Precious Metal Refining

The effect of precious metal refining is a hidden part of every day life. Refined metals are used in products we consume on a daily basis. Everyone knows that gold, silver, and platinum are used in jewelry, almost exclusively compared to other metals. Platinum is a component in our cars, silver can be found in some homeopathic medicines. Gold helps our computers work and is even an ingredient in a popular alcoholic drink.

In order to meet demand, precious metals must be recovered and refined from computers, car parts, old broken jewelry, and various other sources. Unfortunately, gold, silver, and platinum are not renewable resources, so refiners have gone to great lengths to carefully recycle these materials. Although no one believes that the earth has been tapped out of these metals, it is responsible stewardship to recover what we can now.

Gold is the most widely recognized precious metal. Anyone can find gold just by looking in a stream for a shiny yellow pebble that eroded out of the mountain. More than two-thirds of California’s gold has been found this way. Of course it is not that easy; it is best to begin looking in a stream that is known for gold nuggets, but as the saying goes, “Gold can be found where it is.” This is called ‘placer mining’, and the gold found this way is the easiest to refine. Gold is also found in ore rock, which is more difficult to refine.

Recovering gold, as opposed to mining it, is the act of taking gold from an object made by human hand. This category of object includes circuit boards, out of style or broken jewelry, or dental work.

The second most popular precious metal in the world is silver. Silver is mined all over the world, and is not usually found alone, but is frequently found along with copper, gold, lead, and zinc. A large portion of what has been recovered by silver refiners has been a result of refining these other metals. Silver is rarely found in placer deposits as a nugget like gold, but rather it is more commonly found in ore.

Silver also can be recovered from items used everyday, such as from photo developing waste, silverware, and old or broken jewelry by a precious metal refiner. The world of film photography is one of the largest consumers of silver because it is so highly reflective.

Melting Down Precious Metals

Platinum is one of a group of metals known as the PMGs. The six metals in this group are closely related, having similar properties and have been found together in the same mineral deposits. When the Spanish precious metal refiners first discovered this platinum, they considered it an impurity to remove from silver. Platinum is very resistant to tarnish and wear. For this reason, it is used for industrial purposes where the metal cannot wear away.

Melting Down Precious Metals

Precious metals cannot be melted down into a pure form. They need to be refined, by a precious metals refiner, to remove the metals they were alloyed with. Sterling silver is composed of 92.5 percent silver and 7.5 percent copper. 24k gold is too soft for use in jewelry, so it can be alloyed with several different metals; each metal and its percentage in the alloy will lend a rainbow of shades to gold.

While some hobbyists enjoy precious metals refining, the process can be expensive and dangerous because of the chemicals used; and if many precautions are not taken, it can be fatal. While some scrap gold refiners deal only with gold and silver, Cash4Gold is a reputable company that offers precious metal refining services to their customers.

These metals are refined largely by the same process. The first step in the refining of precious metals is smelting. During this step, gold is melted in a furnace until the impurities separate and the gold sinks to the bottom. The molten metals are then poured into a cone shaped container where the gold goes to the bottom and the slag remains at the top where it can be scraped off. Once satisfied that the impurities are removed, the gold is melted once again and poured into bars.

The refining of precious metals has been improving for thousands of years and some parts of the process remain unchanged. Other steps now involve newer technology like electricity. One standard method that remains largely unchanged is called fire assay. This method causes complete destruction of a metal object, but that is not important to the precious metal refiners since their finished product is usually a bar. This is the preferred method, and considered the most accurate, of assay for gold and silver.

If a customer is unsure about selling their jewelry to a gold refining company, and does not want their jewelry destroyed before making the final decision, a few options are available. A touchstone is very useful for this. The piece of jewelry is rubbed on a special stone. Then a drop of acid is placed on the rubbing which turns a different color. The value of the piece is then determined by the color of the mark. Another method using newer technology is called X-ray fluorescence. This method is quick and leaves no damage to the jewelry. It also shows the content of other metals present in the alloy.

Bullion coins are also purchased by precious metals refiners. These coins are created by government run mints around the world and their metal content is guaranteed by the government that made them. The bullion has an assay mark with its purity displayed on it.

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