Monday 01/04 we are closed due to Easter Monday. Happy Easter to you!

BUYING PRECIOUS METALS


Argentor sells the principal metals necessary for the production of jewellery; gold in grains and/or plate, silver in grains, platinum & palladium in plate.

Furthermore, we offer a wide range of gold and silver bullion. You can choose from a variety of bars, going from 2,5 grams to 1 kilogram, modern and historical coins.


Whether you buy gold as a safety net to secure your assets in the future or as an investment to benefit from fluctuations, there are many reasons why to invest in physical gold.

Gold has an intrinsic value.
Contrary to paper or virtual money, which is no more than bits and bytes, gold has an intrinsic value. That value results from the physical traits of gold: gold is rare, sustainable, difficult to mine and globally regarded as valuable.

Gold is currency.
Gold has been used as an exchange product and payment method for more than 5.000 years.

Currency has to comply to several criteria, such as:

+ General acceptance as currency; gold can be exchanged world wide while not all paper currencies are.
+ Divisibility; should a gold bar be divided in two, the total value of the two separate pieces will remain the same as the total value of the gold bar in its entirety.
+ Compactness; gold is easily transportable and has a high value per weight unit.
+ Rarity: gold is relatively rare and hard to obtain. Paper currencies do not have this trait since -in theory - they can be endlessly reproduced.
+ Durability; 99% of all the gold that has ever been mined, is still available.

Gold is a protection against loss of assets.
In times of economical uncertainties, high inflations and currency devaluations, gold often rises to the surface as a 'safe haven'. Financial products such as shares, currencies, government bonds, government loans, saving accounts and depositories all bare the same risk that the value can be reduced to 0. Physical gold, on the other hand, does not bare a counterparty risk.

Companies and banks can go bankrupt, governments can unilaterally change their contractual commitments by no longer paying off obligations and/or by creating inflation/deflation of a currency. Physical gold is something you hold in your own hands and will always represent a value.

Gold production is declining while demand is rising.
During the 70's South-Africa was the largest producer of gold world wide with an official production of 2.000 tons per year. The Brazilian gold production spiked in 1982, the Canadian gold production did so in 1991, followed by the Australian production in 1996 and, finally, the American gold production peaked in 1997. Ever since then, there have been no more significant gold findings in these countries. Also, all 'easy to mine' gold has already been found which makes that mining for new gold becomes more and more difficult every year.

Gold is a safety net in times of inflation.
Inflation is an invisible tax purposely created by the monetary policies of central banks and governments. Contrary to what politicians and centrals banks want you to believe - that they're the guardians of your buying power - they are the primary cause of inflation;

Inflation is beneficial for everybody making debts, but not for those wanting to build equity capital. Over the last 30 years the buying power of the euro and American dollar have decreased with more than 50%. If the central banks would really want to protect us against inflation, they sure as hell did a bad job over the last 100 years.

In that same period, gold did manage to maintain its buying power. Even though you can point out periods in which it made more sense to invest in other financial instruments, when you look at the financial market long term, there has been no other investment tool that maintained its buying power as good as gold.


Investing in silver offers you the opportunity to invest in precious metals at a lower rate. This not only makes it possible to buy larger amounts in one go, but also to invest smaller sums of money. Argentor sells silver bars as well as silver coins in several weights and volumes.

Silver bars serve perfectly as a purchase of physical silver but do take into account that buying silver bars is not preferable for private customers. 21% VAT will always be charged because silver is seen as an industrial good, in stead of an investment product. That is why silver bars are not interesting for private customers; they will never be able to reclaim the VAT they initially payed.

Silver coins are a more interesting alternative for private investors, because they are sold under the VAT margin scheme.


Argentor only trades with acknowledged and accredited refineries and mints. We only sell gold and silver bars from refineries certified by the LBMA1.

As for the modern bullion coins we offer, we only trade with internationally accredited traders who buy directly from the official mints. Furthermore, we possess sufficient knowledge and equipment to verify modern and historical coins we buy from traders as well as the ones we buy in our office over the counter. That way you are 100% sure you get value for money.

1: See also, 'What does 'good delivery' mean?'


