Gold Refinery Buyers: How to Supply Refinery-Ready Gold from Africa

Refineries are among the most demanding gold buyers – and for good reason. They accept and settle on precise, verifiable terms, and they expect material that meets their requirements for form, purity and documentation. For anyone looking to supply gold refinery buyers, understanding what “refinery-ready gold” actually means is the difference between a smooth, repeatable relationship and a rejected consignment. This guide explains what refineries require, how acceptance and settlement work, and how a supplier prepares gold to meet the standard.

It is written from the perspective of a licensed exporter that supplies gold from the DRC and Uganda. For the wider transaction picture, see our pillar guide on how to buy gold in Africa safely.

What “refinery-ready gold” means

Refinery-ready gold is gold supplied in a form and with the documentation a refinery needs to accept, assay and settle it efficiently. It does not necessarily mean fully refined – many refineries buy dore (semi-pure bars) precisely so they can refine it themselves. What “ready” really means is: the right form for that refinery, an honest declared purity, a documented source, and the paperwork that lets the refinery process it without friction.

What gold refinery buyers require

Requirements vary by refinery, but most look for the same core elements:

• Acceptable form. Dore bars for refineries that refine in-house, or refined bars (22K, 23K, 24K) where finished metal is wanted.
• Declared, verifiable purity. A pre-shipment assay and an honest declaration – the refinery will confirm by its own assay on acceptance.
• Documented provenance. Certificate of origin and chain-of-custody evidence.
• Responsible sourcing. Due diligence aligned with OECD guidance, which refineries increasingly require.
• Consistent, reliable supply. Refineries value suppliers who can deliver to an agreed standard, repeatedly.

How refinery acceptance and settlement work

Understanding the refinery’s own process tells you what “ready” has to satisfy. On acceptance, a refinery typically:

• 1. Receives and weighs the consignment.
• 2. Samples and assays it – definitive testing (fire assay) confirms the true gold content.
• 3. Reconciles the assayed result against the declared purity.
• 4. Settles on the confirmed weight and purity.

This is why settlement on refinery assay protects both sides: the refinery pays for exactly the gold it confirms, and an honest supplier has nothing to fear from accurate testing. To understand the assay paperwork, see our guide on how to verify gold from an assay report, and our Refining service.

The documentation refineries expect

• Pre-export assay report (and serial-numbered bar list for cast bars).
• Certificate of origin and declaration of non-criminal origin.
• Export permit and commercial invoice.
• Insurance certificate and Air Waybill.
• Responsible-sourcing / due-diligence documentation.

This is the same documentation set covered in our gold export procedure guide – refineries simply hold suppliers to it strictly.

Responsible sourcing matters even more to refineries

Refineries sit at a sensitive point in the supply chain and are subject to their own audits and standards. As a result, they increasingly require suppliers to demonstrate responsible sourcing – documented chain of custody and due diligence aligned with OECD guidance. A supplier who can evidence this is far easier for a refinery to accept. See our guide on conflict-free sourcing and our Responsible Mining approach.

How a supplier prepares refinery-ready gold

Preparing refinery-ready gold means sourcing responsibly at origin, testing honestly before shipment, documenting the chain of custody, and matching the form (dore or refined) to the refinery’s preference. It also means shipping through compliant, insured channels – for gold from the DRC, typically the documented Uganda/Tanzania corridor – so the consignment arrives with a clean, verifiable history. Consistency across all of this is what turns a one-off sale into an ongoing refinery relationship; see our guide on setting up a monthly supply allocation.

A supplier’s checklist for refinery buyers

• 1. Confirm the refinery’s preferred form (dore or refined) and any spec requirements.
• 2. Provide an honest pre-shipment assay and declaration.
• 3. Supply full documentation – origin, export, insurance, AWB.
• 4. Evidence responsible sourcing and chain of custody.
• 5. Ship insured and tracked, and accept settlement on the refinery’s assay.
• 6. Deliver consistently to build a repeatable relationship.

How Congo Rare Minerals supplies refineries

Congo Rare Minerals (Reg. No. CD 893220) supplies gold suited to refinery buyers – dore and raw gold for in-house refining, and refined gold in 22K, 23K and 24K (most commonly 22K and 23K) – sourced responsibly at origin in the DRC and Uganda with a documented chain of custody and OECD-aligned due diligence. Every consignment carries a pre-export assay, certificate of origin and full export documentation, ships insured and tracked through the Uganda/Tanzania corridor, and settles on final refinery assay. You can review our operations on the About page and our Refining service.

Frequently asked questions

What is refinery-ready gold?

Refinery-ready gold is gold supplied in the form and with the documentation a refinery needs to accept, assay and settle it efficiently – which may be dore for in-house refining or refined bars, with an honest declared purity and documented provenance.

Do refineries buy dore bars?

Yes. Many refineries prefer to buy dore (semi-pure bars) so they can refine it themselves. Others want refined bars. Confirm the refinery’s preferred form before supplying.

How do refineries settle a gold purchase?

A refinery typically weighs, samples and assays the consignment on acceptance, reconciles it against the declared purity, and settles on the confirmed weight and purity – which protects both sides.

What documentation do refineries require?

A pre-export assay report and bar list, certificate of origin, export permit, commercial invoice, insurance certificate, Air Waybill, and responsible-sourcing documentation.

Why is responsible sourcing important to refineries?

Refineries are subject to their own audits and standards, so they increasingly require suppliers to evidence responsible sourcing and chain of custody aligned with OECD guidance before accepting gold.

Can Congo Rare Minerals supply refinery buyers?

Yes. We supply dore and refined gold (22K, 23K, 24K) with pre-export assay, certificate of origin, full export documentation and OECD-aligned due diligence, settling on final refinery assay.