The global gold market is extremely large and has an estimated value of about $4.5 trillion USD. The global silver market is valued at $17.9 billion USD and the platinum market is $7.8 billion USD, according to data from the World Bank Group (WBG). There are many companies that operate within these markets but when it comes to refining precious metals like gold, silver, or platinum there are only a handful of companies that currently have the capacity to refine these materials into bullion bars or coins suitable for investment purposes or jewelry making uses. In this article we’ll review some different refiners and their impact on today’s global markets along with some tips on how to choose who among them should be your partner in refining your precious metals holdings
Johnson Matthey Plc
Johnson Matthey Plc is one of the world’s leading refiners of precious metals. The company was founded in 1817 and has its headquarters in London, UK. Johnson Matthey operates in many countries around the world and uses a number of different refining processes to create high-quality gold and silver products from raw material materials. One example is their use of vacuum smelting at their facility in Singapore; this process makes it possible for them to produce 99% pure gold bars that have been certified by LBMA (London Bullion Market Association).
As a Gold Dealer, Johnson Matthey has many customers around the globe who purchase their products for investment purposes or for manufacturing into jewelry pieces, among other things.
Rand Refinery Ltd.
Rand Refinery Ltd. is a South African company that specializes in refining gold, silver and platinum. Founded in 1915, it operates two refineries: one in Johannesburg and another in Germiston. The company’s headquarters are located at Rand Refinery House on Commissioner Street in Johannesburg’s central business district (CBD).
The process of refining gold starts with melting down raw ore or scrap metal into liquid form so that impurities can be removed from it through filtration or chemical treatment. Then the molten metal is cast into bars or coins by pouring it into molds made of sand mixed with an adhesive agent like clay or wax; this process is called casting because it was originally done by pouring molten lead into similar molds made out of sandstone or porphyry stone tiles called “pigs.” After cooling off for several hours at room temperature so that they harden enough not to melt again when heated during subsequent stages of refinement such as stamping them with logos etc., these newly created ingots get stamped with serial numbers indicating their weight & purity before being shipped off for sale through dealers around the world
Argor-Heraeus S.A.
Argor-Heraeus S.A., a Swiss refiner, is a member of the Heraeus Group. This group has been refining gold for over 200 years and is one of the largest precious metals refiners in Europe. The company has many locations around the world including Switzerland, Germany and Hong Kong; it also operates a mint in Austria where they produce coins for countries such as Mexico and Liechtenstein.
Argor-Heraeus S.A.’s headquarters are located in Zurich where it was founded by Paul Aron Helfrich (1804-1871) in 1837 as P A H & Co; later his sons took over ownership until their deaths when the company was passed down through family members until finally being sold off to outside Gold investors after World War II ended (1945).
Assaubay Mine d’Or du Desert, Inc
Assaubay Mine d’Or du Desert, Inc is a Canadian gold mining company headquartered in Quebec. The company operates through its wholly owned subsidiary Assaubay Mining Inc, which owns and operates the Assaubay Gold Mine located in the Abitibi region of Quebec.
The mine was formerly owned by Noranda Mines but was transferred to Assaubay in 1997 after their merger with Rio Colorado Mines Limited (RCM). In 2006 RCM sold its interest in Assaubay to South African miner AngloGold Ashanti Limited for $1 billion USD (CA$1.4 billion).
Valcambi Suisse S.A.
Valcambi Suisse S.A., a Swiss refinery, produces gold bars, coins and medallions that are sold around the world. The company is owned by Valori & Associati S.p.A., a firm based in Italy with offices across Europe and North America.
Valcambi was founded in 1961 by Paul-Albert “Pat” Valori (1930-1999), an Italian national who later became a naturalized American citizen; his son Andrea Valori serves as chairman of the board today. In addition to refining gold from mines around the world–including Australia, South Africa and Russia–Valcambi also works closely with other refiners including PAMP SA (also based in Switzerland) on bar production projects involving multiple parties working together through joint ventures or other arrangements
Heraeus Precious Metals Refining GmbH
Heraeus Precious Metals Refining GmbH is a German company that refines gold, silver and platinum. The company has been refining precious metals since 1851, making them the largest refiner of platinum in the world. Heraeus has 12 locations worldwide, including three in Germany and one each in Switzerland and China. The primary manufacturing site is located in Hanau-Wolfgang near Frankfurt am Main where all products are produced on site using state-of-the-art technology and processes that meet international standards set by ISO 9001:2008 certification
Royal Mint Refinery (RMR) Limited
Royal Mint Refinery (RMR) Limited is a subsidiary of the Royal Mint. RMR refines gold and silver from the Royal Mint’s bullion coin sales, as well as providing refining services for other mints. It has a range of refining services for gold, silver, platinum and palladium.
There are many gold refiners operating around the world and they each have their own process to refine your precious metals.
There are many gold refiners operating around the world and they each have their own process to refine your precious metals.
Some use more advanced technology than others, while some are better suited to certain types of gold than others.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many gold refiners operating around the world and they each have their own process to refine your precious metals. The most common method used by these refiners is chemical purification. This involves dissolving your gold or silver in aqua regia solution which results in an alloy called ‘electrum’. This alloy can then be purified further by adding more chemicals such as nitric acid or tartaric acid until only pure gold remains at the bottom of the test tube with other metals dissolved away.