Argentor only trades with acknowledged and accredited refineries and mints. We only sell gold and silver bars from refineries certified by the LBMA (London Bullion Market Association).


'Good delivery' gold and silver bars are bars that come from a refinery from the LBMA 'good delivery' list.

In a nutshell, it implies that the refinery:
+ Has a net worth of £15.000.000,
+ processes more than 10 tons of gold per year,
+ processes more than 30 tons of silver per year.


The gold bars we offer on our webshop generally come with a certificate1. Depending on the brand and size of the bar, the certificate is either in paper, or the packing serves as a certificate. Whether or not there the gold bar comes with a certificate will be mentioned on the product pages.

Silver bars generally come without a certificate.

1: In theory you don’t need a certificate to trade your gold bar. The absence of a certificate has no influence on the value of your gold or silver bar! Nevertheless, it is advised to keep the gold bar within its original packing to prevent it from being damaged.


Contrary to bars, coins never come with a certificate.


Besides choosing between gold and/or silver1, you will also have to make a choice between coins and/or bars. In doing so the determination of your budget and taking the spread into account will play a vital part. The spread is the difference between our selling and buying premium. At Argentor we communicate this difference in percentages.

Generally speaking, the smaller the product, the higher the selling premium will be percentage-wise. Then again, smaller bars and coins offer you more flexibility when selling them. Large bars and coins cannot be split up after all.

1: See also, 'Why buy gold?' and 'Why buy silver?'


Since February 20th 2012 gold sellers and buyers are obliged to identify and register their clients and suppliers. This procedure of identification and registry aids in tracing and identifying thieves and fences.

Wet houdende diverse bepalingen - Identificatie- en registratieverplichting bij de aankoop van oude metalen en edele metalen
Belgisch Staatsblad 10.02.2012 | 24 januari 2012 - Koninklijk besluit houdende identificatie- en registratiemodaliteiten bij de aankoop van edele metalen


No. Argentor does not have duty of notification. We are, however, obliged to keep our full bookkeeping records during the mandatory period of 7 years for the event of an investigation.


Citizens of Belgium do not have to declare their investments in precious metals on their tax declaration. Only when they keep precious metals on a foreign investment account, they will have to declare this in Belgium on their personal tax declaration.

Citizens of the Netherlands have to declare the value of their investments annually in 'box 3: sparen en beleggen'.

PLACING AN ORDER & PAYMENT


+ You can place an order on our webshop 24/7. Our webshop is ALWAYS open! Our prices are adapted every minute to the actual rates, even outside of our opening hours, during weekends and on holidays. You can find the fully written out online ordering procedure above.

+ You can place an order by telephone (only for returning B2B customers). In case you have a valid VAT number and are already registered at Argentor as a client, you can place an order by telephone during our opening hours.

+ You can place an order in our office. During opening hours you are always welcome in our office to buy directly at one of our counters or to place an order.


+ When placing an online order on our webshop you will first have to make a down payment of 3%, with a maximum of €500. The down payment will be carried out online by debit card (Maestro) through Bancontact or iDeal. We do not accept credit cards! The remaining balance of your online order can solely be paid by bank transfer.

+ When placing an order at one of the counters in our office, you will need to make a down payment as well. In our office you can choose to pay in cash (maximum €3.000)1 or by card. Paying by card is only possible with debit cards (Maestro). We do not accept credit cards! The remaining balance of your order can solely be paid by bank transfer.

+ When buying directly at one of the counters in our office, you can also choose to pay in cash (maximum €3.000)1 or by card. Paying by card is only possible with debit cards (Maestro). We do not accept credit cards! Take into account that the payment limit on your card has to be sufficiently raised in order to pay certain amounts.

+ Professional clients ALWAYS have to pay by bank transfer or by debit card! Ever since the adaptation of the Belgian law regarding cash payments (18 September 2017), we can no longer accept cash payments from professionals. All purchases and orders, no matter the total value, have to be paid by bank transfer or debit card (only Maestro), or have to be settled by an exchange of material.


1: The payment in cash cannot exceed €3.000, regardless of the total value of the transaction. Everything above €3.000 has to be paid by bank transfer or by debit card (only Maestro). For example: when buying 3 Krugerrand coins valued at €3.390, you can pay €3.000 in cash. The remaining €390 will have to be paid by either bank transfer or by debit card.


