This Engineer Gifted His Son Gold- Here’s Why It Matters

Utsavi Gandhi

At the Gold Coast Gold Conference, Brian Chu from the Australian Gold Fund caught up with David Novak, an extractive metallurgy expert from GPA Engineering, whose career has been dedicated to unlocking value from ore bodies across Australia-ranging from lead-zinc in Mount Isa to iron ore in the Pilbara.

But it wasn’t just David’s deep knowledge of metallurgy that stood out. It was his unique perspective on wealth, value, and legacy.

Instead of gifting cash or the latest gadget for his son’s 21st birthday, David chose a one-of-a-kind gold nugget from the Perth Mint. “No two nuggets are the same,” he said. “It’s irreplaceable-and it grows in value.”

For David, gold is more than just a metal-it’s monetary truth. Inspired by Michael Maloney’s Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver, he shifted his mindset from viewing gold as a mysterious relic to recognizing it as a foundational asset in an unstable financial system. He now regularly gifts precious metals to his children-teaching them not just to save, but to store wealth wisely.

And he’s not wrong-the gold nugget he gifted is now worth more than double, and that value continues to rise. In an age of inflation, consumerism, and fleeting fads, David’s gift sends a powerful message: Real value isn’t what depreciates in a drawer-it’s what endures across generations.