Heraeus

Heraeus (full name: Heraeus Holding GmbH, historically W.C. Heraeus) was founded in 1851 by Wilhelm Carl Heraeus in Hanau and today ranks among the most significant precious metals companies in the world. The family business operates in refining, assaying, bar manufacturing and precious metals trading, supplying institutional buyers, central banks and the retail sector. You can check the current gold price and silver price in real time at any moment.

History and corporate structure

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

For investors and collectors, Heraeus Metals is the most relevant division, producing 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 certification from the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) is regarded as the global quality standard in wholesale: only accredited refineries may deliver bars accepted by central banks and clearing banks of the London market.

Requirements for LBMA accreditation:

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

Heraeus bars in the private investor market

In retail, Heraeus bars are available in numerous denominations - from 1 gram up to the 1-kilogram bar. Most bars are offered as certified bars in a blister pack (with a sealed-in certificate of authenticity) or as a classic tablet bar without blister.

Typical finenesses:

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

The melt value calculator helps determine the pure material value of a Heraeus bar based on the current spot price. With the gold calculator you can calculate the exact value of a specific gram quantity.

Argor-Heraeus - the Swiss subsidiary

An important subsidiary is Argor-Heraeus, based in Mendrisio (Switzerland), which was founded in 1951 and later taken over by a majority stake held by Heraeus. Argor-Heraeus is also LBMA-accredited and known for producing CombiBar tablet bars as well as high-quality coin blanks for state mints. Both brands - Heraeus and Argor-Heraeus - are considered equivalent in the trade and are accepted by dealers and banks without a discount.

Authenticity checking and serial numbers

Heraeus bars from 1 gram upwards usually carry a stamped or printed serial number that allows individual identification. Blister packs additionally contain an assay certificate. To verify a bar, the following methods are recommended:

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

The authenticity checker on this site supports the verification of coins; for bars the same physical principles apply.

Key takeaway

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