What a gold dore bar actually is
A dore bar is a semi-pure alloy of gold and silver, poured at or near the mine site rather than at a refinery. It is an intermediate product: the stage between recovered ore and refined bullion.
Dore is not a standardised product. Composition varies with the deposit and the recovery method used. Alongside gold and silver, dore commonly carries iron, lead, tellurium, nickel and copper. As a general industry benchmark, refineries usually require gold and silver together to account for at least 70% of a dore bar weight, meaning as much as 30% can be other material.
That variability is the single most important thing for a buyer to understand, and it has a direct commercial consequence: the only purity figure that means anything is the one on the assay report for your specific consignment.
Dore compared with refined bullion
| Gold dore | Refined bullion | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it is made | At or near the mine | At a refinery |
| Purity | Variable, established by assay | Standardised, typically 999.9 |
| Sold on | Weight and assayed gold content | Standard unit and known fineness |
| Typical buyer | Refineries, traders sourcing at origin | Investors, banks, manufacturers |
Buyers who want a known, standardised product should be buying refined bullion. Buyers sourcing dore are buying closer to origin, which is where the margin and the risk both sit.
Why we will not quote you a purity
If a supplier tells you their dore is a fixed purity before it has been assayed for your transaction, treat that as a warning rather than a reassurance. They are either quoting a figure from a different consignment or inventing one.
We do not publish a purity figure for the same reason. What we can do is arrange assay so that you see the figure for the material you are actually buying, before you commit funds.
How dore is assayed
Assay establishes the gold content and weight of a specific consignment. In Uganda, gold must be tested at laboratories licensed and approved by the Directorate of Geological Survey and Mines (DGSM), and the resulting assay report is a prerequisite for the export permit, since the government uses it for royalty assessment as well.
Fire assay remains the reference method for determining gold content in dore. For a buyer, the points that matter are straightforward: that the laboratory is one you accept, that sampling is done in a way you can observe or have witnessed, and that the report identifies the consignment it describes.
What documentation moves with a dore export from Uganda
A legal gold export from Uganda produces a specific paper trail. If a seller cannot evidence it, that is the most useful signal you will get.
- A mineral dealer licence. Section 140 of Uganda’s Mining and Minerals Act 2022 prohibits buying or selling minerals without one. Issued by DGSM under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, and running to 31 December each year.
- An assay report from a DGSM-licensed laboratory.
- Proof of royalty payment and tax clearance from the Uganda Revenue Authority.
- A certificate of origin from the Uganda National Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- An export permit from DGSM, issued per consignment once the above are confirmed.
- ICGLR certification where applicable, under the Great Lakes region scheme Uganda integrated into the 2022 Act and launched in November 2023.
If you are importing into the UAE, your own obligations sit downstream of these documents. See our page for Dubai and UAE buyers.
What a buyer should check before paying
- Assay before payment, at a laboratory you accept.
- Pre-shipment inspection by your own agent or an inspection company you appoint.
- Documents matched to the consignment, so that permit, certificate of origin, assay and royalty evidence all describe the same material.
- Staged payment against verification milestones rather than funds released in advance.
- The counterparty itself, including licence status, company records and trading history.
A supplier who resists any of these is telling you something.
What we do and do not claim
We are based in Uganda and we help international buyers source, verify, assay, document and move gold. On this page we deliberately do not state a purity figure, a quantity, a price, a delivery term or a guarantee, because none of those can be honestly stated before a specific transaction exists.
Ask us directly and we will give you a straight answer for your consignment, including when the answer is that we cannot meet a requirement.
Enquiries
Tell us the form and approximate purity you work to, quantity per shipment, destination, your delivery terms if known, your company role in the chain, and the verification your side requires.
Phone or WhatsApp [+256 771 528 350]+256771528350, or email sales@eastafricaminerals.com.
Frequently asked questions
What purity is gold dore?
There is no single answer, which is the point. Composition varies by deposit and recovery method. Refineries generally expect gold and silver combined to make up at least 70% of the bar. Only assay of your consignment gives a figure you can rely on.
Is dore the same as a gold bar?
No. A dore bar is an unrefined intermediate product poured at the mine. A gold bullion bar has been refined, typically to 999.9, and carries a standardised fineness.
Can I have dore assayed before I pay?
Yes, and you should. Independent assay before payment is a normal feature of legitimate transactions, not an unusual request.
Do you supply refined bullion as well as dore?
Tell us what you need and we will tell you plainly what we can and cannot source for your requirement.