250 gram Valcambi Suisse gold bar

History

The “Swiss made” Valcambi 250 gram gold bar

Switzerland’s reputation for producing high quality luxurious products is not limited to the watch industry but applies equally to investment gold. Switzerland is to gold what France is to wine, a statement supported by hard facts which show that most of the world’s gold is refined in this prosperous alpine country. Information from the London Good Delivery List shows that six refineries hold 90% of the gold market and four of those, including Valcambi, are based in Switzerland. On average, Switzerland refines between 65-75% of the world’s annual supply of gold, making it the number one country in the world when it comes to refining gold and manufacturing bullion bars. The reason why Switzerland commands this position is because of the country’s high level of security, efficient logistics, a strong financial system that accommodates some of the world’s leading international banks, and, most importantly, stringent laws that set high standards regarding the quality and purity of finished bullion products. For example, every Valcambi gold bar contains an assayer’s stamp, seen on the obverse as “ESSAYEUR FONDEUR”, which guarantees the purity of the bar. To be able to put this marking on its bars, Valcambi needs to comply with strict Swiss federal laws (Precious Metals Control Act) and employ an affirmed assayer who has acquired the needed federal assayer’s licences. Affirmed assayers must keep proper account of the determination of fineness that they perform and at any given time must make their books available to the authorities for inspection. In other words, every Valcambi gold bar has its purity accredited by government and industry bodies, its quality complies with the highest industry standards and is perfected by the best Swiss engineers, resulting in a product with golden integrity that surpasses all standards of excellence. After all, it is Swiss made.

The process to  manufacture a  cast  gold bar starts  by heating  gold  material  in a furnace until it turns to a molten slurry. During the heating process, all unwanted impurities in the slurry  are removed  until  only  molten  gold  of  high  purity  is  left,  most  often  at around 99.99%. The refined gold is cooled and then either converted into gold granules or small gold bits. Either of these forms is weighed and adjusted according to the required weight of the desired cast gold bar and is then placed in an iron cast mold. The mold is put into a furnace which melts the small pieces of gold inside the iron cast mold. After the gold has melted, the molds are cooled and the gold solidifies inside. The result is a cast bar. These newly cast gold bars are then inspected and weighed. The bars that pass the test are cleaned and inserted into a hydraulic press that applies the needed marks on the top side of the cast gold bar.  

Investors  need  to  take  into  consideration  that  unlike  minted  bars  which  are  created  from uniform gold panels and have even surfaces, the surface of a cast bar is sometimes rough and uneven. This makes them a perfect choice for those who like to handle and “feel” their gold bars since the re-sale value is not affected by mild scratches or dents. 

Valcambi is a Swiss-based precious metals refiner that was established in 1961 and is world renowned  as  one  of  the  largest  producers and suppliers  of  cast  and  minted  bullion  bars. Valcambi’s bullion bars are hailed throughout the world for their outstanding quality and are a hallmark of Swiss craftsmanship, making them sought after by precious  metal connoisseurs. The company manufactures its products in Balerna, Switzerland, where it operates one of the world’s largest precious metal facilities capable of refining an impressive 2,000 metric tonnes of precious metals per year. To put this number into perspective, the annual gold mine supply in 2013 reached 3,000 tonnes. The total value annually processed in this plant is impressive to say  the  least,  and  the  fact  that  Newmont  Mining,  one  of  the  world’s  biggest gold  mining companies, holds a majority stake in the company is an indication of Valcambi’s importance as  one  of  the  world’s  topmost precious  metal  foundries.  Accredited  by  all  major  precious metal  exchanges,  Switzerland’s  central  bank  and  the  LBMA  (London Bullion  Market Association), Valcambi’s gold and silver bullion bars are recognised worldwide, with clients ranging  from  retail  investors  to some  of  the  largest  international  financial  institutions, governments and central banks.

Valcambi a member of the London Bullion Market Association 

The  LBMA,  or  London  Bullion  Market  Association,  was  established  as  an  independent oversight body by Britain’s Central Bank in 1987. The roots of the LBMA can be traced back several centuries to the 1700s when London started to emerge as the world’s leading trading hub for precious  metals. Referred to as the “London Gold Market”, it was self-regulated by the London’s foremost bullion traders and fabricators who oversaw the market by accrediting precious  metal refiners to the  London Good  Delivery  List. Only those refiners that  met the quality and  purity  criteria  set  down  by  the  “LGD”  list  were  allowed  to  enter  the  London bullion market. Today, more than 135 companies, which include some of the largest precious metal  refiners,  storage  providers,  manufacturers  and  bullion  traders,  are  members  of the London  Bullion  Market  Association.  They  all  form  part  of  the  LBMA,  the  world’s  most respected and trusted international authority that monitors the production and refining process of gold and silver bullion. LBMA’s primary role is to manage the Good Delivery List which is today the international standard for the quality and assaying of gold and silver bars.