The price of your order is hedged once you place the order. That price remains hedged during 3 working days. That implies that you don't have to pay anything extra in case of a price increase. In order to reduce the price risk to an absolute minimum, the rate at which you place the order and the amount of precious metals you buy, are immediately hedged by us on the exchange market. That way you can rest assured of your price and so do we!

Argentor asks for a down payment to protect ourselves against numerous clients who fail to fulfil their purchase obligation.


We hedge the price of your order for 3 working days. Please take into account that a bank transfer within Belgium can take 1 to 2 workings days, international transfers can even take longer. In order to respect our deadlines, it is therefore best to carry out the transfer right away.

In case you exceed our 3 day time limit, Argentor reserves the right to revise the price of your order. At the time of payment of the balance, you will only receive the quantity of goods purchased at the price corresponding to the day rate of the payment of the balance, to the extent that this day rate is lower than the day rate at which the order was initially placed.

Under no circumstances will we reimburse the down payment you made upon placing the order. The down payment will be used to cover administration fees. Furthermore, Argentor reserves the right to refuse any future orders.


Cancelling an order is not possible! When placing an order, you make a commitment to buy. Every order is irrevocable and binding, no matter what reason.

Under no circumstances will we reimburse the down payment you made upon placing the order. The down payment will be used to cover administration fees. Furthermore, Argentor reserves the right to refuse any future orders.


No, you cannot. The price is hedged once you confirm your order on our webshop or in our office. That price is subsequently hedged by Argentor on the international exchange market. The other way around that means that your price is also fixed should the rates go up.


No, you cannot. Even though, in most cases you can, as a consumer, appeal to your right to revocation, that right does not apply when the nature of the goods and/or services is speculative, and when the agreement comprises a financial service. Argentor is, therefore, not obliged to reimburse the original price you paid when you wish to return the goods you purchased.


No. Argentor does not apply a minimum order amount. We do charge an administration fee of €5 (VAT excl.) when the online order is less than €1.000, and an administration fee of €10 (VAT excl.) when the purchase in our office is less than €100.


You do not have to make an appointment to buy at one of the counters in our office or to place an order there. During opening hours, you are always welcome in our office; from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Our closing days and annual holidays can be found on the contact page.


Yes, you can. You are always welcome in our office for more information and/or advice about our products. In our office you will be able to see the products before buying them.


Sometimes it takes a couple of minutes before your online order is processed and registered, so no need to worry.

The first thing you should always check is your junk mail! Automatically generated messages (like the confirmation of Argentorshop) are sometimes held back by certain mail providers. Secondly, please check whether the down payment has been carried out correctly. Only when the down payment has been paid successfully, your order will be registered. In case you did not pay the down payment correctly, your order will not have been placed and you will therefore not receive an order confirmation.

When in doubt, do not hesitate to contact us by telephone on +32 (0)3 303 72 72 or send an e-mail to info@argentorshop.be.


No, you will have to provide storage yourself.


PRICES


Our selling prices for bullion are adapted every minute to the actual gold and silver rate and will be hedged once you confirm your order, either online, either by telephone or in our office. You can always check our live selling prices on our webshop1.

Gold in grains and/or plate, silver in grains and platinum & palladium in plate are sold by daily rates. These prices are indicative and calculated based on the a.m. spots (rates at 9 a.m.). Our daily prices are non-binding in case of a sudden increase in rates. In case of a sudden decline the daily rates will be adapted the same. You can always check our daily rates on our webshop1.

1: The selling rates as mentioned on our webshop always include the premium and, if applicable, 21% VAT


Gold, silver, platinum & palladium bullion
You needn't pay VAT on gold bullion as it's seen as an investment1.

On silver bars, you always pay 21% VAT because they are not considered as an investment tool, but as raw material. For private customers this makes silver bars less interesting because they will not be able to withdraw the VAT.

Silver coins, on the other hand, are traded under the VAT margin regulation and are a more suitable alternative for private investors. Bottom line it means that a trader of silver coins has to pay VAT but only on the profit he makes and not on the total revenue of the transaction. In other words, the VAT will not be charged directly to the customer but will be part of the premium you pay upon buying silver coins.

