If you are buying, sourcing, or exporting gold in Ghana, the single number that matters — the fineness — has to be determined, not estimated, and certainly not taken on trust from an unsolicited offer. An assay is the laboratory procedure that establishes that number. This guide explains how gold is assayed in Ghana, the difference between the recognised methods, and why a documented assay certificate is the line between a legitimate parcel and a scam. Ghana Metals provides institutional assay and quality verification under documented chain-of-custody, since 1976.
What “Assay” Actually Means
An assay determines the fineness of gold — its purity — and expresses it as a figure. Two systems are used:
- Karat — parts out of 24 (24k, 22k, 18k).
- Millesimal fineness — parts per thousand (for example 995.0 or 999.9). The LBMA expresses fineness in parts per thousand to four significant figures.
A claim like “this is pure gold” is not an assay. An assay is a measured fineness figure, produced by a recognised method, recorded on a certificate that shows the method, the fineness, and the weight.
The Two Recognised Methods
Fire Assay (Cupellation) — The Definitive Standard
Fire assay, also called cupellation, is the destructive, definitive technique. The sample is fused and the gold is physically separated and weighed, so the fineness is determined directly rather than inferred. It is the reference method used for revenue-grade and export-grade determinations, accurate to roughly a hundredth of a percent. It consumes the sample, which is why it is run on a representative portion under documented chain-of-custody.
XRF — Fast, Non-Destructive Screening
X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is non-destructive and near-instant. It is excellent for screening a parcel, checking surface composition, and flagging anything that does not look right — but it is slightly less precise than fire assay and it reads the surface, which can be manipulated on a plated or salted piece. XRF screens; fire assay decides.
A disciplined assay uses both: XRF to screen quickly and fire assay to determine the definitive figure where it matters.
Who the Official Assayer Is
Get this exactly right, because it is the legitimacy anchor. Under the Ghana Gold Board Act, 2025 (Act 1140), the Ghana Gold Board (GoldBod) is the national assayer and the sole legal assayer and exporter of gold from the artisanal and small-scale (ASM) sector — the role previously held by PMMC, which Act 1140 repealed and absorbed. No doré leaves Ghana without the designated-lab seals, GRA Customs documentation, and full paperwork.
Ghana Metals works within this framework and coordinates the official GoldBod assay where it applies. We do not claim to be GoldBod, to be the licensed ASM exporter, to mine (a Minerals Commission matter under Act 703), or to be a refinery. We are the disciplined, documented assay-and-verification service that prepares a parcel correctly for that regime.
Why the Certificate Is the Whole Point
An assay you cannot see is not an assay. A legitimate determination is recorded in a transparent certificate showing the method, the fineness, and the weight — so an institutional buyer or refinery sees exactly how the figure was reached. If the fineness cannot be independently verified and certified, treat the parcel as unverified, not as a deal. Provenance you cannot trace and a figure you cannot certify are the opposite of a sound transaction.
A Note on Accreditation — Honestly
ISO/IEC 17025 is the relevant voluntary accreditation for testing and assay laboratories; it is not a regulator’s licence, and a firm should claim it only if it actually holds it. Separately, on refining: no Ghana refinery is on the LBMA Gold Good Delivery List — the only sub-Saharan African Good-Delivery gold refiner is Rand Refinery in South Africa. Any page claiming “LBMA-accredited Ghana gold” is making a claim no Ghana refinery can truthfully make. We do not make it.
How Pricing Follows the Assay
Once fineness and weight are determined, valuation follows — against the prevailing international spot price (LBMA / COMEX) for that assayed fineness and weight, adjusted only for purity, assay, logistics, and applicable duties. There is no separate “Ghana gold price,” and a legitimate firm never values or offers gold below spot. An offer “below spot,” a “discount,” or a “cheap” parcel is the 419-scam signature, not a deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is gold assayed in Ghana?
By determining fineness with recognised methods — fire assay (cupellation) for the definitive figure, XRF for fast non-destructive screening — and recording the result in a transparent certificate of method, fineness, and weight. GoldBod is the national assayer under Act 1140; a legitimate firm works within that framework and coordinates the official assay where it applies.
Is fire assay or XRF more accurate?
Fire assay is the definitive standard, accurate to roughly a hundredth of a percent, because it physically separates and weighs the gold. XRF is fast and non-destructive but reads the surface and is slightly less precise. Disciplined practice uses XRF to screen and fire assay to decide.
Can I trust an assay figure without the certificate?
No. A fineness figure with no transparent certificate showing method, fineness, and weight is unverified. If it cannot be independently certified, treat the parcel as unverified rather than as a deal — that standard is exactly what separates a legitimate operation from a scam.
Related Services
- Gold Assay & Fineness Verification — determined, not estimated
- Responsible Gold Sourcing — OECD due diligence at origin
- Gold Export Compliance — documentation within the GoldBod regime
- Verifying a Legitimate Gold Supplier — the anti-scam checklist
- Chain-of-Custody Assurance — sealed, tracked, traceable
Arrange an assay, or request a quote against spot: +233 27 000 0844. Institutional clients only.