For a brand of gold bars to be considered as a "best brand" depends on the preference and reputation that has been build up in any particular consumer market, region or customer base.
A gold refinery which has regularly produced and supplied a particular market with the type, design and weight of gold bars to satisfy local preference, will inevitably build up a brand reputation.
Some refineries produce gold bars with very basic no-frills generic designs whereas some refineries produce gold bars which have intricate motifs and packaging and elegant presentation. Artistic designs and packaging for gold bars can assist in reaching out to a cultural connection with the customer base.
Some gold refineries produce small gold bars as a core activity. Their products are always available in the markets and build up a customer base that relies on consistent supplies. Other refineries may produce small gold bars only as a small part of their overall activity.
The ability of the distribution chain to efficiently place the gold bars into the retail markets as and when needed and in the quantities required requires close co-ordination between producers and the distributors and logistical infrastructure. A gold refinery may maintain consistently available gold bar stocks depending how much market demand there is for its products. Some gold refineries may not wish to invest into maintaining inventories and only do production runs for specific orders by wholesale customers.
Evolving technologies and environmental issues means the gold refineries have to adapt to modern standards and implement them in their gold production processes. Those gold refineries who pro-actively embrace such standards enhance their corporate social responsibility (CSR) profile.
Some of the largest gold refineries in the world are listed on the Good Delivery list maintained by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA). The Good Delivery list is globally recognised as the benchmark standard for the quality of gold and silver bars which includes corporate social responsibility via the LBMA’s Responsible Gold Guidance. This framework, based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance is supplemented by the LBMA’s Pro-Active Monitoring Program.
Some gold refineries may be members of the LBMA by virtue of their involvement generally in the bullion markets but their gold production facilities may not be accredited by featuring on the LBMA’s Good Delivery list.
Such non-good delivery LBMA members are nevertheless required by the LBMA to comply with the Non-Investment Products (NIPs) Code, which has been drawn up by participants in the UK foreign exchange, money and bullion markets. They are further subject to the LBMA’s Responsible Gold Guidance, which is based on the OECD Due Diligence Guidance as well as Swiss and US KYC, Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorist Financing regulations.
Other gold refineries in UK, Europe, Asia and the Far East and USA which may not be London Good Delivery accredited or may not be members of the LBMA, produce very substantial amounts of gold bars of various dimensions, weights and purities. Such refineries are active suppliers of gold bars to private and industrial consumers globally.
These refineries may not be members of the LBMA or part of the London Good Delivery list. Nevertheless, their products command a huge share of the gold bar market and consumers have faith in them.
Auric Gold endeavours to maintain consistent stocks of gold bars according customer taste and demand and all of its gold bars are produced by refineries which are listed on the London Good Delivery list maintained by the LBMA.
Accordingly, the best brand of gold bar is what a customer is willing to accept and is entirely a customer’s judgement call.
Auric Gold is an independent dealer and provides unbiased information on investment gold bars and supplies gold bars at very competitive prices.