As part of our comprehensive overview of all of the different kinds of refining that jewellers can recover from their waste metals, let’s delve into the categories of Solids and Clean Filings.
Read on for descriptions of these, as well as best practices in collecting, storing and submitting your refining to maximise your returns:
SOLIDS
This comprises any jeweller’s scrap including bits of jewellery, bars and buttons, sprues, clean sprue grinding, stripping, clippings from claws cut to size, even engraving scraps. Basically, you should keep every bit of metal that is discarded during a job.
How to look after your solids refining:
Collect, label and store any large pieces of metal (from wire and plate leftovers to whole unwanted jewellery pieces) by carat and by Alloyed Metal. Solids give the highest returns.
How we recover precious metals from your solids:
The client’s metal is weighed in and a job card is prepared. A magnet is run through the material to detect non-precious metals. The remaining metal is homogeneously melted and drilled for assay. The drilling is sent to our assay technician for analysis. The material is then sent to the laboratory for refining. Gold is oxidized by chemicals and dissolved as gold chlorides. Nitrogen oxide is removed and the fumes neutralized by means of a scrubber. Base metals are dissolved leaving the precious metals in solution, and each metal is then selectively precipitated.
Refining turnaround time for solids:
- Our turnaround time for solids is 1 – 2 working days if you pay on assay, otherwise 3 working days.
CLEAN FILINGS
This refining category consists only of Clean filings swept from the Jeweller’s bench, containing NO sandpaper, saw blades, tissue paper, or any other non-precious waste.
How to look after your clean filings refining:
Clean fillings of Gold, Silver, Platinum or Palladium should be swept carefully into containers as soon as the filing job is finished. Where possible each of these vessels should only hold filings of the same metal or carat.
How we recover precious metals from your clean filings:
Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium filings are calcined to remove organic matter and impurities. A magnet is then run through the material to remove iron filings and saw blades. Flux is added to melt the filings into a button or bar, which is then drilled, assayed and sent to the laboratory.
Refining turnaround time for clean filings:
- Our turnaround time for clean filings (Gold, Silver, Platinum and Palladium): 2 – 3 working days.
- Please note this time frame does not include time spent in transit to our Cape Town refinery.
For further info, see our refining tips section and look out for our upcoming articles covering polishings, bench sweeps, floor sweeps, carpets and sludge.
Is there anything you’re unsure about? Don’t hesitate to contact your regional Sales Representative
