# Other metals in sterling



## ssharktu17 (Dec 17, 2021)

How often are there significant amounts of gold, platinum, palladium or other heavy metals in sterling? I would guess that older silver alloys would have a pretty decent chance of being contaminated with other heavy metals.


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## nickvc (Dec 18, 2021)

The older silver may and I do say may contain traces of gold but I doubt you will find PGMs as silver is not usually found with PGMs naturally I believe, one point to remember is that most silver of any age will probably be worth more as an item than any gold you recover .


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## kurtak (Dec 18, 2021)

ssharktu17 said:


> How often are there significant amounts



Never "significant" amounts --- "traces" of other PMs is all you are going to find & that will for the most part be in silver produced (whether sterling or otherwise) BEFORE the 1900s - MAYBE into the 1920s

Kurt


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## ssharktu17 (Dec 18, 2021)

nickvc said:


> The older silver may and I do say may contain traces of gold but I doubt you will find PGMs as silver is not usually found with PGMs naturally I believe, one point to remember is that most silver of any age will probably be worth more as an item than any gold you recover .


I am finding that most sterling is worth more as scrap vs trying to resell especially considering the time and work. But I am curious how much gold you would get on bulk refining like if you did 2000 lbs of sterling. As far as I am aware they don’t pay you for gold or the copper.


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## justinhcase (Dec 18, 2021)

_Found a good amount of gold in some Georgian silver cutlery.
Also, rhodium in plating on silver bowls and jewellery.
So I tend to check, but small amounts of waste I just put in the stock pot.
Now I mostly only do inquartations bar the lots of mixed silver scrap it does not really matter, if it is there it will be recovered eventually.
Never throw anything away._


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## snoman701 (Dec 18, 2021)

ssharktu17 said:


> I am finding that most sterling is worth more as scrap vs trying to resell especially considering the time and work. But I am curious how much gold you would get on bulk refining like if you did 2000 lbs of sterling. As far as I am aware they don’t pay you for gold or the copper.


They don't pay you on the copper, but any reputable buyer will pay you on a four metal assay in that quantity. Possibly rhodium as well. You pick up a fair amount of gold from gilding and plating on sterling jewelry, not necessarily from impure silver used in antiques.


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## nickvc (Dec 19, 2021)

When dealing with volumes of silver the chances are you will find white gold items and even platinum and palladium missed by others but again only small amounts but it all adds up if you are already refining silver via a cell and recover the other metals from the slimes , if you just sell your scrap the cost of assays will probably be more than you will find in the mix .


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