Melt batch price

Melt batch evaluation is a daily process for precious metals dealers. A typical batch may contain jewellery of different purities (333‰, 585‰, 750‰), coins, foundry scraps, and sometimes non-metallic elements (stones, enamel) that must be excluded from the calculation. The overall value is the sum of individual values from each category.

The standard method: sort the batch by purity (using acid tests or XRF), weigh each category, then apply the formula: Value = Weight × Purity × Spot − Margin. Mixed batches containing silver or palladium (common in dental metals) are valued separately for each metal.

Swiss professionals document each batch in a metal ledger (Metallbuch) with: receipt date, gross weight, net weight after sorting, purities per category, spot price used, margin applied, and final price paid to the client. This documentation is required by the FOCBS for traceability and by the AMLA compliance system for amounts exceeding CHF 15,000.