Q - Where does your gold come from?
A - We get our gold from any number of sources. All gold used is 100% recycled or obtained from small scale placer panning. Most commonly it's from scrap jewelry or bench shavings, but it also frequently comes from scrap electronics and occasionally from old dental fillings, and small panned placer finds. Most placer is provided by weekend prospectors from the Current gold Rush.
Q - Do you buy gold
A - Yes, we buy both gold already refined from "back-yard" refiners, or scrap gold of any of the types listed above. We re-refine any "back-yard" or self refined gold as we must ensure strict quality control.
Q - So you do your own refining?
A - Yes, we use a variation of the aqua regia method that brings our gold to 999 pure. The last .09% is generally the most expensive for refiners to attain, and thus we decided to offer our coins at 999 rather than spend unnecessary money just to get the next significant digit. Trace elements make up the last %.1 of our coins. We double refine all our gold for coinage to ensure accuracy.
Q - Can you refine out gold I send?
Yes. Our refining fee varies depending on the total weight of the initial lot, and the difficulty of the refining to be done. We do not refine gold-filled except for lots in excess of 25 lbs. We also do not generally refine gold from electronics, although we can direct you to others who do this if you go to our contact page.
Q - Can I have my gold stamped into coin?
A - Yes. We have a stamping fee associated with this, but the fee is relative to the number of coins stamped, and decreases per coin with volume. We are currently working on an unlimited coin die for stamping gold into generic 1/10 or 1/4 ounce units of coins for clients. Also, we are working on a die for stamping native gold coins, and if you are interested in either of these, please go to our contact page and add yourself to our mailing list.
Q - Do you do assays?
A - No, we don't do statistical breakdown of our refining, except for gold content.
Q - Can I pay for either coins or services in gold?
A - Yes, since our trade is in gold, it is essentially as good as cash for us. If it is unrefined gold, and you are using it to pay for part or entirety of an order, we do still charge a refining fee, but the it is reduced for those using gold as payment.
Q - How do you dispose of your waste?
A - All of our chemistry is completely neutralized and then is disposed of properly. Any heavy metals or other metalic waste we generate is saved until a sufficient ammount has been accumulated to send out to a metal recycler.
Q - How do I know that your refining is accurate?
A - What we generally reccomend to test refiners (not just us) is that you cast an alloyed bar of known quantity, chop it in half, and send it to 2 different refiners, and have each report their yeild. Since each half of the bar should have the same ammount of gold per ounce (at least if completely alloyed), you'll be able to determine if there's any discrepancies.
Q - Do you buy and/or refine silver?
A - We do buy, but do not refine silver. We only buy known and recognizable quantities, including coins, bullion, silverware, and silver dinnerware. We do not buy silver jewelry or unstamped silver. Silver buying is on a case-by-case basis, please go to our contact page to inquire.
Q - How accurate is the weight of your coins?
A - Each coin made is %1 or more heavy, thus 10 coins actually weigh slightly more than one ounce of gold. This is a common practice among coin makers to avoid the shortage liability issue.
