Silver Refining Services with THOVET REFINERY

Most refineries are structured to purchase silver as cheaply as possible. Once a sale is made, ownership transfers immediately, pricing is often opaque, and sellers are required to accept the terms available at that moment, which are always less than the market spot price.

As silver prices rise, the demand for refining increases. In these conditions, many refineries reduce buying activity or lower payouts to protect their margins. Since most refiners purchase silver on credit, they must acquire metal at a discount, refine it, and resell it at a higher price. When price volatility increases, this model becomes restrictive, leading scrap sellers to often encounter reduced offers, delayed settlements, or even suspended intake altogether.

THOVET REFINERY operates independently of this cycle.

We do not purchase silver and we do not rely on credit exposure. Market volatility does not affect our ability to accept or process material because we refine silver on behalf of its owner rather than speculating on price movement.

THOVET REFINERY operates differently by design. We refine your silver while you retain ownership throughout the entire process. Compensation is structured as a clearly defined percentage of the finished metal, not a cash fee and not a discounted buy price. This directly aligns our incentives with yours.

Because ownership never transfers, you retain all upside in silver price movement. There is no pressure to sell, no forced pricing, and no below spot offers. Your silver remains yours from the moment it arrives until it is returned as refined .999 fine silver.

We also operate with a level of documentation and transparency rarely found in small-scale silver refining. Each lot is handled individually, segregated, tagged, and documented. No material is pooled or commingled until ownership and return quantities are confirmed.

Clients who refine with us during our early expansion phase are granted Founder status. Founders receive priority processing once operations begin, preferred refining rates, and exclusive access to purchase THOVET REFINERY silver at spot price when silver is sold to cover operating expenses.

This is not a volume-driven scrap operation. It is a private refinery built for people who value fairness, accountability, and long-term relationships.

Refining with THOVET REFINERY begins with proper documentation, not shipping. We do not accept unsolicited material for silver refining. New clients first request and execute a Refining Agreement via DocuSign. Once an agreement is on file, all future shipments require only a Lot Submission Form identifying the material being sent to refine silver. After completing the required forms, clients can ship their silver to us following the provided instructions.

Receipt and Documentation

Upon arrival, each shipment is received, identified, and assigned a unique lot number. From receipt through smelting and final assay, all handling, weighing, and processing steps are continuously documented on video. Lots are stored individually in dedicated containers and are not commingled at this stage.

Smelting and Assay

When processing begins, each lot is smelted independently into a single impure silver bar representing the entire submission. That bar is weighed and tested for purity, establishing the total recoverable silver content. Once this step is complete, we contact the client with the results. The client receives a documented record detailing the bar’s weight, purity, and the calculated amount of refined silver they can expect to receive after applying the agreed refining percentage. Only after this confirmation does the material move forward.

Refining and Conversion

Following confirmation, the silver is granulated and prepared for refining. Granulated silver is processed through electrolytic refining systems, producing pure silver crystals. From these crystals, the client’s refined silver can be returned in the form they choose. All refined silver exceeding 10 troy oz is returned via insured shipment at no cost.

Capacity and Founder Participation

Current refining capacity is limited as we complete facility construction. Within the coming months, our new 10kg per day refinery will be commissioned and begin full operations. Clients who submit silver prior to commissioning are recognized as Founders. Founders receive priority processing once operations begin and the most favorable refining rates available. Founder rates begin at a maximum retained percentage of 15% and may be reduced further based on consistency and volume. As public silver refining rates decrease over time with increased capacity and lower operating costs, Founders will continue to receive preferential rates, targeting 10% or less.

Submitting silver during this early phase allows us to refine procedures, document demand, and scale responsibly. While processing timelines may extend to 6 months or longer during this period, retained percentages remain fixed. Market price movement does not reduce the amount of silver returned to the client.

If at any point we are unable to refine a submitted lot within a reasonable time frame, the client’s silver may be returned in full. This process is designed for transparency, accountability, and alignment. Your silver is handled deliberately, documented thoroughly, and returned with its value intact.