two decades. And while it is renowned as a return enhancer for portfolio diversification, a tool for the preservation of wealth and a real tangible asset free from counterparty risk, gold is often overlooked when considering setting up a savings scheme or looking further ahead to succession planning.
M
Making It Easy There has always been a certain amount of mystique around gold, and this is particularly true when it comes to buying and selling it. However, London based precious metal brokers Sharps Pixley have made it their mission to demystify the gold market.
In its original form, the company was founded in 1778, when two London bullion businesses merged. In 2013, Sharps Pixley was acquired by the Degussa Group, and in 2016 it opened its Mayfair showroom, offering investors the opportunity not just to buy and sell gold but also to store it in their high value vault or a safety deposit box on the same premises.
“A safe-haven asset is only as safe as the place where it’s stored,” says Sharps Pixley’s sales director Giles Maber. “But what makes our precious metal vaulting truly unique, is access - we allow and actively encourage our clients to inspect their own metal holding. There is an old adage, whoever holds the gold makes the rules, and for any client choosing physical gold, you are opting to buy something real, tangible, a physical asset that you could and should be able to hold in your hand, essentially meaning you can audit your metal holding yourself. Our storage vaults are certified grade ten, underwritten by Lloyds of London, and insurance arranged by Howden.” This is what makes Sharps Pixley the preferred precious metal partner for high-net worth private clients and family offices from all over the world.
any investors forget that gold has been the best performing mainstream asset class over the last
GOOD AS GOLD Sharps Pixley safety deposit boxes, St James’s showroom
On offer at the showroom is a full range of investment grade gold bars and coins, as well as silver, platinum and palladium. In total, more than 200 different products are available, and the company’s experienced team can help buyers select the right one for their budget.
When it comes to selling gold, Sharps Pixley believes it offers some of the highest buyback prices in the world. And it’s fast, turning gold into a highly liquid asset.
“As a wholly owned subsidiary of Degussa, Europe’s leading independent precious metals group, our clients benefit from institutional scale, service and support delivered in a uniquely personal way. Our greatest unique selling point over our competitors is our speed of liquidation,” says Maber. If we have a client looking to liquidate between £1m to £10m, we can usually facilitate that the same day, certainly within 24 hours. When it comes to smaller amounts of up to £1m it’s less than an hour.”
A Higher Standard
Alongside bullion coins struck by world- renowned mints such as The Royal Mint and The Royal Canadian Mint, Sharps Pixley also offer clients the highest purity 999.9 gold bars refined in Switzerland by Valcambi and Argor Heraeus, two of the
most reputable and established refineries in the world.
Both companies are accredited by the LBMA as ‘good delivery’ refineries, which means they are governed by the strictest industry standards. Furthermore, both have aligned their approach to sustainability with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by UN member states to eliminate poverty, reduce inequality and protect the planet.
Valcambi has been at the forefront of promoting responsibly sourced gold for many years, establishing standards that go beyond even those developed by the OECD Due Diligence Guidance and the LBMA’s Responsible Gold Guidance. In a digital age of advanced transparency, the company is aware that everyone – customers, suppliers, regulators, investors, NGOs and end- consumers – want to know where their gold has come from and how the manufacturing process impacts the planet and local communities.
The World Gold Council believes that when responsibly undertaken, gold mining and its associated activities can have a transformative effect on socio-economic development in countries where gold is found. And when produced in combination with high social, environmental and safety standards, gold can provide employment opportunities, improved infrastructure and tax revenues.
Valcambi works with artisanal and small-scale gold miners to help them improve their practices, and thereby their livelihoods, and this also includes supporting them in adopting responsible environmental practices. Overall, Valcambi has achieved significant reduction in water consumption and energy consumption in its operations.
For its part, Argor Heraeus has defined its approach to sustainability according to five commitments, which include protecting the environment, contributing to local development and working towards a responsible and transparent supply chain.
Beyond 20/20 Promotional Feature Page 37
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