On platinum & palladium bars & coins, you always pay 21% VAT because they are not considered as an investment tool, but as raw material. For private customers this makes platinum & palladium less interesting because they will not be able to withdraw the VAT.

1: Gold bullion is by definition gold with a mass more than 1 gram and a purity of minimum 900/1.000 (21,6 carats).

Fine gold in grains and/or plate, fine silver in grains, fine platinum & palladium in plate
In case you dispose of a valid Belgian VAT number2, you buy fine gold in grains and/or plate under reverse charge rule. That means you will not have to pay VAT. In case you buy fine gold in grains and/or plate privately, or, in some cases, when you are an independent in secondary profession, you will have to pay 21% VAT on your purchase. The correct VAT regimes and corresponding codes are always mentioned on our invoice. In order for your own bookkeeping to be correct, it is best to base yourself on these codes

You always pay 21% VAT on your purchase of fine silver in grains, unless you are a foreign VAT tax payer. In case you dispose of a valid Belgian VAT number, and when the transaction takes place in the context of your profession, you will be able to withdraw the VAT. The correct VAT regimes and corresponding codes are always mentioned on our invoice. In order for your own bookkeeping to be correct, it is best to base yourself on these codes.

You always pay 21% VAT on your purchase of fine platinum & palladium in plate, unless you are a foreign VAT tax payer. In case you dispose of a valid Belgian VAT number, and when the transaction takes place in the context of your profession, you will be able to withdraw the VAT. The correct VAT regimes and corresponding codes are always mentioned on our invoice. In order for your own bookkeeping to be correct, it is best to base yourself on these codes.

2: Only when you are subject to VAT and not exempted from VAT regulations, and when the transaction takes place in the context of your profession, you will be able to buy fine gold in grains and/or plate with under reverse charge rule.


No, the price for bigger volumes remains the same. Given the high value of precious metals the spreads taken by retailers like Argentor are rather limited.

Traders and other retailers can contact us for more information about our selling rates.


Our selling rates for bullion are adapted every minute to the actual rates and will be hedged once you confirm your order, either online, either by telephone or in our office.

Our selling rates for fine metals in grains and/or plate are adapted daily from Monday to Friday, with the exception of closing days, around 9 a.m. These rates are indicative and can change multiple times per day in case of a price increase. Should the prices go down during the day, our selling rates will be adapted just the same.


The selling rates as mentioned on our webshop always include the selling premium and, if applicable, VAT. No additional costs will be added to these rates. Only when buying fine gold in grains and/or plate privately, 21% VAT will be added when checking out your order.

What you do need to consider is an administration fee of €5 (21% VAT excl.) in case the online order is less than €1.000, and an administration fee of €10 (21% VAT incl.) in case the purchase at our office is less than €100.


A premium is the difference between the intrinsic value of gold/silver/platinum/palladium (weight in pure gold/silver/platinum/palladium x current rate in euros) and the price you actually have to pay. Precious metals, you see, are almost never sold at spot (at their intrinsic value). You always have to pay a certain commission.

The premium is often expressed in percentages. At Argentor we always clearly state the premium of a certain product. That makes it easy to compare different products. For example: for a gold bar of 1 kilogram at a gold rate of €35.000/kilo and a premium of 0,8%, you will pay €35.000 + 0,8% = €35.280. The premium can also be expressed nominally, which, in this example, would be €280.


The determination of the premium results from several factors.

The numismatic added value
Coins, sometimes, have an additional value for collectors. In case of very rare and historical coins, this value can sometimes be more than twice as much the intrinsic value. In case of modern bullion coins this added value will, however, be rather limited.

The market
When demand for certain coins and bars increases, premiums can go up, regardless of the actual rate. That results from the basic principle of demand and supply. As soon as the demand surpasses the supply it creates a certain shortage on the market, resulting in higher premiums and prices. As soon as the supply surpasses demand again, the premiums and prices will go down accordingly.

The margin
The margin retailers and traders, such as Argentor, take on products is also calculated within the premium.

Additional costs
Storage fees, transportation fees, insurances, packing materials, administration, etc.


As mentioned above, the determination of the premium results from several factors. The reason why the premium on silver coins is that much higher percentage-wise than the premium on gold coins also results from several factors.

Similar costs have to be spread over a lower value
Fixed costs linked to production, insurance, storage and transportation are similar for gold and silver. Since silver is that much cheaper than gold, these costs are, relatively speaking, much higher for silver coins than for gold ones.

Clearance under VAT margin regulation
Silver coins are traded under the VAT margin regulation. Bottom line that means that a trader of silver coins has to pay VAT but only on the profit he makes and not on the total revenue of the transaction. In other words, the VAT will not be charged directly to the customer but will be part of the premium you pay upon buying silver coins

Supply and demand
When there is a large demand for physical silver, because supply is running low, the premium will go up. Mints can, in fact, not always produce silver coins at the same tempo as gold ones because of quota and resources.


At Argentor we always clearly state the selling and buying premium of a certain product. You typically buy precious metals above spot (actual rate), and sell them below spot. The difference between these two premiums and prices is called the 'spread'. The spread is the easiest way to compare different products.

You can easily calculate the difference between the selling and buying price by the aid of the spread. For example: you buy a 20 Belgian francs gold coin for €206, including 1,5% premium. Should you immediately sell your coin back to us at the same exchange rate, you would do so at our buying premium of -0,5%. That means you would receive €202 for your coin. The spread for the 20 Belgian francs at Argentor is, in other words, €4 or 2%.

You can always check our live selling and buying prices on this page. For your convenience, we added the spread to this chart as well.


In case your online order is less than €1.000 an administration fee of €5 (21% VAT excl.) will be charged. This administration fee is applied in order to cover all different actions that have to be carried out processing your order, without us having to raise the margin on our smaller products.


This will be possible again in the future. Soon you will be able to set up price alerts in your account on our webshop. These alerts can be set up in function of purchasing, as well as selling. As soon as the gold, silver, platinum or palladium rate reaches a certain value, you will receive an automatic e-mail about this.


COLLECTING AN ONLINE ORDER & GETTING TO ARGENTOR


As soon as we receive your payment onto one of our banking accounts, we continue to process your order. The items you purchased are reserved and put aside for pick-up. You will be notified of that by e-mail.

In case your order is not (completely) in stock, it can take a couple of working days or weeks (depending on the product) before pick-up will be possible. Our employees will ,of course, notify you about that by e-mail so you are not kept in the dark about the status of your order. You will be contacted as soon as the missing items are back in stock.


Online orders can be picked up by somebody else solely upon presentation of a valid power of attorney, presentation of a personal ID/ passport and a copy of the ID/ passport of the person mentioned on the invoice.


Our office is located in the Diamond quarter of Antwerp - nearly across the police station - where there is permanent street camera surveillance. Furthermore, our office is organised in such a manner that your order can be handed over in all safety and discretion.


Argentor does not offer parking. Since it is quite impossible to find parking space on the street in front of our office we advice you to use the pay parking 'Parking Diamant' which is located at approximately 300 meters of our office. Or you can pay park on the street on the Quinten Matsijslei next to the City Park (Stadspark).


Since 2016, there have been a lot of infrastructure works going on in and around Antwerp1. Based on the date of your visit and where exactly you need to be, getting around by car can proof to be quite challenging. Please look up the best route to enter/exit the city to avoid driving around in circles.

More info via Noorderlijn.
More info via Smart ways to Antwerp.


Yes, the entire city centre of Antwerp and Linkeroever are a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) to ensure that air in the city becomes cleaner. The most polluting cars are no longer welcome in the city. Since 1/1/2020 the conditions for admission have become stricter! Always check your vehicle with the check tool before entering the LEZ.

More info via Smart ways to Antwerp.


Our office is easy to reach by public transport. Thanks to our location in the Diamond Quarter of Antwerp, we are easily reachable by train, bus and metro.

Train
Centraal Station (Central Station)

Tram
Premetrostation Diamant (Centraal Station - Central Station)
Premetrostation Plantin
Premetrostation Opera
Premetrostation Astrid

Bus
Stop Lange Kievitstraat
Stop Centraal Station (Central Station)
Stop Rooseveltplaats (Roosevelt Place)

More info via Smart ways to Antwerp.
More info via NMBS | SNCB.
More info via De Lijn.


