Sell Gold Doré — Assay-Based Purchase in Hong Kong

Gold doré is a transitional material produced at mines, small aggregators, and recycled-metal facilities before final refining. Its composition varies by region, extraction method, and melting technique, making each batch unique. Doré from West Africa, East Africa, Central Asia and South America often contains visible inconsistencies in structure, silver ratio, slag, and base-metal residues. These variations directly influence purity and require controlled re-melting to achieve an accurate profile for fire-assay sampling.

Fire assay remains the global reference method for establishing true gold content. Handheld XRF scanners are useful for preliminary readings, but they cannot penetrate internal layers of doré or account for non-uniform distribution of gold and silver. In practice, discrepancies of 3–10% between XRF and fire-assay are common, especially in bars produced without industrial homogenization. This difference explains why professional buyers in Hong Kong, Dubai and Turkey insist on melting and sampling witnessed by the seller.

International doré transactions follow different regional standards. In African markets, purity is often estimated rather than verified, and settlement structures depend on local refinery capacity. Turkish refineries offer competitive processing but typically require multi-day holds for laboratory queues. Hong Kong provides one of the most efficient operational models globally, combining supervised melting at accredited refineries, independent fire-assay verification, and next-day settlement under a 0% tax environment. This makes it an attractive hub for sellers seeking predictable turnaround times and internationally recognised reporting.

A well-prepared doré bar should be solid, fully melted, free of cavities, and without excessive slag on the surface. Sellers who mix old jewelry scrap, grain, and partially melted residues into a single batch often see unpredictable assay outcomes and reduced net gold content. To achieve reliable results, suppliers are advised to maintain consistent melting practices, document the batch, and avoid mixing material of different origins.

For parties transporting doré internationally, maintaining an unbroken chain of custody is essential. Proper sealing, batch labelling, photographic evidence, and declared weights help reduce the likelihood of disputes. Once the material arrives in Hong Kong, final valuation depends entirely on the official fire-assay certificate. Settlement is executed based on verified purity, with terms discussed individually depending on batch size, logistics, and recovery characteristics.

These operational and technical nuances make doré trading different from standard bullion transactions. Sellers who understand the factors influencing purity, recovery and assay consistency achieve more predictable outcomes and benefit from faster, cleaner settlement in established hubs such as Hong Kong.