What Happens to the Gold You Send to Aurora?

When you send your gold to Aurora, it goes through a detailed process of melting and X-raying to determine its purity and value.

First, all gold items—whether mixed lots, chains, or ornaments—are melted to form a homogenous liquid. This melting step is crucial as it ensures a more accurate assessment of the gold’s purity by eliminating variances caused by mixed alloys or non-gold elements like enamel or stones. During this process, both pre-melt and post-melt weights are recorded. You’ll often notice that the post-melt weight is slightly lower than the pre-melt weight, which accounts for the loss of impurities, enamels, or non-gold components that burn off during melting.

Once melted, I pour the gold into a bar and let it cool. Next, I determine the purity of the melted gold using XRF technology.

X-Ray Assay

After melting, I assay the gold using X-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. XRF helps pinpoint the exact gold content and purity level by analyzing the elemental composition of the melted gold. The assay percentage shows how much of the melted substance is pure gold. For example, an 18kt chain or pendant might assay at 73.5% purity, a 14kt piece might melt to 57.3%, or a 10kt chain could show 38.5%. These variations occur because of differences in manufacturing standards and processes, which affect the gold content and purity of the final product.

Once It’s Melted, Poured, and the X-Ray Determines Purity, What’s Next?

Spot Lock and Payment

I lock the spot price of gold at the time of shipment, or you can choose to float until delivery or melt time—your choice, and it’s communicated with each lot. Payments are calculated based on the assay result and the pay rate (e.g., 96% or 97.5% of the assay value), which reflects the net payout. The only deduction comes if you opt to use our shipping label.

Handling and Customer Service

At AuroraGoldShop, I offer flexibility in the shipping process, allowing you to either use your own shipping label or one that I provide, based on your preference. This approach makes the process more convenient and secure for you. Once the assay is complete, I process payments promptly, typically within a day or two after receiving and assaying your gold.