Category Archives: All

Question: Hello, I would like to send in EP catheter platinum tips. What information do you need to get this process started? Thank you, Lauren from Chicago, Illinois

Hi Lauren,

We help many medical facilities and hospitals start in-house programs to collect, sell and send in precious metal containing medical devices such as EP catheter tips. We recycle the platinum and return payment to your department based on the actual amount of platinum extracted.

To get started on a platinum recycling program, begin by collecting the EP catheters and other platinum-containing devices you use in your lab. Place sterilized EP catheters, angioplasty guide wires, and electrophoresis electrodes in a plastic bag or plastic container.

You can fill out our packing slip to include with your shipment and include any instructions and contact information you have. We typically can return a payment within 5-7 business days if not sooner.

Hope that helps! Thank you for your question.

*Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.

We see this questions quite often, “What is the Difference Between Refiners and Gold Buyers?”

The main difference between precious metal refiners like Arch Enterprises verses the gold buyers that have popped up everywhere is that as refiners, we have all the equipment and means to actually recover the precious metal and put it back in its most pure form.

While gold buyers will go on to sell gold, silver and platinum pieces to refiners, we go through the process of melting and extracting the precious metals and then work with organizations to put the precious metals back into the manufacturing markets that use them.

We do understand that sometimes it is more convenient to sell smaller items to the local gold buyer or jewelry store, but our advice is that it is worth it to get several estimates, especially if you have over an ounce of gold or platinum or a several ounces of silver.

There are some gold buyers out there that will give you a decent price, just remember that there are also some that are not as reputable. Our advice would be to check out the company you decide to work with. Check their rating with the Better Business Bureau and do a simple Google search to see who you are working with. Also remember, that unlike jewelers and/or pawn shops precious metal refiners do not buy gems or stones.

Finally, as a precious metal refiner, we do not have the expertise to look at antiques or collectables and return a value. We look at the purity of your precious metal items, the weight and the daily price of precious metals and that is how we arrive at our estimates and returns.

If you have questions, please contact us or request your own estimate.

Question: What would be the minimum amount of black and white negatives I would need in order for your firm to purchase them? I have had a long career in photography, and have closed up shop. Thanks! From Ed in Columbus, Ohio

Hi Ed,

Thanks for your question. The black and white negatives you have from your photography business contain silver and are the ideal material to send to a precious metal refiner. We normally recommend you have about 300 pounds of material or more to refine to receive a return.

For those of you that do not know, we specify “black and white” film, because color film/negatives do not contain silver. So please separate this out before sending in only the black and white film/negatives you have.

Keep in mind that different types of film contain different amounts of silver. Typically we can pay back 75% of the pure silver value that is recovered from the film. We recommend sending in gallon size drums. If you have hundreds or thousands of pounds of material, we may be able to help with the freight.

*Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.

Question/Answer: I am not sure about the weight but I am trying to save up money to buy a car so I would like to know how much I could get for this ring?? From Rob from Manchester, CT

Hi Rob,

Thanks for your question. Gold rings can range in their weight and purity/karat value. The rings that we see are normally about 0.5 to 1 ounces in weight. Since you mention that you have a gold fraternity ring, your ring may be on the heavier side, as men’s fraternity rings tend to be larger in size.

With the price of gold at *$1,642.60 USD/troy ounce right now, you may expect to received $400 – $880.00 for a 14 k gold ring weighting 0.5 to 1 ounces, however this will depend on the weight of gold and the purity of your gold ring.

Also keep in mind that many times class rings contain a gem. As precious metal refiners, we do not pay returns on gems or precious stones. Make sure that you remove any gems, diamonds or stones and do not include them in your precious metal weight.

Our payout schedule on gold depends on the purity and amount that you have. We could pay 80% of the gold value back to you if you have between 0.5 – 1ounce of fine gold.

See more posts about the value of gold jewelry here:
Value of a 14K Gold Ring
Silver & Gold Jewelry Refining

*Images displayed are only a representation of the items described in this blog post and may not be true images of the items in question.

*This price may not reflect the current price of silver when this blog entry was posted. The output from the calculator is not a confirmation of the purchase price from Arch Enterprises.

While we are happy to give estimates on precious metal items, we are NOT antiques dealers, researchers, or retail sellers. As a precious metal refiner, we only consider the weight and amount of precious metal available to extract during the smelting and refining process.

Question: I have a large amount of .925 beads of all kinds including letter beads, clasps and toggle clasps – probably about 2+ pounds. How much is this worth and when can I receive a payment?  From Gina in Jackson, Michigan

Hi Gina,

Thanks for your question! The scrap silver items you describe sound ideal for a precious metal refiner, as your scrap pieces have a significant value for their silver content. We could refine your material and pay a return back to you in 3-5 business days.

We would recommend plugging in the amount of silver you have with the price of silver currently at *$30.36 USD/troy ounce into our silver value calculator. This will give you the market price of your silver scrap (not the purchase price).

Note how we have selected 0.925 silver as we are assuming that all of your silver items are sterling. If not all your items are sterling, the return will be less. Typically we can return 75% of the silver back to you for sterling silver.

We work with many customers who have gold and silver scrap for jewelry making that have found that working with a precious metal refiner price will yield a higher return than trying to resell it for jewelry making as many pieces can become outdated or undesirable to use again.

Hope that helps you!

*This price may not reflect the current price of silver when this blog entry was posted. The output from the calculator is not a confirmation of the purchase price from Arch Enterprises.

While we are happy to give estimates on precious metal items, we are NOT antiques dealers, researchers, or retail sellers. As a precious metal refiner, we only consider the weight and amount of precious metal available to extract during the smelting and refining process.