Refining

Gold refining is a process that transforms raw, often impure gold into a high-purity form ready for investment, sale, or industrial use. At HKKO GOLD, we are dedicated to offering top-tier refining experience that is both secure and reliable, ensuring that our clients’ gold meets the highest standards for quality and liquidity. Operating a state-of-the-art refinery in Ghana, we bring unparalleled precision, flexibility, and operational excellence to each refining project. Our facilities and team are equipped to meet a range of client needs, from small individual investors to large mining groups and central banks.

With an impressive daily refining capacity of over 100 kilograms, HKKO GOLD uses advanced purification techniques, comprehensive logistics solutions, and rigorous testing to guarantee high purity and global market standards. Our transparent processes and commitment to environmental sustainability make us the trusted choice for refining services across the region and beyond.

Our goal is to exceed client expectations with purity levels of up to 99.99%, making HKKO GOLD the premier choice for refining services in the gold industry.

HKKO GOLD’s Refining Process: From Raw Material to Pure Gold

Our meticulous refining process is designed to achieve maximum purity while maintaining strict standards of transparency and environmental responsibility.

1. Receiving and Assessment: Precision from the Start

Every refining journey begins with a careful assessment of the material received. HKKO GOLDsources precious metals globally, working with a variety of clients:

• Mining Groups: We partner with both new and established mining companies, helping them bring raw gold from mines across diverse regions.
• Global Markets: Our client base includes international investors, central banks, and individual clients who need secure refining for high-value assets.
• Recycled Materials: From old jewelry to industrial by-products, we refine recycled materials to retrieve maximum value and create a purified, tradable product.

Our team weighs, inspects, and performs an initial purity analysis to determine the best approach for refining each material. Whether handling raw gold, recycled jewelry, or non-London Good Delivery (LGD) investment bars, we assess each item’s unique properties to ensure an optimal outcome.

2. Melting and Sampling: Quality Control at Every Step

The refining process begins by melting the material in a high-temperature furnace, enabling us to homogenize the metal and eliminate impurities. We then conduct sampling at multiple stages to confirm purity and maintain quality control, ensuring that the refined product meets the exacting standards expected by clients and global markets alike. All incoming materials i.e. whether doréor recycled, are melted and sampled in our assay laboratory, where certified methods such as fire assay, spectrometric, ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma), X-ray, and chemical assays ensure the highest accuracy.

Our Advanced Melting/Refining Techniques

HKKO GOLD employs a suite of sophisticated refining techniques tailored to the type and purity level required for each material. These methods allow us to achieve purity levels of 99.5% to 99.99%, making our refined gold suitable for a range of uses, from investment to industrial applications.

• Aqua Regia Refining: This technique involves a blend of hydrochloric and nitric acids, which dissolves gold and other metals to leave behind pure gold. Aqua regia refining is particularly useful for separating gold from metals such as silver and copper, ensuring a refined product that meets international purity standards.
• Electrolytic Refining: Electrolysis uses an electric current to separate metals based on their differing electrical charges, achieving extremely high levels of purity. This method is particularly well-suited for gold intended for investment or central banking applications.
• Wet Chemical Parting: For gold containing other precious metals, our wet chemical parting technique effectively separates these metals, resulting in high-purity gold suitable for international trade.

These methods allow HKKO GOLD to consistently deliver results that match the specific requirements of our clients, whether they need gold for investment, banking, or commercial use.

Example: An electronics recycling company provides circuit boards containing trace amounts of gold. We use electrolytic refining to separate and purify this gold, returning it as high-purity bullion.

3. Purification and Casting: Creating Market-Ready Gold Products

Following the refining process, the purified gold is cast into various forms to suit client needs. Options include:

• Standard Gold Bars: Cast into standard weights such as 1 oz, 100 g, and 1 kg, perfect for investors.
• Standard Gold Coins: Crafted into high-purity coins, ideal for collectors and investors.
• Custom Gold Casts: Created to meet client specifications for unique investment or commercial purposes.

Each bar or product is carefully crafted to align with LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) standards, making our gold highly liquid and easily transactable in global markets.

4. Rigorous Testing and Certification for Purity and Quality

Before the gold is returned to clients, we perform rigorous testing to verify its purity and weight. Each refined product is accompanied by a certificate of assay, detailing the purity level and gold content, which ensures that our gold meets LBMA (London Bullion Market Association) and COMEX standards. This certification allows clients to trade or invest in their gold with full confidence in its authenticity and quality.

We operate advanced assay laboratories certified to ISO/IEC 17025:2005 standards. Each assay is meticulously conducted using a combination of techniques:

• Fire Assay: A traditional method for precise purity assessment.
• Spectrometric and ICP Analysis: High-tech methods for detecting metal compositions.
• X-ray Fluorescence: Used to provide a non-destructive analysis of metal purity.

Our certification process ensures full transparency, and we provide each client with an assay certificate that confirms the purity and metal content of their refined gold. These certifications guarantee that our products meet international standards, making them suitable for trading and investment.

