Are you among the many who have been captivated by the allure of weighted silver? Perhaps you've inherited a set of candelabras that seem to promise a treasure trove of precious metal, or maybe you're considering recycling your silverware for some extra cash. Whatever your situation, it's essential to understand the reality behind weighted silver and its value.

At Specialty Metals, Smelters, and Refiners, we understand the importance of discerning the true nature of your precious metal scrap. Whether you're a jewelry enthusiast, a medical device manufacturer, or a collector, knowing whether your material contains platinum, iridium, or a combination of both is essential for ensuring its value and utility.

In the world of precious metals, accuracy is paramount. Whether you're a seasoned investor or a newcomer to the industry, the quest for precise readings on metal composition can be fraught with challenges. One such hurdle comes in the form of X-ray guns, which, while widely used, may not always deliver the accuracy you need.

It’s been a long while since we wrote an advisory about investing in gold-plated tableware. So . . . why should we write about it again? The simple reason is that the price of gold is high now. . . and that means this is a good time to think again about investing in gold-plated knives, forks, and spoons. 

Are coins and bullion bars good investments? In today’s post, you will learn what you need to know to make a good decision about whether to sink your money into these popular investments. 

The platinum group metals - platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, and ruthenium look pretty much the same. They are all bright, shiny white metals that do not tarnish. And if you’re dealing with platinum group metal scrap – the stuff that is left over after different industrial processes – it all looks pretty much the same. 

Have you noticed a big change in computers over the last few years?

We’re not talking about the fact that DVD/CD drives have disappeared from most of them – even though that is true. Nor are we talking about the fact that there is no longer a place to plug in an ethernet cable. 

What do you get when you mix platinum and iridium, two ultra-valuable white, shiny metals? You get a very valuable alloy with high density and resistance to corrosion and oxidation, even at high temperatures. Those characteristics make the alloy particularly useful. 

Recycling platinum and platinum scrap is not a job for hobbyists. Some potential risks include:

Inherited items can sometimes be worth more than people expect. There are several reasons for this:

Rarity and collectability - Items that are rare, unique, or have historical significance can be valuable. People may not always be aware of the rarity or historical importance of an item they inherit.

A famous American politician was recently indicted on charges of taking bribes in exchange for doing political favors. We certainly have no comment on this case or on the innocence or guilt of the accused man, but what interested us was the fact that when his home was searched by FBI agents, they reportedly found gold bars that were worth about $100,000. They reportedly also found about $480,000 in cash.

Not long ago we were chatting with a with a young man who was just starting to invest in precious metals. As we were talking, we realized that he thought that an alloy was something that results when two pieces of metal are welded together. That’s incorrect. (See the definition of “alloy” below.) He also thought that the process of annealing means melting a piece of metal. That’s again incorrect. (See the definition of “annealing” below.)

With the Help of Specialty Metals, You Can Make Money Collecting Silver Contacts from the 1980s and 90s. Here’s What You Need to Know

Placer gold, also known as alluvial gold, is gold that has adhered to rocks and other materials. Can you recycle it and make money? In most cases you cannot, because the amount of gold that can be recovered from recycling placer gold materials is very small. Yet large industrial gold collecting operations have been able to generate profits from placer gold because of the large quantities of soil and sand they are able to gather. 

At some point in your life, you might find yourself emptying an old house. The circumstances might be happy (you bought a house or are moving into it, and you want to be sure to conduct a thorough search for treasures that the previous owners hid away). At other times, the circumstances might not be too happy, as is the case when you are cleaning out a house that was occupied by parents or relatives who passed away.

So, where do you look? 

Gold is all around us. It’s in the jewelry we don’t wear anymore, in the old cellphones that are gathering dust in our homes, and of course, in our cars. 

But just because gold is present doesn’t always mean it is worth recycling, for one of these reasons:

An Astonishing Find of 700 Coins Buried in a Kentucky Field Makes You Wonder . . . Is There Even More to Be Found?

A man in Kentucky recently made one of the most important and valuable discoveries of buried treasure ever. It happened in a farmer’s field, where he dug up more than 700 Civil War-era gold coins with an estimated value of well more than $1 million. 

There are low-risk investments you can make in precious metals and precious metal scrap. For example, you walk into an antiques mall and buy a pair of old cufflinks for $50.00. You’re not sure whether they are made of 14K gold, 18K gold, or are just gold-plated. But you put your money on the counter and plan to learn more about the cufflinks later. After all, they cost you just a small amount of money. And if you turn out to double or triple your investment, then you’ll be happy. 

Which precious metals make the best short-term investments? And which are best if you are investing in metals and metal scrap you plan to hold for years before liquidating them?

Those are two interesting questions. And here’s an interesting fact to consider. Some metals are excellent investments whether sold quickly or held long-term.

Precious Metals that Make Profitable Short-Term Investments

If you need a little motivation to get out there to hunt for precious metal scrap and treasure, we have some books for you to read. 

Treasure hunting has captured the imagination of readers for centuries, and there are a lot of notable books that delve into this thrilling and adventurous subject. 

If you could use a little motivation to get up, get out, and look for gold and other scrap, here are some of the greatest motivational books on treasure hunting ever written: