Old gold jewelry is recycled by specialist refiners that sort and weigh the scrap, test a representative sample, separate the gold from other materials, and purify it for reuse. The recovered metal may become bullion, coins, or new jewelry. The exact process depends on what is in the lot: a clean gold chain and a batch of mixed jewelry sweepings are not processed in the same way.
How old gold jewelry is recycled
Jewelry is usually an alloy rather than pure gold, and a scrap shipment may include other metals, stones, solder, dirt, or non-metallic material. Refiners therefore assess the material and assay a sample before settling its precious-metal value. An assay estimates the composition of the tested lot; it does not, on its own, determine what a customer will be paid.
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- Collection and intake: A refiner receives a scrap lot and records it. Hoover & Strong says its own intake procedure includes weighing and photographing each lot and assigning it a tracking number; procedures differ among refiners. (Hoover & Strong)
- Sorting and preparation: The refiner considers the material’s form and composition. Hoover & Strong describes melting clean karat-gold scrap with flux, while low-grade jewelry sweeps may need combustible material burned off, followed by milling, sifting, blending, and sampling. These are distinct feedstocks and preparation routes. (Hoover & Strong)
- Melting and sampling: For clean scrap, flux helps the metal melt and mix more uniformly. The refiner takes a sample for analysis; slag can carry away some non-metallic impurities. (Hoover & Strong)
- Assay: A representative sample is tested to estimate the precious-metal content of the lot. Hoover & Strong describes duplicate fire assays and says it remelts and resamples a bar if the results disagree. It also mentions X-ray fluorescence (XRF), but assay methods should not be assumed interchangeable in purpose or accuracy. (Hoover & Strong)
- Separation and purification: Refiners use methods suited to the material. The Royal Canadian Mint describes chemical purification to 99.5% purity, followed by casting anodes for electrolysis and assay testing. That figure describes a stage in the Mint’s process—not the share of the original jewelry’s weight recovered. (Royal Canadian Mint: Precious Metals Refining)
- Reuse: Refined gold can re-enter the bullion market or be made into other products. The Mint identifies investment products and collectible coins; Hoover & Strong says it uses refined recycled metal in its jewelry products. (Royal Canadian Mint; Hoover & Strong)
What counts as recycled gold—and what does not
The LBMA distinguishes old scrap from process scrap and from bullion that is simply reformatted. Old scrap is material from a previously fabricated product that returns to the market as bullion; jewelry is one example, but not the only one. As a result, a statistic specifically about old scrap does not describe every material that a refinery may process. (LBMA: Chapter 2 – Profile of Recycling)
The LBMA describes high-grade scrap as typically containing at least 40% precious metal, with most having higher fine-metal content; it says this category is sourced almost entirely from old jewelry. Low-grade scrap can include ash from electronic scrap, jewelry sweeps, or cleaning materials. These are category descriptions, not acceptance rules for every refiner. (LBMA)
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Gold-plated costume jewelry is different from solid gold scrap. The LBMA says the thin, dispersed plating on costume jewelry or sunglasses is not practically recovered because doing so is uneconomic or impractical. (LBMA)
How much gold can be recovered from a piece of jewelry?
There is no universal recovery yield for a ring, chain, or mixed jewelry lot established by the sources here. The amount of gold in an item depends on its alloy and construction, and a market-wide recycling figure cannot predict the result for one customer’s item. A refiner’s assay measures the tested lot’s composition; ask the specific service how it translates that result into a settlement.
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When comparing refining offers, ask what material the service accepts, whether there is a minimum lot size, which assay method it uses and whether it shares results, how it handles stones and non-gold components, what fees or deductions apply, how long settlement takes, and how shipping and insurance work. Also clarify whether settlement is cash, bullion, or account credit. These are questions to put to a provider, not terms established for all services.
Why gold recycling rises and falls
Recycling volumes respond to gold prices and broader economic conditions. The World Gold Council’s 2018 primer said recycled gold represented around 30% of total gold supply over the preceding 20 years, and that roughly 90% of recycled gold came from jewelry. Those are historical context figures from that primer, not a current annual share or a promise about any particular item. (World Gold Council: Gold Recycling Primer)
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In its report covering data through 31 March 2026, the World Gold Council reported 366 tonnes of recycled gold in Q1 2026, up 5% year on year. It linked the increase partly to high prices encouraging sales of old jewelry and noted regional effects from exchange behavior, logistics, refinery capacity, and financing constraints. The Council says supply data may later be revised. This market-wide quarterly volume is not a household recovery estimate. (World Gold Council: Gold Demand Trends, Q1 2026 — Supply)
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where recycled gold goes
After refining, gold can be traded as bullion or used in manufactured products. The Royal Canadian Mint describes producing investment products and collectible coins, while Hoover & Strong gives new jewelry as an example of a use for refined recycled metal. These are examples, not an exhaustive list of destinations. (Royal Canadian Mint; Hoover & Strong)
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