United Precious Metal Refining

What United Precious Metal Refining does

United Precious Metal Refining, Inc. (United PMR) is a privately held, full-service precious metal refiner and supplier founded in 1988 and headquartered in Alden, New York (Erie County). The company serves the jewelry manufacturing industry across two customer tiers — large-scale jewelry manufacturers requiring bulk refining and alloy supply, and bench jewelers and small manufacturers needing smaller-volume refined metals, master alloys, solders, wire, sheet, tubing, bullion, and grains. Revenue is generated through three streams: transaction-fee-based refining services for gold, silver, platinum, and palladium (including high-grade, low-grade, and stone removal processes); product sales of proprietary cadmium-free master alloys, de-oxidized sterling silver grains, solders, wire, sheet, tubing, and bullion; and laboratory analytical services including fire assay, ICP, X-ray fluorescence, hardness testing, plating thickness, and color measuring.

The company's core technology centers on proprietary alloy formulations protected by registered trademarks and patents, including STERLIUM™ and STERLIUM PLUS® Germanium-based de-oxidized sterling silver, SILVADIUM™ 1, Platilite™, and Platinet™, along with palladium-based and nickel/palladium-free white gold alloy families. Production is differentiated by rigorous assaying protocols (three separate fire assays per lot), parts-per-million ICP accuracy, multiple XRF instruments, and an in-house analytical laboratory. United PMR also operates a re-DEFINED™ sub-brand certified by SCS Global Services for 100% recycled precious metal content.

Go-to-market is sales-led, combining direct enterprise sales with a customer portal (secure.unitedpmr.com), live chat with the trading desk, scheduled refining pickup services, trade show lead generation, and free online calculators and spot pricing tools. Distribution extends internationally via a network of distributors and a dedicated Spanish-language sales line. The company holds a multi-layered compliance posture including RMI-RMAP Conflict-Free Smelter certification (since September 2018 with annual reassessment), Dodd-Frank Section 1502 compliance, OECD Due Diligence Guidance, LBMA standards, USA Patriot Act AML/KYC, and RJC documentation — collectively forming a regulatory moat that constrains new-entrant competition.

Name

United Precious Metal Refining

Legal name

United Precious Metal Refining, Inc.

Website

https://unitedpmr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

United Precious Metal Refining is a privately held, full-service precious metal refiner and alloy supplier founded in 1988 in Alden, New York, serving large jewelry manufacturers and bench jewelers with proprietary cadmium-free alloys, refining services, and certified recycled precious metals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Precious Metal Refining

NAICS

Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Smelting and Refining (33141), Secondary Smelting, Refining, and Alloying of Nonferrous Metal (except Copper and Aluminum) (331492)

SIC

Primary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3330), Secondary Smelting & Refining Of Nonferrous Metals (3341)

akta.pro primary industry

Precious Metals Smelting & Refining (IMAKAEAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Precious Metals Minting & Bullion Products (IMAKAEAJ), Metal Melting & Secondary Smelting/Refining (Recycled Feedstock Producers) (EUAIAJAJ)

Keywords

• Precious metal refining
• Jewelry alloys manufacturing
• Master alloys supply
• Precious metals recycling
• Gold refining services

Headquarters

HQ city

Alden

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Precious Metal Refining Services: Full-service refining for gold, silver, platinum, palladium and other precious metals. Services include high grade refining, low grade refining, and stone removal process. Pricing based on metal content and complexity of materials.
2. Precious Metal Products: Sale of master alloys, de-oxidized sterling silver, solder, wire, sheet, tubing, bullion, and grains for jewelry manufacturing.
3. Analytical Services: Laboratory testing services including fire assay, ICP analysis, XRF, Vickers hardness, plating thickness, and color measuring for quality control and metal content verification.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Precious Metal Refining is a full-service precious metals refiner and supplier serving the jewelry industry. It refines gold, silver, platinum, and palladium from scrap and raw materials and manufactures master alloys, de-oxidized sterling silver grains, cadmium-free solders, wire, sheet, tubing, and bullion for jewelry manufacturers and bench jewelers. The company also operates an analytical services laboratory and offers certified 100% recycled precious metals under its re-DEFINED brand.

Product overview

United Precious Metal Refining is a full-service precious metals company offering a comprehensive portfolio of products and services for the jewelry industry. The core product lines include Master Alloys for Casting and Fabrication (proprietary gold, silver, platinum, and palladium alloys in various karats and colors), Ready-to-Use Grains (including patented STERLIUM™ and STERLIUM PLUS de-oxidized sterling silver), Cadmium Free Solders, Wire/Sheet/Tubing products, and Bullion. Services include Precious Metal Refining (high grade, low grade, and stone removal processes) and Analytical Services (fire assay, ICP, XRF, plating thickness, hardness testing, color measuring). Supporting tools include free online calculators for scrap valuation, karat conversion, and weight units, plus fixed market pricing for spot metals. The company also offers certified 100% recycled re-DEFINED™ precious metals for eco-conscious manufacturers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• re-DEFINED: Certified recycled precious metals (gold and silver) sourced from industries other than mining, representing the company's environmental commitment and sustainable product line.

