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}

Happy first day of fall everyone! Makes us think of the Gold Canadian Maple Leaf. Have any of these laying around? We refine gold coins: )

http://www.archenterprises.com/gold-coins.html

“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.

Question: “I have recently inherited a silver coin collection and the coins have “one troy ounce, .999 fine silver” written on the back of them. What does troy ounce mean, and how much can I expect to get from each of them?” – From Hayden in Portland, Oregon

Hi Hayden,

Thank you for sending us pictures of your troy ounce silver coins. Silver is unique in that, because it is a universal precious metal, there is a standardized measuring method that is used for determining its worth. The American version of ounces does not equate to a troy ounce, which means that when precious metal items are refined or sold they must be weighted and assessed in troy ounces. A great way to determine the difference between a troy ounce and an average ounce is by using our Silver/Gold calculator.

The daily troy ounce prices for silver as well as other precious metals are determined by the New York Comex, and thus fluctuate daily. So if you should decide to send in your silver coins for refining, know that we will be able to give you the silver Comex price for the day we receive them not the day of shipment.
Here are some quick conversions for you:

1 troy ounce = 1.09714286 ounces
1 pound = 14.5833333 troy ounces

Review our shipping materials and packing slip should you decide to send us your silver coins.
Your question was greatly appreciated, thank you Hayden!

Here are some previous blog posts that may be helpful for you:
Silver Tea Set
Silver Powder

*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.

“I have a White Gold necklace I am looking to sell, what will I get in terms of price because it’s White Gold instead of regular Gold? Thanks from Clay in Detroit, MI.”

Hi Clay,

Thanks for the inquiry! White gold can be refined in the same process that yellow (“regular”) gold. In fact, white gold holds the same amount of gold ratio that yellow gold jewelry and products contain. The primary difference has to do with the composition of the other materials that are mixed with the gold, called alloys. White gold will typically contain either silver or palladium metals, which accounts for the “white” coloring, whereas yellow gold contains either copper or zinc as its alloys.

Pictured is a chart that can be used to evaluate the gold content of items we will refine. Depending on the amount of karats your necklace is, we can give you an estimate of what the refined gold would be worth.

Our payout schedule on gold depends on the purity and amount that you have. We pay 70% of the gold value back to you if you have less than 0.5 fine ounces.

Visit our website to learn more information about Gold Refining and about the types of gold items we refine and recover.

If you decide to sell your white gold necklace, please refer to our Packing Slip.

Thanks for your question Clay!

*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.