Example: A client brings in jewelry scrap, which we refine and cast into a gold bar. After refining, we issue a certificate of assay confirming the bar’s 99.99% purity, making it suitable for global markets.

5. Secure and Comprehensive Logistics: Ensuring Safe Handling from Start to Finish

HKKO GOLD is committed to providing secure and reliable logistics services to support each step of the refining process. Our end-to-end solutions include:

• Secure Transport: Insured, secure transport options that ensure safe delivery from remote mining sites to our refinery and to major precious metals markets.
• Real-Time Tracking: Clients can monitor the progress of their gold through our secure tracking system.
• Confidentiality Protocols: We adhere to strict confidentiality standards, maintaining the privacy and security of each client’s assets and personal information.

Our dedicated logistics team has extensive experience in managing complex supply chains and ensures that each shipment is handled with the utmost care, from initial collection to final delivery.

Diverse Refining Capabilities: What We Refine

HKKO GOLD has the expertise and capacity to refine a wide variety of precious metals, including:

• Gold Doré: We collaborate with mining companies worldwide, refining raw gold from new jurisdictions and positioning emerging countries on the gold production map.
• Recycled Jewelry: From jewelry sourced in secondary markets to old investment bars, we retrieve high-value metals from recycled items, transforming them into market-standard gold.
• Non-Standard Investment Bars: HKKO GOLD provides upgrading services that bring non-LGD bars up to LBMA standards, ensuring they can be traded globally.
• Platinum Group Metals (PGMs): Our refining services extend to platinum, palladium, and rhodium, with specialized treatment for high- and low-grade PGMs.
• Mining By-products: Partnering with mining companies to refine raw ore into valuable, tradeable gold.
• Industrial Gold: Refining gold used in electronics, medical devices, and other industrial applications, restoring it to purity suitable for resale or re-use.

Our refining flexibility allows us to meet the needs of a diverse client base, delivering high-purity metals for everything from banking to industrial applications.

Commitment to Operational Excellence and Client Support

At HKKO GOLD, we take pride in our expertise and commitment to client satisfaction. Our long-serving, experienced team proactively engages with clients to provide personalized support across every aspect of refining and logistics:

• Client-Centric Approach: Our team works closely with each client to understand their unique needs, offering tailored solutions and proactive communication.
• Global Recognition and Certification: Recognized as a Good Delivery provider by the LBMA, HKKO GOLD holds itself to the highest standards in the industry, ensuring our clients receive products that meet global quality and liquidity requirements.

This dedication to operational excellence has positioned HKKO GOLD as a leader in the precious metals refining industry.

Environmental Responsibility and Compliance

HKKO GOLD recognizes the importance of sustainable practices and is committed to environmental stewardship in all refining processes. We responsibly handle all chemicals and waste materials in strict accordance with environmental regulations, ensuring minimal impact on the environment.

Why Choose HKKO GOLD for Gold Refining?

At HKKO GOLD, we combine advanced technology, industry expertise, and a commitment to client satisfaction. Here’s why clients trust us for their refining needs:

1. Industry-Leading Purity and Quality

• Our advanced refining methods and equipment enable us to deliver purity levels of 99.5% and 99.99%, suitable for international markets and investment portfolios.

2. Cutting-Edge Technology

• We utilize the latest technologies, such as high-precision furnaces and chemical refinement tools, ensuring that our refining process is efficient, safe, and highly accurate.

3. Certified Assay Labs

• Our ISO-compliant laboratories perform highly accurate assays, including fire assay, ICP, and X-ray, ensuring that each batch meets stringent quality standards.

4. Global Standards and Compliance

• Our refining processes meet LBMA and COMEX standards, ensuring that our gold is tradeable and accepted worldwide, while complying with all necessary regulatory requirements.

5. Expertise with Diverse Sourcing

• We partner with mining companies, central banks, and recycling industries, providing flexible solutions to meet a variety of gold refining needs.

6. Security and Transparency

• HKKO GOLD values security at every stage, offering insured transportation for raw materials, real-time process tracking, and strict confidentiality protocols to protect client assets and information.

7. Competitive and Flexible Logistics Solutions

• From mine-site pick-up to secure custody in major metals centers, our logistics solutions provide end-to-end support for clients. Our logistics team ensures safe and efficient transport of precious metals, with options for secure storage and real-time tracking.

8. Sustainable and Environmentally Responsible Practices

• We are committed to reducing our environmental impact. Our process complies with environmental regulations, minimizing waste and recycling materials whenever possible.

A Trusted Partner in Precious Metals Refining

With our industry-leading expertise, advanced technology, and dedication to client satisfaction, HKKO GOLD is committed to helping you unlock the full value of your precious metals. Whether you are a new mining group, a central bank, or an individual investor, we offer the expertise and resources to meet your needs with precision and reliability.

For more information on our refining services or to request a personalized quote, please contact us today. At HKKO GOLD, we are here to ensure that your assets are refined to the highest standards, with a commitment to excellence and trust.