HOME DELIVERY OF YOUR ONLINE ORDER


Orders can be home delivered within Belgium, Luxemburg & the Netherlands from Tuesday to Saturday via Mikropakket. After scheduling - either by telephone, either by e-mail - a suitable date of delivery, a courier will deliver your order on location.

All deliveries are carried out in all discretion and through secured and insured transport. In other words, your parcel will be delivered without any fuss. The parcel itself is packed in a standard white or brown cardboard box, depending on its size, and is sealed with security tape.

Due to security and insurance measures we cannot provide an exact time of delivery! That is why we have to schedule a date on which you, or somebody else, can be present continuously - during classic working hours - to receive the parcel.


Parcels can have a insurable value of maximum €200.000,00 and a maximum weight of 20 kilograms. The shipping fee costs €15,00 (VAT incl.) per parcel.


Mikropakket delivers only within Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg. Deliveries out of the Benelux are not possible for private clients.


As soon as we receive your payment onto one of our banking accounts, we continue to process your order. The items you purchased are reserved and put aside for delivery. You will be notified of that by e-mail.

In case your order is not (completely) in stock, it can take a couple of working days or weeks (depending on the product) before delivery will be possible. Our employees will of course notify you about that by e-mail so you are not kept in the dark about the status of your order. You will be contacted as soon as the missing items are back in stock.


Argentor does all communications regarding the delivery of your order. You can contact us by e-mail via info@argentorshop.be or by telephone on +32 (0)3 303 72 72.


It happens sometimes that a parcel cannot be delivered on time because of traffic jams or unforeseen circumstances. We know from experience that, in those cases, Mikropakket will automatically send the parcel on route again the first following working day1.

In case you did not receive your order on the scheduled date of delivery - and there is no note of absence in your letter box - please notify Argentor either by e-mail or telephone2. Our employees will contact customer service of Mikropakket to inquire why the delivery has not been carried out and to schedule a new date of delivery if needed.

1: Mikropakket carries out deliveries from Tuesday to Saturday. In case your parcel is not delivered on Saturday, the delivery will be rescheduled for the following Tuesday.

2: You can reach us by telephone from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In case you order is not delivered on a Friday afternoon or a Saturday as planned, please notify us by e-mail so that we can contact Mikropakket first thing Monday morning.


All our parcels are shipped by insured transport. In case you receive a damaged and/ or incomplete parcel, please notify us the same day. You can do so by contacting us either by telephone on +32 (0) 303 72 72 or by e-mail via info@argentorshop.be1. Also, please notify us should you not have received your order on the scheduled date2, so that we can contact Mikropakket to inquire why the delivery has not been carried out and to schedule a new date of delivery if needed.

Should it happen that a parcel goes missing or arrives damaged/ incomplete, an investigation will be launched by the insurance company. It goes without saying that we will require your complete cooperation during this process. We in turn will of course do our absolute best to provide a suitable solution as soon as possible.

1: You can reach us by telephone from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. In case you order is delivered outside of these opening hours or during weekends, you will only be able to contact us through e-mail. We will follow up on your notification the first following working day.

2: See ‘What should I do in case my parcel goes missing or when it arrives incomplete or damaged?’.


Parcels can be insured up to a maximum value of €200.000,00. Orders of a larger amount will therefore be split over several parcels to make sure you are fully covered.


SELLING PRECIOUS METALS


You surely can! You are more than welcome at Argentor Essayeurs to sell your precious metals. Argentor buys gold and silver, but also platinum & palladium and lesser known PGM's (platinum group metals) in almost all its forms and alloys:

+ scrap gold, silver, platinum & palladium (jewellery, watches, cutlery1 and tableware, …)

+ gold, silver, platinum & palladium bullion (bars and coins)

+ historical gold & silver coins

+ gold & silver medallions

+ dental gold2

+ mined/alluvial gold, silver, platinum& palladium3

+ gold, silver, platinum & palladium powder3

+ workhouse wastes (filings, drillings, vacuum bags, polishing wastes, work bench wastes, …3

+ industrial gold, silver, platinum & palladium3

+ electrolytic silver3

+ thermo-couples3

+ osmium, iridium, ruthenium & rhodium4

1: With the exception of knives.
2: Teeth have to be removed first.
3: The material will have to be refined and analysed in our refinery before we can continue with the purchase of and payment for your metals. For more information, see also: Refining & recycling.
4: Please contact us for more information.


