Pallion Group
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Precious metals, jewellery manufacturing, bullion trading, refining, minting |
| Predecessor | ABC Bullion (1972), Palloys Group (1951) |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | Australasia, Asia, North America, Western Europe |
| Products | Bullion and bullion trading; refining and minting; casting and bespoke jewellery; fabricated metals; wedding rings and electroplating; findings; goldsmithing and silversmithing; secure vaulting services |
Pallion is a leading designer, manufacturer, and distributor of precious metal products and services, recognized as the foremost precious metals service provider in Australasia. Established in 2014 through the consolidation of ABC Bullion (founded in 1972) and Palloys Group (originating in 1951), Pallion operates as a privately held company headquartered in Sydney, Australia. Its manufacturing plants and offices are strategically located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hong Kong (SAR), mainland China, Thailand, and Western Europe.
The group encompasses six divisions specializing in bullion and bullion trading; refining and minting; casting and bespoke jewellery; fabricated metals; wedding rings and electroplating; findings; goldsmithing and silversmithing; along with secure vaulting services.
Origins
Palloys was initially founded as Palloys Refining Co in 1951 in Woollahra, Sydney by Felix Parry (originally Felix Pisarewski), a Polish war veteran and refugee following World War II. The company’s early operations centered on refining precious metals tailored for the jewellery and dental sectors.
In 1952, Palloys Refining Co formed a partnership with Matthey Garrett, pivoting to the production of jewellery and dental castings using the lost wax method, and adopted the name Palloys. Matthey Garrett contributed bulk precious metal refining capabilities. By 1955, Palloys was meeting increasing jewellery demands throughout Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong. To support global expansion, Palloys Hong Kong was established in 1962 as a joint venture with Wheelock Marden Limited (now part of Wheelock & Co Limited), becoming the first precious metal casting firm in Hong Kong.
Investment Influx and Expansion
In 1965, Wieland Edelmetalle GMBH (currently under Saxonia Franke Group) acquired a 25% ownership stake in Palloys; the company continues to serve as Wieland Plating Products’ distributor within Australia. The Kay family took ownership of the remaining 75% shareholding in 1986.
The Australian Bullion Company (NSW) Pty Limited commenced bullion product distribution across Australia in 1972. Now operating as ABC Bullion, it stands as the largest independent bullion dealer nationwide and plays a significant role within the Australian gold market.
By 1990, Palloys broadened its portfolio beyond jewellery casting to include fabricated alloyed precious metals—such as wire, sheet, solders, milled wedding rings—and expanded its precious metal refining services. This growth was realized through a joint venture involving Bullion Mark Pty Limited (linked to P.J. Williams) and Harringtons Limited (now part of Perth Mint), resulting in Alloy & Gold Supply (NSW) Pty Ltd. Subsequent mergers led AGR Matthey—jointly owned by Perth Mint, Australian Gold Alliance (a Newmont Mining subsidiary), and Johnson Matthey Plc—to acquire the non-Palloys half-interest.
Expansion Phase
Towards the end of 2007, new investors acquired Palloys along with its shareholding in Alloy & Gold Supply (NSW) Pty Ltd. In 2008, Palloys purchased AGR Matthey’s stake in Alloy & Gold Supply plus its jewellery division, rebranding it as AGS Metals Pty Limited and establishing the Palloys Group.
That same year saw the launch of Australia's largest CAD/CAM rapid prototyping and manufacturing division dedicated to jewellery by Palloys Group. The group further diversified by incorporating Regentco—the Australian jewellery findings division—in 2009. In 2011, Palloys enhanced its fabricated metals manufacturing capacity through acquiring P.J Williams Pty Limited, later renamed AGS|PJW.
Between 2009 and 2014, Palloys expanded internationally by acquiring Goldenage International Limited (GAI), a prominent global producer of volume findings with facilities located in Hong Kong SAR and mainland China. In 2013, GAI ventured into high-end custom jewellery manufacturing for major international brands.
In 2012, the group centralized its international headquarters in Sydney. That year also marked a joint venture between Palloys Group and ABC Bullion to acquire ABC Refinery—the largest private precious metals refiner and assayer within Australia. By 2014, ABC Refinery had secured NATA accreditation aligned with ISO/IEC Standard 17025:2005 alongside compliance with Australian and international laboratory standards. Beginning trading operations in Hong Kong during 2013 allowed Palloys and ABC Bullion to address rising Asian demand for bullion products while introducing Custodian Vaults—a private secure vaulting service based in Australia.
