About Gold Refinery

To refine gold, professionals must process and remove other elements from the gold mixture.

Gold refining is the process of finding gold and removing as many impurities as physically possible through heat or acidic treatment. This process helps purify gold, increasing its value and usability on the market.

Reasons

Pure gold is naturally too soft for practical uses. To allow gold to be made into jewelry, gold is mixed with other elements to increase its hardness. The refining process strips away elements to allow gold to be usable without losing its value.

Types

There are two methods of gold refining. Each method is associated with an element that is mixed with the gold and a stripping process.

Lead

With lead, the refining method of cupellation is employed. Lead is mixed with the gold and then heated until gold bullion remains.

Silver or Copper

With silver and copper, the refining process of inquartation is used. Inquartation involves mixing gold with copper or silver and then washing the mixture in nitric acid. The acid washes away the alloys and leaves almost pure gold.

References

• Gold and Silver Mines: More About Gold
• My Jeweler's Place: Gold Refining Process