You needn't make an appointment to sell your precious metals at Argentor. You are welcome in our office during office hours, from Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Our closing days and annual holidays can be found on the contactpage.


In case you are already registered with us as a client/supplier - and depending on the quantity and composition of the material - we can arrange for the material to be picked up by Mikropakket. We charge €15 (21% VAT incl.) per transport for this service. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you wish to use our pick-up service. We will provide you with all the necessary information and documents.

Should you send material to Argentor on your own initiative, you do so completely at own risk! Argentor cannot be held responsible, nor for parcels send to us by regular or registered post, nor for parcels you place in our mailbox yourself.


No, in theory there is no minimum on the weight you can sell at Argentor.

What you do need to consider is an administration fee1 of €10 (21% VAT incl.) in case the invoice is less than €100. The administration fee will be held off the purchase price. Small amounts can therefore better be saved and sold once you have more in order to avoid the administration fee.

1: See also : 'Are there any additional 'hidden' costs I have to factor in when selling to Argentor?'.


No, the price for bigger volumes remains the same. Given the high value of precious metals the spreads taken by retailers like Argentor are rather limited.

Traders and other retailers can contact us for more information about our buying rates.


The buying rates as mentioned on our webshop are the actual rates you will receive. No additional costs will be held off these rates.

What you do need to consider is an administration fee of €10 (21% VAT incl.) in case the invoice is less than €100. This administration fee will be held off the purchase price.


Our buying rates for bullion are adapted every minute to the actual rates and will be hedged once you hand over the goods in our office.

Our buying rates for scrap metals are adapted daily from Monday to Friday, with the exception of closing days, around 9 a.m. These rates are indicative and can change multiple times per day in case of a price drop. Should the prices go up during the day, our buying rates will be adapted just the same.


Ever since the adaptation of the Belgian law regarding cash payments (September 18th 2017), it is forbidden for us to pay in cash to professional sellers. All purchases, regardless of their total value, have to paid by bank transfer1 or exchange of materials.

As for private sellers, we can pay a maximum of €500, regardless of the total value of the purchase. All balances exceeding have to be paid by bank transfer1.

1: Our bank transfers are carried out the following working day before noon. How fast you receive the payment onto your banking account depends on the speed of the transfer between our bank and yours. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you still haven't received the payment after three working days.


Cash payments are carried out immediately1. Bank transfers are carried out the following working day before noon. How fast you receive the payment onto your banking account depends on the speed of the transfer between our bank and yours. Do not hesitate to contact us in case you still haven't received the payment after three working days.

1: See also 'Does Argentor pay in cash?’


Since February 20th 2012 gold sellers and buyers are obliged to identify and register their clients and suppliers. This procedure of identification and registry aids in tracing and identifying thieves and fences.


No. Argentor does not have duty of notification. We are, however, obliged to keep our full bookkeeping records during the mandatory period of 7 years for the event of an investigation.


At Argentor you will not receive added value for precious stones and/or pearls, nor for the design of your jewellery, exclusive or not. If possible we remove the stones and/or pearls. Should that not be possible, we will deduct some weight of the piece of jewellery.

Jewellery containing real diamonds are bought as a whole1 (including diamonds) at the daily rates corresponding to their purity. Inform yourself about the possible value of your diamonds and whether or not they're worth braking out. If desired, we can always refer you to our specialist partners for selling your diamonds and/or jewellery with historical value.

1: For larger quantities of jewellery containing diamonds, please check the following page about our diamond recuperation service.


For appraisals without commitment to sell, we ask €20 (21% VAT incl.) per analysis.


There are several ways to test whether or not you are in possession of real precious metals1:

Based on the hallmarks present on the jewellery
With the aid of a magnifying glass you can check if there's an alloy stamp/ hallmark2 in your piece of jewellery. That mark indicates the purity of the metal. Most common alloys for yellow and white gold jewellery are 18 carats (750), 14 carats (580) & 9 carats (375). Most common alloy for silver jewellery are 925 (sterling silver), 835 and 800.

