Heraeus

Heraeus (full name: Heraeus Holding GmbH, historically W.C. Heraeus) was founded in 1851 by Wilhelm Carl Heraeus in Hanau and is today one of the most important precious metals companies in the world. The family-owned business operates in the areas of refining, smelting, bar production and precious metals trading, supplying institutional buyers, central banks and retail customers. You can view the current gold price and silver price in real time at any time.

History and corporate structure

The foundation was laid with a small platinum smelting works. Within a few decades, Heraeus extended its activities to gold, silver and the platinum group metals. Today the company is divided into four business divisions:

For investors and collectors, Heraeus Metals is the most relevant division — the area that produces bars, granules and semi-finished products.

LBMA Good Delivery – the most important quality mark

Heraeus has been listed on the LBMA Good Delivery List for gold and silver for decades. This certificate from the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) is the global quality standard in wholesale trade: only accredited refineries may deliver bars that are accepted by central banks and clearing banks in the London market.

Requirements for LBMA accreditation:

1. Demonstrated production capacity and technical equipment
2. Fineness ≥ 995.0 ‰ (gold) or ≥ 999.0 ‰ (silver) for Good Delivery bars
3. Regular sampling and assay testing by accredited testing laboratories
4. Compliance with the LBMA Responsible Sourcing Guidelines

Heraeus bars in the retail market

In the retail market, Heraeus bars are available in numerous denominations — from 1 gram to the 1-kilogram bar. Most bars are offered as assay card bars in blisters (with a sealed certificate of authenticity) or as classic cast bars without a blister.

Typical fineness values:

• Gold: 999.9 ‰ (also referred to as "four nines" or 24 karat)
• Silver: 999.0 ‰ (fine silver)
• Platinum: 999.5 ‰

The melt value calculator helps to determine the pure material value of a Heraeus bar based on the current spot price. The gold calculator can be used to calculate the exact value of a specific number of grams.

Argor-Heraeus – the Swiss subsidiary

An important subsidiary is Argor-Heraeus, headquartered in Mendrisio (Switzerland), which was founded in 1951 and later acquired by Heraeus as the majority shareholder. Argor-Heraeus is also LBMA-accredited and is known for producing CombiBar divisible bars as well as high-quality coin blanks for government mints. Both brands — Heraeus and Argor-Heraeus — are regarded as equivalent in the trade and are accepted by dealers and banks without discount.

Authenticity verification and serial numbers

Heraeus bars from 1 gram upwards generally carry a stamped or printed serial number, which enables individual identification. Blister packaging additionally contains an assay certificate. The following methods are recommended for verifying a bar:

• Weight and dimensional check (target values as per product data sheet)
• Density determination using the Archimedean principle
• X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) at a specialist dealer
• Ultrasound testing for tungsten inclusions in large bars

The authenticity checker on this site assists with the verification of coins; the same fundamental physical principles apply to bars.

In brief

Heraeus stands for over 170 years of experience in precious metal processing and, with its LBMA accreditation, is one of the most trusted names for gold and silver bars. Bars from Heraeus or its Swiss subsidiary Argor-Heraeus are traded worldwide without any liquidity discount and are therefore particularly suitable as a core holding in a physical precious metals portfolio.