A safe bet – Umicore gold bars with a certificate of authenticity
Just in time for the International Precious Metals and Commodities Fair in Munich, the materials technology and recycling group Umicore is launching a particularly high-quality product—gold bars with a certificate of authenticity. With these exclusive gold bars, presented in visually appealing packaging, Umicore is meeting customers’ growing demands for security and an attractive appearance. For more than 170 years, the company has been producing and selling not only gold but also many other valuable precious metals. These are recovered from sources such as electronic waste at the group’s own recycling facility in Hoboken, Belgium, and returned to the cycle in an environmentally friendly manner.
Umicore gold bars have always stood for a secure investment combined with tradition and a commitment to the future. Umicore gold bars, available in sizes ranging from 1g to 100g, now come in attractive packaging that includes a certificate of authenticity and security features. This certificate makes it even easier for buyers and investors to verify that the gold is genuine Umicore gold. Additional security is provided not only by the sturdy, transparent packaging, which protects the bar from external influences, but also by a hologram as a visual security feature to ensure protection against counterfeiting. Dr. Bernhard Fuchs, Member of the Executive Board of Umicore AG & Co. KG and Head of Precious Metals Trading, explains the reason for the new product: “We decided to combine two distinct customer requests—namely, for greater security and a high-quality appearance—and created packaging for our embossed gold bars that serves as both a certificate of authenticity and a visually appealing design, making the bar the perfect gift.”
Of course, Umicore’s precious metal bars also meet the highest quality and sustainability standards and have therefore been awarded the most important industry-specific certifications, such as “LBMA Good Delivery Status” and the “Responsible Jewellery Council” certificate. The gold bars, ranging in size from 1g to 100g, will be available in the new packaging with a certificate of authenticity starting in early 2017.
Gold from Sustainable Cycles
In light of dwindling resources and the need for responsible use of raw materials, more and more investors are seeking to purchase gold from sustainable sources. Umicore distinguishes itself from its competitors through its expertise in materials science, chemistry, and metallurgy. The company is a technology leader in the production of products containing precious metals—such as automotive catalytic converters—that promote a more sustainable approach to the environment. Through its closed-loop business model, the company recovers valuable precious metals at the end of their lifecycle. At the company’s own recycling facility—the world’s largest for precious metal-containing waste—up to 18 valuable precious, base, and specialty metals can be recycled from cell phones and laptops, or from used automotive catalytic converters and many other material streams, and used to produce precious metal bars.
In primary extraction, over 200 tons of natural ore are required to produce a 1-kg gold bar. In comparison, Umicore’s recycling process allows a bar of this size to be produced from just four tons of used cell phones. The quality of the precious metal is exactly the same in both extraction processes. Aside from the required input quantity, the recycling process is also more environmentally sound and highly efficient from an energy perspective: for example, the gold yield from cell phones or printed circuit boards using Umicore’s recycling process is well over 95 percent.
Interested parties can visit Umicore Precious Metals Management at the Precious Metals Fair in Munich from November 3 to 4, 2016, at Booth 29.
Information on Umicore precious metal bars: Umicore’s precious metal bars can be purchased from banks, savings banks, and selected trading partners. Further information on the new Umicore gold bars and on precious metal extraction at Umicore can be found at www.gutesgold.de.
Caption:
Umicore recovers gold and silver bars from electronic waste. The company recycles up to 18 precious and specialty metals using an environmentally friendly process.
Royalty-free photo material for journalists:
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