The actual purity of jewellery made before 1980 can differ slightly from the hallmark. After 1980 laws regarding hallmarks were however tightened which makes chances that the purity and hallmark do not correspond a lot more slim.

With the aid of testing fluid
You can buy testing fluids in several shops in the Diamond quarter near Argentor or online. We advise you to file through the upper layer of the jewel in order to remove the (possibly gold/silver plated) top layer. Next, you apply the acid directly on the scratched surface. The purity of the metal is then determined depending on whether or not the acid decolours.

We highly advise against the use of a 'touchstone'. That method can create false results since only the filed layer is tested. In case your jewellery is gold/silver plated, the acid will indicate that the purity is much higher than it actually is.

You can always ask your jeweller for advice.

1: In case of doubt Argentor can use several other testing methods to determine the purity of your metals, one of which the spectrometer (based on x-rays) is the most common one.
2: The presence of a hallmark is never conclusive evidence of purity. Hallmarks can be forged as well.


Whether it's jewellery from a heritage, coins from a collection or silver cutlery you no longer use… When you are planning to sell precious metals it's of the utmost importance that you asses the value of your material as best as you can. Take a look at following tips and think carefully when selling your precious metals.

Form an idea of what your gold is worth.
Try to figure out the value of your gold and/or silver before you decide to sell it1. By weighing the pieces and checking for hallmarks (if possible) you can easily assess the value of your items based on the actual rates2.

Alternatively, you can go to a jeweller (or several jewellers) for a taxation. This will help you to form an idea of the value of your items. Never send material to a buyer without having a clue of its value!

Try to sell directly to a jeweller you know or a well-known precious metals trader.
Research has shown that a jeweller will often offer a better price for your precious metals than a small exchange office. That is certainly the case in the Diamond quarter of Antwerp, where there are a lot of jewellers located. There you can rest assured that you will receive a fair price for your gold and/or silver.

Larger trade offices (such as Argentor) will also be able to offer a better, and especially more transparent, price! Do not sell your gold and/or silver to the first buyer that comes along! Chances are you'll receive a better price somewhere else.

Have realistic expectations when it comes to pricing!
Keep in mind that terms such as 'rare', 'exclusive' and 'collectors item' have to be taken with a grain of salt. Exchange offices will often only be interested in the percentages of precious metals within your jewellery and/or other materials. They won't pay attention to the craftmanship and skills needed for the creation of certain pieces.

On top of that you need to take into account that productional fees and VAT were calculated in the price you paid, meaning that the price you paid will always be higher than the actual value of the piece. In other words, it's not because you paid €1.000 for a ring that it's actually worth that much.

That being said, caution is always recommended! Coins, unlike jewellery, are often worth more than solely their weight in gold and/or silver. Informing yourself about buying and selling premiums is always a good idea, but manage your expectations. The premium will always depend on the actual market situation (supply & demand) and will vary from trader to trader.

Check if your jewellery contains diamonds and whether or not they are of value2.
Unlike some jewellers, most gold traders will not pay extra for the precious stones that are inside jewellery, since it's a another craft of which they don't have knowhow. That's also the case at Argentor, where you will not receive added value for precious stones and/or pearls, nor for the design of your jewellery, exclusive or not. If possible we remove the stones and/or pearls. Should that not be possible, we will deduct some weight of the piece of jewellery.

Inform yourself about the possible value of your diamonds and whether or not they're worth braking out3. If desired, we can always refer you to our specialist partners for selling your diamonds and/or jewellery with historical value.

Compare the reputations of companies online.
These days you can easily find online reviews about virtually every - trustworthy - gold trader, either on their own website, either on Facebook, Google, LinkedIn, etc. Googling the names of the companies you wish to work with will go a long way.

At Argentor we find it very important that customers can rate us. On this page you can read all reviews left behind by clients. Take into account that these reviews are solely aimed on the operations of our webshop!

1: See also: 'How can I know whether or not I am in possession of real gold?'.
2: See also: 'Can I also sell pearls and precious stones at Argentor?'.
3: For larger quantities of jewellery containing diamonds, please check the following page about our diamond recuperation service.


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