International Gold Sales · Step by Step
How to Sell Gold Internationally
A complete guide for African miners, exporters, and dore producers seeking international buyers. Documentation, assay, escrow, settlement, and compliance — explained plainly.
Step 1: Establish Legal Title and Export Authorisation
Before approaching any buyer, ensure you have documented legal title to the gold and valid export authorisation from your country’s minerals authority. Most African countries require an export permit specifying the quantity, purity, destination, and buyer. Without this, no legitimate international buyer will proceed.
Key documents typically include: mining licence or artisanal mining permit, export permit from the minerals or mines ministry, country of origin certificate, and for conflict-region material, responsible sourcing certification (ICGLR, iTSCi, or equivalent).
Step 2: Obtain a Preliminary Assay
An independent assay certificate from an accredited laboratory establishes the gold content of your material. This does not need to be a final settlement assay — a preliminary analysis is sufficient to give buyers confidence in the product quality. Buyers use this to make an indicative offer before committing funds to escrow.
Step 3: Find a Verified Buyer
This is the hardest step for most sellers. The international gold market is filled with fraudulent "buyers" who collect fees, steal documentation, or worse. The safest approach is to work through a facilitation service like Tranche that has verified the buyer’s credentials, financial capacity, and intent before any introduction.
Tranche’s current buyer mandate is active for 10 kg of African-provenance gold at USD 5,000 below the LBMA PM fix on the assay date. If you have a matching lot, contact us on WhatsApp.
Step 4: Agree Commercial Terms and Escrow Structure
Once a buyer is identified, both parties agree the key commercial terms: price formula, quantity, quality specification, delivery logistics, escrow provider, and timeline. These are typically documented in a Letter of Intent (LOI) or Purchase Contract before funds move.
Step 5: Independent Assay at Destination
The gold is tested at an accredited laboratory agreed by both parties — typically at or near the destination. This is the binding assay that determines the final price. The laboratory issues a certificate specifying purity, weight, and gold content. Both buyer and seller receive copies.
Step 6: Escrow Releases Funds
On assay confirmation, the escrow provider releases funds to the seller via international wire transfer (SWIFT). Settlement typically takes 3–5 business days. Title to the gold transfers to the buyer. The transaction is complete.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Paying upfront fees. No legitimate buyer requires the seller to pay fees before the transaction completes. Any upfront fee request is a fraud signal.
Insufficient documentation. Incomplete export documentation is the most common cause of failed transactions. Prepare everything before approaching a buyer.
Unrealistic price expectations. If a buyer offers above-spot prices for physical gold with no strings attached, it is a scam. Real buyers purchase below spot for non-standard material.
Current Offer
- Quantity: 10 kilograms, export-ready
- Origin: African provenance, fully documented
- Price: USD 5,000 below international spot per kg on assay date
- Verification: Independent laboratory assay certificate included
- Logistics: Seller representatives available to travel for completion
- Settlement: Refinery/lab verification + bank-to-bank wire or escrow preferred
Serious enquiries only.
Discuss Your Gold SaleFrequently Asked Questions
- How do I find a legitimate international gold buyer?
- The safest route is through a regulated facilitation service that has verified buyer credentials. Direct cold outreach to buyers is high-risk; fraudulent buyer operations are common in international gold trade. Tranche screens buyers before any introduction.
- What is the difference between spot price and the price I receive?
- The LBMA spot price is the benchmark for refined investment-grade gold. Physical gold sells at a premium or discount to spot depending on form (bar, coin, dore), origin, and logistics. Our current mandate is priced at USD 5,000 below spot per kg on the assay date — this is a competitive rate for African-provenance gold.
- How long does an international gold transaction take?
- From initial contact to payment, a well-prepared transaction takes 2–4 weeks. This covers: documentation review (3–5 days), escrow establishment (2–3 days), logistics and shipping (3–7 days), assay (1–2 days), and settlement (3–5 days). Delays are usually caused by incomplete documentation.
- Do I need to pay fees upfront to find a buyer?
- No legitimate facilitator charges upfront fees to sellers. Any service asking for money before a buyer is produced is a red flag. Tranche does not charge sellers upfront. Our facilitation fee is agreed as part of the transaction structure and is disclosed transparently.
- What if the assay result is different from my preliminary assay?
- The independent assay at completion is the binding measure. If purity or weight differs from the preliminary, the price adjusts accordingly under the agreed formula. Both parties agree to this mechanism before the transaction proceeds.