BullionVault, a physical market for gold and silver investors, has launched an iPhone app through which clients can transact in these metals.

The firm said its app has so far been downloaded by more than 3,500 people, entering the top 20 most popular free apps in the finance category last week. BullionVault account holders have used this route to place buy and sell orders worth almost £7 million (about $11 million).

The app gives live real-time and historical gold and silver chart and instant pricing from BullionVault's physical gold and silver markets, while users can trade within seconds of downloading the app, the firm said in a statement.

Investors in more than 100 nations have so far downloaded the app.  

Anyone who registers a new BullionVault account, which can be done via the app, gets a free-trial gram of gold, currently worth £32. Trading can then start immediately.

Launched in April 2005, BullionVault is a full member of professional trade body the London Bullion Market Association. Its clients - more than 39,000 - between them own almost £1 billion of gold bullion plus a further £180 million in physical silver.

To view a recent item on gold market demand, click here.