When it comes to the solid reputation of gold, nobody delivers on that promise to investors and collectors quite like Switzerland-based Argor-Heraeus. They have been in the business of delivering quality minted gold bullion products for more than six decades.
Argor-Heraeus gold bars are renowned for their purity and fine attention to detail. With the world economy still shaky from the effects of the Great Recession and ongoing political turmoil convulsing large swathes of the world, gold continues to provide a stable refuge for investors by serving as a popular “safe-haven” investment vehicle.
For those looking to combine that historic market security of gold with a trusted partner on the international gold scene, Argor-Heraeus is an excellence choice for both the novice and seasoned investor alike. Getting to know about Argor-Heraeus is an exercise in getting to know about fine quality precious metal products.
The Argor-Heraeus Gold Refinery Process
Argor-Heraeus places its refining process at the core of all that is does. Utilizing innovative technology, the firm refines their gold products with both electrolytical and chemical processes. In the former, precious metals are refined using fully automated, state-of-the-art units, which see operation 24 hours a day. The latter chemically based process, supported by high-tech equipment that is designed to engineer complex chemical reactions, which allows for the drawing out of just about any measurable amount of precious material regardless of the composition.
This enhanced extraction method guarantees that Argor-Heraeus delivers the highest possible yields in the fastest time and at the lowest cost. The company only accepts mine grade ore, industrial scraps, and recycled precious metal from jewelry for their processes. Whereas the LBMA calls for a purity rating of 995.0 to ensure “Good Delivery Standards,” Argor-Heraeus routinely delivers 999.9 levels of purity. This “four nine” level is even exceeded, with special applications, by their exceptional “five nines” (999.99) rating that is acknowledged as the highest in the industry.
Once refined, they call on the talents of their in-house design team of trained artisans, who transform the extracted precious metals into an array of gold products for investors, collectors, major banks, and national treasuries.
Argor-Heraeus Gold Bar Security Features
Just because gold represents a safe refuge in an uncertain economic climate does not mean that it is always safe to trade gold. As such, Argor-Heraeus has built in levels of security and layers of assurances to guarantee that their customers get what they paid for. Indeed, they have raised security to the level of “Registered Trademark” with their use of the Kinebar®.
Kinebar security — Kinebar, stated simply, is an embossed, high-tech defractive security feature that is added into the gold bar to create an entirely new high-end product. Not only does this addition provide a distinct layer of added security, the beautiful design adds significant intrinsic value to the piece. The Union Bank of Switzerland has employed the Kinebar as a security measure in its minted bars for more than two decades.
Certified Assayers — the government’s Swiss Central Office for Precious Metals Control is tasked with ensuring the fitness of precious metals in regards to standards of purity, and monitoring the control of official markings. In short, they are the gold standard in determining the standard of gold. Certified assayers, who works in Argor-Heraeus’ employ, have been fully trained and supervised under that body’s exacting standards of excellence. Coming sealed in assay cards, the Argor-Heraeus fine line of minted gold products are a guarantee of excellence.
Certificate of Authenticity — each aspect of the production chain is closely documented to ensure that all aspects of their operation, as well as their international partners, are in full compliance with all transparency policies, which are designed to guarantee that no party is subject to adverse treatment, and all are comporting to the same goal of industry sustainability. This ravine to refinery tracking means that customers know the origin of their investment, and have the Certificate of Authenticity to prove that fact.
Gold Bar Designs and Available Sizes
As mentioned, Argor-Heraeus has an in-house design team of skilled metal artisans who craft the distinctive look of the Argor-Heraeus line of gold products. Within their refinery, they combine technology, art, attention to detail and a finely tuned awareness of customer expectations to arrive at their premiere gold offerings. In addition to assay cards for collectors and investors, they produce customized bank bars that weigh as much as a thousands grams. Additionally, their minted bars are packaged and shipped with a credit card sized certificate of authenticity, and range in size from a single gram to upwards of 100 grams of elegant golden perfection.
The History of Argor-Heraeus
Founded in 1961, Argor-Heraeus is one of the largest processors of precious metals. Headquartered in Mendrisio, Switzerland, they refine gold, silver, platinum, and palladium to transform finished and semi-finished precious metal products for an array of different industries. Argor-Heraeus clients include leading banks, national mints, and representatives of the electronics, chemical, watch, and jewelry sectors. Additionally, they provide support for precious metals trading on the worldwide stage through their ongoing association with numerous certificating bodies. These include the London Bullion Market (LBMA), Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC), World Gold Council (WGC), and the Organization fir Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD).
Where To Buy Argor-Heraeus Gold Bars
With such a reputation in the precious metals industry, it is no surprise that Argor-Heraeus gold bars are not hard to find. They can be purchased for anywhere from $20-$30 over the current price of gold. You can fine these bars on sites like APMEX, Provident Metals, Golden Eagle Coins, Gainesville Coins and many others.
