A Primer on Recovering Gold From Common Items

Are you aware that many things in your home contain gold? It’s not only found in jewelry but also in plain household objects, as long as you know what to look for. Here are 2 common items where you can find this precious metal and the benefits of recovering it.

Benefits

Recovering gold from everyday items is advantageous. You can earn money from it instead of just storing your stuff in the attic or throwing it away. This is also good for the environment as the scrap metal can be repurposed in various industries like jewelry making. If you’re interested in this practice, you can start with electronics and ceramic plates.

Electronics

Gold is often utilized in circuit boards because it’s a reliable conductor and resistant to corrosion, making the component durable. Electronic devices that contain it include radios, televisions, cellphones, laptops, printers, and scanners.

If you’re not using them anymore, take out the valuable metal by following these steps:

1. Wear protective equipment, such as masks, gloves, and safety glasses.
2. Break the circuit boards into smaller pieces.
3. Put the pieces in a glass container that’s resistant to extreme heat.
4. Pour nitric acid into the container to melt off the plastic and other metal parts.
5. Stir the liquid until the target parts are melted.
6. Drain the liquid with a filter to see the gold lumps.

Meanwhile, you can also recover this precious material using fire. Here’s how:

1. Remember to wear protective gear first.
2. Place the circuit board on top of a metal tray.
3. Pour a small amount of gasoline on the component.
4. Light it on fire.
5. Keep turning the board using a tong until it becomes black.
6. Extinguish the fire and let the board cool.
7. The component is now brittle, so it’s easy to break off the area where the gold is attached.

Ceramic Plates

Some ceramic plates have gold borders. But, before you try to recover the precious material from your kitchenware, check its value first. You don’t want to destroy a collectible item.

If you’re certain that the ceramic plate doesn’t have a high resale value, you can begin taking out the gold from its surface. Do this by scraping off the border with a metal tool. Make sure you have a container ready to catch these particles.

Once you’ve recovered the valuable metal from your electronic devices and ceramic plates, you can sell them to Atlanta gold buyers. Look for a trusted dealer who’ll assess the price and give you a reasonable quotation.