Products and services

• Master Alloys for Casting Proprietary gold, silver, platinum, and palladium master alloy formulations engineered for jewelry casting applications, available in yellow, white, rose, and green gold and various karats. Sold to jewelry manufacturers for high-volume casting production.
• Master Alloys for Fabrication Metal alloys formulated for jewelry fabrication processes including wire drawing, sheet rolling, and stamping, supporting various karats of yellow, white, pink, and green gold for manufacturers producing fabricated metal products.
• Ready-to-Use Grains Precious metal grains including de-oxidized karat gold grain, platinum grain, palladium 950 grain, and 925 sterling silver formulations in bead or shot form. Includes patented branded variants such as STERLIUM (Germanium-based de-oxidized sterling silver with fire-scale and tarnish resistance), STERLIUM PLUS, SILVADIUM 1 (palladium-based white sterling silver), Platilite, and Platinet. Sold to jewelry manufacturers and casters.
• Cadmium-Free Solders Cadmium-free precious metal solder products for jewelry manufacturing and repair, supporting multiple karats and applications including plumb gold solders. Sold to jewelry manufacturers and bench jewelers.
• Wire, Sheet & Tubing Precision-fabricated precious metal products including round wire, half-round wire, square wire, flat wire, small diameter wire, laser wire for soldering, sheet and plate, and round tubing in various karats and alloys. Sold to jewelry manufacturers for production and repair.
• Bullion Precious metal bullion products in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium sold for investment and manufacturing purposes.
• Precious Metal Refining Full-service refining of gold, silver, platinum, and palladium including high grade refining, low grade refining, and stone removal processes for recovering precious metals from scrap, sweeps, and raw materials. Customers open accounts, request pickups, and receive settlement based on assayed metal content.
• Analytical Services Advanced laboratory services including fire assay (three separate assays per lot), ICP analysis at parts-per-million accuracy, X-ray fluorescence (three different XRF instruments), Vickers hardness testing, plating thickness testing, and Macbeth color measuring for quality control and precious metal content verification.
• Palladium White Gold Alloys 9K-18K palladium-based white gold casting master alloys in formulations PD1, PD2, PD5, PD11, PD16, and PD20, offering a range of colors from vanilla white to super white with options for different investment systems. Sold to jewelry casting manufacturers.
• Nickel and Palladium-Free White Gold Alloys White gold casting alloys (formulations 936, 980, F1, ROM 2) free from nickel and palladium, designed for hypoallergenic applications with high fluidity and excellent color properties. Sold to jewelry manufacturers targeting hypoallergenic end products.
• re-DEFINED Recycled Precious Metals Certified 100% recycled content gold and silver products audited by SCS Global Services, sourced from industries other than mining to support environmental sustainability goals. Sold to jewelry manufacturers seeking responsibly sourced precious metals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Three separate fire assays performed with each individual refining lot, combined with X-ray Fluorescence for maximum returns
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2018RMI provides the Responsible Minerals Assurance Program (RMAP) for independent third-party audit and certification of United PMR as a conflict-free smelter. United PMR was originally determined conformant in September 2018 and continues annual assessments.
• SCS Global ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party environmental certification organization providing rigorous audit and certification for 100% recycled content in United PMR's facility and fine gold and fine silver products.
• OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development)coreTechnology or IntegrationUnited PMR adheres to OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas (CAHRAs), using OECD Annex II Model Supply Chain Policy as the framework for their own due-diligence protocols.
• LBMA (London Bullion Market Association)coreTechnology or IntegrationUnited PMR complies with LBMA standards for non-conflicted area sourcing of materials as part of their responsible sourcing framework.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LeachGarner: Precious metal refiner and supplier specializing in gold, silver, platinum, and palladium alloys, grains, and fabricated products for the jewelry industry — directly comparable as a jewelry-focused precious-metals refiner with overlapping alloy and grain portfolios.
• Hoover & Strong: Precious metals refiner and jewelry supplier offering certified recycled gold/silver, master alloys, and fabricated products to jewelers — directly comparable in product mix, customer base, and responsible-sourcing positioning.
• Rio Grande: Major US jewelry industry supplier of findings, fabricated metals, alloys, and refining services to bench jewelers and manufacturers — directly comparable in serving jewelry-makers with precious metal products and refining recovery.
• Pease & Curren: US precious metals refiner serving jewelers, pawnbrokers, and industrial customers with gold, silver, platinum refining and assaying services — directly comparable in refining services for the jewelry trade.
• Midwest Precious Metals: Precious metals refiner and recycler serving jewelers and dental/industrial customers with gold, silver, and platinum refining — directly comparable in refiner business model and customer profile within the jewelry industry.

Broad incumbents

• Stuller: One of the largest US jewelry manufacturers and wholesale suppliers with in-house precious metals refining and a broad finished-jewelry portfolio — operates in the same customer base but at far greater scale and breadth, making it a broad incumbent rather than direct peer.
• Metalor Technologies: Swiss-based global precious metals refiner and fabricator serving jewelry, industrial, and electronics markets with LBMA Good Delivery status — operates in the same core refining business but at industrial scale and across more verticals, making it a broad incumbent.
• PAMP Suisse: Swiss LBMA-certified precious metals refiner specializing in investment bars and industrial bullion — large-scale incumbent in precious metals refining adjacent to UPMR's business, though more weighted toward bullion and investment products.
• A-Mark Precious Metals: Public precious metals wholesaler and refiner with integrated trading, minting, and direct-to-consumer capabilities — operates at much larger scale across precious metals trading and refining, making it a broad incumbent peer.
• Royal Mint: UK government-owned mint and precious metals refiner producing bullion, commemorative coins, and recovered precious metals — comparable as a major LBMA-grade refiner with refined products, though broader in scope (numismatic and consumer-facing).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Precious Metal Refining