In 2014, ABC Refinery commenced construction on a new minting facility aimed at serving both public clients and institutional customers. That year also saw Pallion’s jewellery division honored as Australian Best Jewellery Supplier at the inaugural Australian Jewellery Industry Awards.
Merger and Accreditation
Towards the end of 2014, ABC Bullion and Palloys Group combined their financial operations under the umbrella of the holding company Pallion, positioning it among Australia's top three privately held companies by revenue. Pallion is owned by stakeholders connected to the Cochineas, Gregg, and Simpson families and manages manufacturing plants and offices located in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Hong Kong (SAR), mainland China, Thailand, and Italy.
In February 2015, Palloys earned the title of Australian Best Jewellery Manufacturer at the Australian Jewellery Industry Awards. Two months later, in April 2015, Pallion expanded its portfolio by acquiring A&E Metals. By November that year, ABC Bullion was granted exclusive manufacturing rights to produce the Melbourne Cup by the Victoria Racing Club, becoming only the third entity to hold this distinction. The Melbourne Cups crafted by ABC Bullion are distinguished by being made entirely from metals mined, processed, and assembled within Australia. In December 2015, ABC Refinery was officially listed on The London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery register for gold.
Further Globalisation
In April 2018, ABC Refinery achieved accreditation from the Shanghai Gold Exchange, joining an elite group of seven international firms permitted to sell gold directly into China. That August, Pallion acquired WJ Sanders, recognized as Australia's last traditional silversmith. Later in 2018, ABC Refinery pioneered the installation of an Acidless Refining System (ALS), becoming the first major precious metals refinery worldwide to adopt this technology that eliminates harmful acids and emissions; it currently operates the largest ALS refining capacity globally.
By May 2019, Palloys became the first jewellery manufacturer and wholesaler in Australia to receive certification from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), maintaining its status as the sole Australian wholesaler with this endorsement. In June 2020, ABC Refinery secured CME Group accreditation, enabling its bars to be included on COMEX’s good delivery list for gold futures settlement in New York. The following month, AE Metals, AGS|PJW, Regentco, and Palloys unified under the Palloys brand to better serve the international B2B jewellery market.
In November 2021, ABC Refinery was added to The London Bullion Market Association Good Delivery list for silver and simultaneously included on COMEX's silver futures good delivery list. This dual recognition makes ABC Refinery Australia's only independent gold and silver refinery accredited by both LBMA and COMEX.
In May 2023, ABC Bullion inaugurated its global retail flagship store located at Martin Place in Sydney.
Products and Significant Projects
Pallion’s offerings are distributed worldwide with a strategic focus on markets in Asia, North America, and Western Europe. Its extensive portfolio covers:
- Bullion & Bullion Trading
- Refining & Minting
- Casting & Custom Jewellery
- Fabricated Metals, Wedding Rings & Electroplating
- Findings
- Gold & Silversmithing
- Vaulting
The company caters to central banks, investment banks, investors, and wholesale jewellery groups. Its products have been integral to prominent sporting events, luxury car restorations, government security agencies, and global film productions. Additionally, Pallion provides metal design services to the Australian Federal Government. Noteworthy projects include:
- 1980: Assaying one of the largest gold nuggets globally—the Hand of Faith
- 1988: Creating mounts for Queen Elizabeth II’s Australian State Coach, which featured in the 2011 royal wedding procession
- 1998: Crafting gold lettering for the Australian War Memorial Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
- 2001: Supplying an iconostas for a Black Madonna Icon consecrated by Pope John Paul II
- 2013: Producing mounts for Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Coach
- 2015: Awarded production rights for the Melbourne Cup suite trophies to ABC Bullion
- 2020: Granted production rights for the ATP Cup trophies to ABC Bullion
- 2022: Secured production rights for the Australian Open trophies awarded to ABC Bullion
Pallion also contributed the Pallion Garden Terrace to the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
Facilities
Pallion stands as the foremost precious metal services organization in Australasia. It maintains production plants in Sydney and Melbourne (Australia), Hong Kong (SAR), Shenzhen (China), Thailand, and Western Europe. The Australian manufacturing locations rank among the region’s most advanced technologically, boasting the largest capacity for fabricated precious metals, with the ability to create over 70 unique precious metal alloys every day.
Its sales and distribution hubs are strategically positioned throughout Australia, Hong Kong, mainland China, Thailand, and Italy.