Category Archives: Uncategorized

QUESTION:
Do you work with hospitals for refining EP Catheter Tips?

EP Catheter Recycling

ANSWER:
Thank you for your inquiry. YES! We do work with hospitals and medical offices on a regular basis to refine platinum from medical devices such as EP Catheter Tips. We would be happy to quote you on the processing and recycling of your EP Tips. Our EP Recycling Program leaves zero margins for diminishing returns. When your material is sent to us, you will know the exact precious metal contents within each tip. In order to give you the most accurate estimate, we would need samples of each kind of EP tip your department uses for various procedures (i.e., manufacturer and size of tips). We would also need an approximate amount of how many is used quarterly/monthly.  We can disclose the Platinum yield of each type of tip. This is a factual number.  Once established, we will quote you a program that will leave little error as to how much your return should be quarterly or monthly, depending on how many procedures are performed in your EP Lab.

Follow the following 5 steps to prepare your EP Catheter Tips for platinum refining:

1. Cut the wire 4 inches above the Band furthest from the actual tip and put it in the plastic bag located in our EP dispenser.  It’s highly recommend the dispenser be located for convenience where the device is taken off of the patient.
2. When the bag is filled, close up the bag, secure it with tape and ship it to us for recycling.
3. List the type and amount (how many of each type) of tips you are sending on our packing slip.
4. Call or e-mail stating you are sending your package to our refinery in Missouri.
5. At the time of arrival of your package to our facility, the platinum price of the NY Comex Spot market price and your settlement price will be calculated.  A check will be mailed to your department within 10 business days of receiving your shipment.

We can provide you many excellent references, as well as, any other additional credibility documents that you require.

_{* 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.}

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Happy Thanksgiving. We love the holidays around here and gives us a chance to reflect on the year to realize how lucky we are. We hope that you also take the time to step back and think about what you are thankful for in your life.

Q: Hi, I have 20 pounds of silver contacts. Please let me know if you take this material and how much my return will be. – From Dawn in Modesto, California

A: Thanks for your question! We get a range of silver contacts to refine. Your 20 pounds of material meets our volume requirements for silver contacts. Silver bearing contacts vary widely in silver content. Typically, the best and worst case scenarios are anywhere from 35 to 90 percent silver.

We can return 65% of the silver dollar value back to the customer. This percentage is due to the presence of cadmium, which emits a potentiality harmful gas when melted. If cadmium is present we must process with an oxidizing wet process. If you choose to ship your material to us for processing, we will analyze and contact you with the silver percentage before processing. Then, with customers consent, we will process and pay for the material. We work as quickly as possible for a fast turnaround for our customers. From the time that we receive your material, it will take approximately 5 business days for us to mail payment.

Thank you for your inquiry and for considering Arch!

_{* Blog estimates are given on a case by case basis and are not Arch’s final settlement price. Any prices or estimates in blog articles are based on the precious metal prices at the time of the post and can change on a daily basis as the price of precious metals change.}

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Q: I have 10KG of silver cell batteries. Do you take this material? — From James in Arlington, TX

Refine Silver Oxide Batteries

A: Thank you for your inquiry! YES, Arch does refine the silver from silver oxide batteries.

The first item to note is that we do not accept co-mingled lots, so you will have to separate these batteries out if they are among other items or other types of batteries. We do not accept lithium batteries for example.

Depending on the volume that is sent in for refining, we typically pay $16 to $25, per pound of silver oxide batteries.  So for your 10 KG (which converts to 22 lbs) we would pay with a Spot price of Silver being today at $18.32 the following:

(22 lbs of Silver Oxide batteries x $27.93, per pound = $614.46, back to you, had we received your batteries today at our refinery)

Thank you for your question! Please let us know if we can be of service.

• HOW TO SHIP
• PACKING SLIP

Please Note:  there is a 5 pound minimum for Silver Oxide Batteries.

_{* 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.}

_{* 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.}

_{* Blog estimates are given on a case by case basis and are not Arch’s final settlement price. Any prices or estimates in blog articles are based on the precious metal prices at the time of the post and can change on a daily basis as the price of precious metals change.}

_{* Read our disclaimer}

“I was recently given a gold gemstone ring and am looking to sell it. Is it possible for you to remove the gem and buy the gold? If so, how much can I expect to get from the ring or is it better to just sell the ring as is?”

Thanks, Shelly – Houston, Texas.

Hi Shelly,

First off thank you for your question. As a gold refining company, we do not remove gems or diamonds from jewelry as a standard. However, Arch is equipped for gold recovery after a gem has been removed, but we will need the rings weight in order to establish a proper estimate. Once we have that information, we use the following payout schedule to determine the amount of money you will receive in return for your gold jewelry.

• 70% if customers send in less than 0.5 fine ounces.
• 80% if customers send in less than 1 fine ounce.
• 85% if customers send in less than 2 fine ounces.
• 90% if customers send in more than 2 fine ounces.
• More than 90%, based on frequency and volume of shipments.

Another aspect we consider with gold recovery is the number of karats the jewelry is comprised of. Based on its karat, we can determine its purity and overall worth in order to give you a proper estimate for its value. For more information on Karat options, visit our website about gold jewelry. If you would like to get your ring appraised as is, we recommend contacting your local jeweler.

If you know the weight of the ring (without the gem) and the karat of the gold. Find the daily price of gold, and use our gold calculator to find the market value of the gold.

We find that in cases like class rings or old jewelry (but not considered an antique) the gold value can be worth more than the resale value of the ring as a whole. Our recommendation is to see if you can sell the gem as is once it is removed. Or even reusing the gem for a new piece is a common practice. If you think you have an antique or rare type of ring, get it appraised as is.

We appreciate your inquiry and hope this helps with determining the best option for your gold ring. Should you decide to sell us your gold, here is our packing slip.

Thank you!

*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.

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.