# gold from silk zari



## ggkvarma (Nov 14, 2015)

hello everybody, i am facing difficult in stripping gold from the zari gold ,usually silver and gold threads are wound over a silk threadand made a single thread,and this is used in silk embroidery, i tried to extract with mercury, but i find only a small percentage is dissolved into mercury,now is there any method to extract gold from this threads.


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## patnor1011 (Nov 14, 2015)

Mercury is a very bad choice.

Take your fabric/threads and incinerate them. Process incinerated ash in AR.


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## goldenchild (Nov 14, 2015)

I once processed one of these for an Indian co-worker of mine. The technique used is called "diamond needle" and actual silver and gold thread is used for the patterns. It was a lot of work. This is because I was trying to incinerate the sari in a stainless bowl with a torch all at once. I should have incinerated small pieces at one time. Afterwards I processed the ash in nitric. Then AR. Unfortunately I believe the gold on parts of the patern were plated and was a total loss in the melee. I was amazed however to recover and refine nearly 2 full ounces of fine silver.

My co-worker was very excited when I gave him the 2 ingots. Indians love their gold and silver! It also had special meaning for him as it was his mother's sari who had recently passed away. Now he would be able to admire the ingots instead of having a sari stored away in a closet somewhere where no one would ever use/see it. I processed the sari free and did it more for the experience. The joy on my co-workers face was payment enough anyhow. It was funny to see him fondling and admiring the ingots the whole workday 

ETA: Don't go straight to AR unless you are 100% certain your ash contains high gold content thread. Indians generally use 22k and higher in their jewelry so it should be fine but if you're not sure process the ash with nitric first.


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## Anonymous (Nov 15, 2015)

That's a great story goldenchild. 

By the way doesn't silk dissolve in lye?


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## rickbb (Nov 16, 2015)

As others have posted, don't use mercury, bad stuff. Also gold does not "dissolve" in mercury. It bonds with it forming an amalgam. If the gold is already bonded tightly to something else (like the silk thread), mercury will not force it to release.


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## Lou (Nov 16, 2015)

The stuff dissolves fine in hot aqua regia.

Lou


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## goldenchild (Nov 17, 2015)

I wish I would have thought of dissolving it in something way back then. If I ever get another chance I will definitely try in lye and AR and see which one works better. Lou, when you say dissolves do you mean it will be a perfectly aqueous solution afterwards or a gooey cellulose like substance? Either way I think would be better than incineration.


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## ggkvarma (Nov 24, 2015)

thank you gold child


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