Silver a Legit Company?
Gem State Gold and Silver isn't a scam, according to our experience. It's a reputable company with a solid storefront and decent reviews online.
Since this is mostly a local business, you may not be able to find much information about it. The website only has the most essential information you should know, so finding reviews may be hard.
We compiled what we've seen so that you don't have to spend too much time looking. Here's an overview:
Reviews and Ratings
When it comes to reviews and ratings, it's a "mixed" situation. At the time of writing, Gem State Gold and Silver has a C+ rating on the BBB. However, it has not been accredited by the organization yet.
You'll find most of the reviews on sites like Yelp, MapQuest, Facebook, and Google Reviews.
The reviews on Google are mostly positive, and the company has an average rating of 4.4/5 stars. Most people praise the customer service and rates. A considerable number of customers have claimed that they would go back to the company.
On Yelp, the company has an average rating of 3.5/5 stars based on 24 reviews. Like in the previous site, the reviews mention great prices and comprehensive customer service.
Marvin, the owner, is willing to give information to anyone who asks. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, you will likely have an easy time dealing precious metals with him.
Complaints
Gem State Gold and Silver has only a few complaints online, but they're still worth considering. The only complaint in the BBB mentions that they didn't receive receipts and that the company took the scrap gold from them. Apparently, the person was also harassed by the team, although there's no proof of this. The owners haven't responded to this complaint either.
Other complaints online mention terrible service from employees and poor/misleading rates, which directly contradicts the positive reviews. Marvin often responds to positive and negative feedback.
While there are a few negative reviews, there are more positive ones. Generally speaking, people seem to enjoy the customer service, and they don't usually have a problem with the quotes offered by the company.
We recommend talking to the owners before deciding if you want to do business with them. You will likely have a decent experience.
How Do You Get Started with Gem State Gold and Silver?
Negotiating with Gem State Gold and Silver isn't complicated. As mentioned previously, the main page offers concise information about the services.
Whether you want to buy or sell, you can contact Marvin and Yvonne through text or phone call. If you don't want to text, the company offers an email address that you can contact too.
Once you contact the team, you can let them know about your needs, and they'll gladly give you all the information necessary to get started. If you can go to their physical store, you will have an even better experience, as they'll walk you through every process necessary to test your precious metals.
Should You Invest in Precious Metals with Gem State Gold and Silver?
Pros and Cons of Gem State Gold and Silver
Pros
- It has a physical store in Idaho where you can easily learn more about the products and services.
- The team purchases jewelry and scrap metal.
- You can turn your jewelry into a bar or refine it into gold.
- It has advanced spectrometers that test precious metals thoroughly.
Cons
- There are a few negative reviews online.
- It's not such a good online store. The team focuses on in-person negotiations.
- The website is outdated and looks basic. It may be hard to navigate.
There's a lot of options when it comes to investing. I previously wrote about American Gold Reserve as well as Accuplan, and shared my thoughts on those. Whether you choose to invest is a decision you should make over time and after a lot of research. I started Gold 401k to talk about my journey to hopefully help you with those decisions.
Our Verdict
If you're interested in extra services or want to sell your jewelry or other items, you may go to Gem State Gold and Silver LLC. Gem State has a unique service offering that will help any kind of precious metal investor or collector.
The company has proven to be reliable, and most people are satisfied with the experience.
We'd say that this is an excellent option to consider if you prefer going to the physical store. As an online store, it doesn't offer as much information as we would have wanted. If you want to go online, there may be better options out there.
Other than that, Gem State Gold and Silver is worth checking out if you don't mind the website and are willing to talk to the owners directly for more information.