# Whats the deal with Gold Fill?



## pugs (Sep 12, 2012)

I have 227 grams of gold filled scrap. Using calculations that I found, I'm under the impression that there should be around 5 grams of gold? I sent this off to a refiner and was told that its garbage, that nothing can be recovered. All pieces are marked GF to some karat value. Whats the real deal?


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## glondor (Sep 12, 2012)

Well.... They lied to you. Just finished a 525g batch and recovered 25 g.


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## RoboSteveo (Sep 12, 2012)

If it's gold filled you have some gold there, question is how much?
Any pics of this jewelry? Maybe someone on here can give you an estimate. Or better yet refine it for you.

Steve


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## lazersteve (Sep 13, 2012)

Glondor,

Your yields are very high, you must have processed some 25-30 year pocket watch cases or some very old eyeglass frames that have never seen any wear. My best yields on GF came from a large batch of 30 year GF watch cases, they ran right at 4.7% like your batch. Next best were* unused* 1/10 12kt eyeglass frames only (no springs), they ran close to 4.5%. Used stuff runs a few tenths of a percent lower generally.

Average yields on 1/10 12kt stuff with wear is around 4.0 to 4.3% by weight. There always seems to be an assortment of miscellaneous weight in random stainless parts and fillers in most stuff. 

More common run of the mill mixed lots of GF jewelry and such runs from 1.5 to 2.5% by weight depending on wear and trash weight.

Steve


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## cleanbucket1 (Sep 13, 2012)

Glondor is correct.
He and I have a partnership on recovery and refining of Gold Filled. The best yield so far is that from old pocket watch casing with very little to no wear. There is plenty of gold to be had in gf. Obviously the stuff marked 1/8 gf is going to yield better that that of 1/30 gold filled assuming wear levels are even. Here are types of gold filled I've found so far:
1/8 1/10 1/20 1/30
9k. 10k. 12k. 14k. 18k. 
For example on yield: 1000 grams of 1/10 10k gold filled
Multiply 1000 by 0.10 equals 100. Multiply 100 by .417 (10k) and get 41.7 grams for 24k yield.

Keep in mind that's a perfect yield for untouched ( no wear ) 1/10 10k gold filled recovered and refined perfectly. There's always a chance for some loss in processing.


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## lazersteve (Sep 13, 2012)

Bucket,

For the record, I was not contradicting what Glondor said, I was merely elaborating on his statement to make it clear to other readers that his results are not from typical GF scrap, but only from the highest grade GF scrap. Most people don't get their hands on any appreciable quantities of the best stuff, like you and I do.

If I had not made the distinction between the various 'grades' of GF scrap most readers would erroneously assume that all GF scrap yields were the same as 30 year GF pocket watches. It's also important to note that not all pocket watch cases are of the same quality GF material. They must be properly sorted by year rating to get the yields Glondor reports.

Steve


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## Palladium (Sep 13, 2012)

Steve is right on the numbers i use to compare mine. I've found GF to be a great source of business here lately. Seems to account for about 1/2 of my retail refining side. Everybody else is eating the karat side of the business up. GF has a good market right now for me. I just finished up a lot of mixed GF weighting 3276 grams and the yield was around 82 grams.


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## goldsilverpro (Sep 13, 2012)

Palladium said:


> Steve is right on the numbers i use to compare mine. I've found GF to be a great source of business here lately. Seems to account for about 1/2 of my retail refining side. Everybody else is eating the karat side of the business up. GF has a good market right now for me. I just finished up a lot of mixed GF weighting 3276 grams and the yield was around 82 grams.


That's 2.5%, which is probably about average for a large mixed lot. Glondor's lot ran almost 5% and that's about the best you'll ever find. 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold-filled_jewelry


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## Palladium (Sep 13, 2012)

It was all new materials that came right out the factory box. I say new in terms of it had never been worn. It was probably 30 year old stuff from what i cold tell from the age of the packaging and the style of jewelry. Their was a piece or two of karat i noticed that may account for the variance in yield on the high side. I made a nice little 16 grams for my troubles. Plus the silver. :mrgreen:


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## pugs (Sep 21, 2012)

Thanks for the reply's...unfortunately, the place I sent it to sent a check for $32. I do not want their money, I want my stuff back! They told me that they bought it outright, after they called it garbage, and put it in a 50gal drum with a bunch of other gold filled items. I was told they will not send back my order, "be happy with what you got"! What BS! Looks like I lost money, and have to start over...live and learn huh?


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## Palladium (Sep 21, 2012)

Where did you send it?


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## pugs (Sep 21, 2012)

Palladium said:


> Where did you send it?



Midwest Refineries - I was told to send it there by a local guy here...I did a thorough look at their site today and came up with. "All gold-filled material purchased outright at 7% of the spot price PER POUND." I didn't see this before I sent it in :x . I was drawn in by their no fee's or charges and 95% payout on pure gold contained in order.


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## Oz (Sep 22, 2012)

Often you find it is all in the fine print. I am not saying it is right what they did, but they covered their derriere.


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## nickvc (Sep 22, 2012)

Remember when calculating gild filled or rolled gold that the material leaves the bullion dealers at the given percentage but once it's put into production and the material is formed into it's final shape that the outer or visible parts are then subject to polishing to produce that perfect looking piece, the problem is it's only the gold part that's polished usually so 1/10 or whatever is rarely if ever that even without wear, watch bracelets are particulary bad for this in my experience.


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## joem (Sep 23, 2012)

> and have to start over...live and learn huh?


Always offer it here first. You will live better and learn more.


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