You’ve decided to sell your scrap gold and you’re wondering what happens next. Here’s a simple, step-by-step overview of how unwanted gold jewellery, coins and other gold items are sorted, refined and repurposed.
Firstly, non-gold items are separated from gold items. Obvious non-gold pieces are removed; any remaining uncertainty is checked using professional testing methods such as XRF analysis and acid tests. Magnets can also be used to detect and separate other metals. Stones and non-metal parts are set aside rather than melted. The goal at this stage is simply to confirm carat (fineness) and weight so the metal can be processed efficiently.
For the material that can’t be easily separated form the gold, the smelting process can help. Mixed scrap is melted in a crucible at temperatures above the melting point of gold (~1,064 °C). Refiners add flux so unwanted materials bind into slag that can be skimmed from the surface. This step homogenises the metal and removes some contaminants.
Melting is the primary way to remove most of the impurities, but it isn’t as simple as heating gold to get it to the highest level of purity. There are still some metals combined with the gold and elements that remain that need to be refined through the use of chemicals. Large refiners commonly use the Miller process (passing chlorine gas through molten gold) to convert many impurities into metal chlorides that form slag, producing ~99.5% pure gold. For higher purities, refiners often follow with the Wohlwill electrolytic process, which can achieve 99.99%.
The fully recycled and refined gold can now be repurposed into its intended usage. It can be cast into bars (e.g., kilobars for trade), feedstock for jewellery manufacturers (sheet, wire, grain) or specialist uses in dentistry/electronics.
The gold you’ve sold to be scrapped will take on many new forms. It may become a fine piece of jewellery for someone else to enjoy, who may one day eventually include it with their scrap gold to be resold to an online gold buyer. It could also end up as a gold bar locked up in a vault somewhere. It may even be used in technological components.
Recycling gold reduces the need for new mine supply at the margin and keeps existing gold in circulation. Globally, recycled gold is the most price-responsive part of supply and contributes a significant share each quarter. Environmental impacts differ by route and operator, but multiple studies and industry data show recycled gold generally has a much lower footprint than newly mined metal.
You now know what happens to your gold when sold to a gold recycler. We are ready to take whatever gold you have on hand. When you choose to sell to us, we’ll test and confirm carat and weight, then give you a clear, written quote with no obligation. You can visit our Warrington store or use our Free Insured Postal Pack. We work with established UK refiners and follow industry-standard testing methods. Our pricing is transparent and competitive, and we explain our assumptions in writing.
Receive your prepaid, insured envelope to send your gold to us. Find out more visit Sell Gold Online
