Swiss Argor Heraeus shows gold refining process

Swiss gold refinery Argor Heraeus opened the doors of its site in Mendrisio, in Switzerland's Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, showing the refining process that results in shiny bars for investors and parts for jewellers.

"It takes about 10-15 steps and one week to transform the gold from its arrival to the finished standard gold bar," Chief Executive Robin Kolvenbach said, showing an employee in protective gear casting molten gold -- more than 1,000 degrees Celsis hot -- into rectangular moulds.

Argor Heraeus, which is part of Germany's Heraeus Group, has an annual refining capacity of up to 1,300 tonnes of gold and 1,100 tonnes of silver. Its customers include banks and luxury watch and jewellery makers.