Clear, practical explanations of how international gold transactions actually work — from doré sourcing and refinery assays to documentary letters of credit, CIF delivery and LBMA pricing. Written by Kaizen Gold, a specialist broker for doré and bullion gold transactions.
Knowledge Centre
Gold Trading Knowledge Centre
Gold Trading
What Is Gold Doré?
Semi-pure gold bars produced at the mine — how doré is made, valued, shipped and refined to 999.9 purity.
Gold TradingWhat Is a CIF Gold Transaction?
Cost, Insurance and Freight explained — who pays for what, where risk sits, and how CIF gold deals settle in Dubai.
RefiningHow Does a Gold Refinery Assay Work?
Melt, sample, fire assay — how refineries establish the exact gold content that determines what a seller is paid.
Trade FinanceWhat Is an MT700 DLC?
The SWIFT message that issues a documentary letter of credit — what it contains and how it secures payment in gold deals.
Trade FinanceDLC vs SBLC: What's the Difference?
Primary payment vs safety net — how documentary and standby letters of credit differ and when gold deals use each.
Trade FinanceWhat Is a Performance Bond in Gold Trading?
The seller-side guarantee — typically ~2% of contract value — that backs the obligation to deliver.
PricingWhat Is LBMA Pricing?
The twice-daily London benchmark that international gold contracts price against — how it's set and applied.
RefiningWhat Is Fine Gold Content?
Gross weight × fineness = the number every settlement is built on. Fineness, karats and payable gold explained.
Gold TradingHow International Gold Trading Works
From mine to vault — the participants, flows, pricing and settlement mechanics of the global gold trade.
Gold TradingCIF vs FOB in Gold Transactions
Who carries the metal, who carries the risk — why most doré deals are CIF and what FOB shifts to the buyer.
Gold TradingGold Export Procedures Explained
Licences, permits, customs and secure freight — the documentation chain that moves gold across borders legally.
Gold TradingWhat Is a Gold Off-Take Agreement?
Long-term supply locked in — how producers and buyers contract future gold production at benchmark-linked prices.
Trade FinanceHow Gold Transactions Are Financed
Letters of credit, guarantees, prepayments and metal loans — the financial machinery behind physical gold deals.
Trade FinanceTrade Finance Instruments in Gold Trading
DLCs, SBLCs, guarantees, bonds and the SWIFT messages behind them — the full instrument toolkit, in one place.
ComplianceGold AML Requirements Explained
Why gold is a high-risk sector for money laundering and what dealers must do: CDD, monitoring, reporting, records.
ComplianceKYC Procedures in Precious Metals
Who you're really dealing with — the identity, ownership and licensing checks that precede every legitimate gold deal.
ComplianceOECD Gold Supply Chain Guidance Explained
The five-step framework behind responsible gold — how the OECD guidance shapes refinery and LBMA sourcing rules.
ComplianceResponsible Gold Sourcing: How It Works
Origin you can prove — the practices and paperwork that make gold acceptable to refineries, banks and buyers.
ComplianceSanctions Compliance for Precious Metals
Listed parties, banned origins, blocked banks — the screening that must clear before any gold deal proceeds.
RefiningHow Gold Refineries Operate
Inside the refinery — receiving, assaying, Miller and Wohlwill refining, casting and settlement.
RefiningGold Refinery Due Diligence: A Practical Guide
Checking the refinery — and what the refinery checks about you — before metal changes hands.
RefiningThe Gold Refinery Settlement Process
From assay result to money in the bank — every step and deduction in a refinery settlement, worked through.
RefiningChain of Custody in Precious Metals
The unbroken paper trail from mine to refinery — seals, weights, signatures, and why gaps kill deals.
LogisticsHow Gold Is Transported Securely
Armoured trucks, valuables air freight, seals and insurance — the secure logistics behind every gold shipment.
ContractsGold Purchase Agreements: The Key Clauses
The contract is the deal — quantity, pricing, assay rights, instruments and sequencing, clause by clause.
PricingSpot, Futures and Physical Gold: How the Three Markets Connect
Three prices, one metal — how spot quotes, futures curves and physical premiums fit together.
MarketsThe Dubai Gold Market Explained
The City of Gold — why doré flows to Dubai and how the DMCC-anchored market actually functions.
RiskGold Trading Scams and Red Flags: A Field Guide
Below-market gold, leased SBLCs, stuck couriers — the recurring frauds and how legitimate deals differ.
MarketsWhat Is a Bullion Bank?
The institutions at the centre of the wholesale gold market — trading, clearing, vaulting, financing.
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