Summary for gold plating recovery Discussion
Reclaiming gold finishings is discussed as a question of economics and material type. James A. Clore asks whether a hobbyist can recover gold from estate-sale items with 22k or 6k gold finishes or plating without expensive equipment. James Watts suggests first asking what the recovered gold will be used for and consulting a jewelry teacher or art department at a local college. Marc Bilyeu says aqua regia can dissolve gold and even help recover platinum-group metals, but warns that gold plate or fill should first be digested in muriatic acid and that stones like turquoise and opal may be damaged. Chris Owen strongly disagrees, saying aqua regia should not be used on gold-plated material because it is dangerous, non-profitable, and only appropriate for refining solid karat gold. In a later question, Gene Myrkle asks about recovering plating from aluminum or plastic, and the reply says that is an industrial process not covered in a short answer.
Q. I am retired and frequent estate sales as a hobby. I find many items with 22k and a6k gold finishes or plated. Is there any practical way to reclaim this gold without spending thousands on equipment?
James A. Clore
hobbyist – Crawfordsville, Indiana, USA
2003
A. That depends on what you intend to do with it after recovery. Talk to the jewelry teacher. Most colleges have one in the art Dept.
James Watts
– Navarre, Florida
2003
A. An aqua-regia solution will take care of your needs. Safety is a concern, but only a minor one if you have experience with acids, that requires rubber
rubber gloves
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] , face mask, and a fume hood. Aqua-regia is a mix of nitric and hydrochloric acids. A gallon or two of solution in a five gallon bucket is about ideal for what you want. Immerse the object for a short time {until the gold is dissolved}and then rinse it into a second bucket using a rinse bottle. This has the added advantage that it will reclaim platinum group metals as well. This will work great on ceramic items with the trim, but as a ceramicist I will tell you that the value involved per piece is very small. Any karat gold items could be thrown in, with the added advantage that precious stones are not harmed. Some semiprecious stones like turquoise and opal will be damaged or destroyed. Gold plate or fill can be digested in a
muriatic acid
⇦ on
eBay or
Amazon [affil link] {20% hydrochloric} bath after being cut into small pieces. The leftover sludge and flake taken out by filtering would then be added to the aqua-regia. Economically it would be best to use the solution to depletion before recovering your values.
For full details refer to the C.W.Ammen book, “RECOVERY AND REFINING OF PRECIOUS METALS”
The chemicals for recovery are available in small amounts from eBay . This way you could try a batch to get familiar with the process before you purchase in quantity.
Marc Bilyeu
– Bellevue, Nebraska, USA
2003
A. Don’t EVER use aqua on gold-plated material. It’s very dangerous and totally non-profitable. No man has ever made a profit by dissolving gold-plated objects in aqua regia. No self-respecting gold refiner would ever use aqua regia on gold-plated objects. It’s foolishness. It costs more in chemicals and equipment and waste disposal than the stuff is worth. Even with very heavy plating, it isn’t used. About the only thing that aqua regia should be used for is refining solid karat gold items. In that case, you can’t do without it.
Chris Owen
Consultant – Houston,Texas
2003
Q. So how can you recover gold plating from items like aluminum or plastic?
Gene Myrkle
– Rincon Georgia USA
August 24, 2012
A. Hi Gene.
That is an industrial science that can’t be dispatched in an answer of a paragraph or two. As previously mentioned, there are specialty books which are a good intro to it though. But you can find a dozen extensive threads on the subject on this website alone. Maybe start with topics 771b and 18889. Good luck.
Regards,
Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com – Pine Beach, New Jersey
Need quick confidential answers? $25
Need project assistance? $100/hr.
August 25, 2012