Online Articles

Shipping A Refining Lot Advice to help jewelers get the best return (Originally published October 2021) Note: This primer on when and how to send in a refining lot is adapted from the digital publication A Refined Approach: Tips for Capturing Precious Metals, Choosing a Refiner, and Maximizing Returns (MJSA Press, 2021). The book offers […]

Tips for maximizing your metal returns. By Shawna Kulpa Jewelers’ workshops have likely never been as clean as they are right now. With precious metals prices on the rise, many jewelers are taking the opportunity to scour every inch of their shops, hoping to capture each and every errant particle of gold to send in […]

Steps toward maximizing your metal returns By Shawna Kulpa For a business owner, there are few things worse than leaving money on the table. And it’s something that many jewelers worry about when it comes to refining the precious metal waste in their shops. Are they collecting everything that they could be, and are they […]

Refiners share tips for hunting down and capturing precious metal waste By Shawna Kulpa “Our industry has taught the rest of the world how to capture metal,” says Daniel Ballard, national sales manager of Precious Metals West/Fine Gold in Los Angeles. And he may be on to something. After all, is there another industry that […]

A look into the assaying methods refiners use to determine the value of a lot By Shawna Kulpa It seems so mysterious: You gather up your bits of dirty precious metal scraps, send them to a refiner, and just a short time later get either a check in the mail or some new shiny metal […]

Tips for recovering precious metal particles By Shawna Kulpa Most jewelers know how to handle their precious metal scraps: they separate their scraps by metal, dry out ultrasonic solutions so they just ship the metal-infused sludge, and they keep their bench sweeps separate. But what about the precious metal scrap that’s not easy to see—that […]

Treating and disposing of exhausted rhodium plating solution By Mike Melvin, Stuller Inc. Rhodium plating solutions contain dilute sulfuric and/or phosphoric acids. When the solutions are exhausted, you can treat and dispose of them using a simple process that neutralizes the acid and removes any remaining metals. Equipment • 2 plastic containers of adequate size […]

How refiners increase transparency and resolve differences By Shawna Kulpa Like many jewelers, you probably have the process of preparing your scrap for refining down pat. You separate your scrap and scour all of your work surfaces clean, placing the cleaning cloths in with your used buffs and sweeps. You clean out your sink traps […]

Tips for ensuring you get the most from your metal scrap By Shawna Kulpa When it comes to your shop, cleanliness is next to godliness. At least it should be when you’re dealing with high value materials. But whether you’re a neat freak or fall a little more on the slob side, it’s imperative that […]

A step-by-step look at the refining process What happens to that lot of scrap you send out to your refiner of choice? What’s involved in turning that scrap into useable metal and how is it tested? In this MJSA Tech Video, technicians at Advanced Chemical Co. in Warwick, Rhode Island, walk viewers step-by-step through the […]

What you can do to ensure the best refining experience By Tina Wojtkielo Snyder Today’s record metals prices have probably encouraged you to be more diligent than ever about capturing every last bit of precious metal dust in your shop. With gold creeping up toward the $2,000 mark at presstime, never before have your old […]

Tips for working with testing labs By Tina Wojtkielo Snyder Before you submit any jewelry item to a lab to test for heavy metals, you’re going to need to do a little homework. Current state and federal laws regulating lead and cadmium levels in jewelry have mounted hurdles that jewelry makers must clear—and some of […]

Tips for boosting your refining returns Compiled by Tina Wojtkielo Snyder You’ve done your homework and found a reputable refiner whom you trust to process your scrap. You have solid housekeeping practices in place to collect and segregate that scrap—from proper dust collection at the polishing bench to floor mats that trap shavings on the […]