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

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? 

Items that contain the most gold by weight are those that are made from 24-karat gold or are as close to pure gold as possible. However, these items might not be very common due to the softness of pure gold. (Pure gold is 24 karats, but it's very soft and malleable, making it less suitable for jewelry that needs to withstand daily wear.)

Platinum alloys are valuable and are commonly used in various industrial applications, including electronics, jewelry, and more. And if you can find platinum and platinum alloy scrap, chances are good that you will be able to recycle it for a good payback. After all, platinum is now trading for $908.00/troy ounce. That means that even a small quantity of platinum scrap you find can often result in a big profit for you. 

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:

Today we are going to ask an important question about what you should be looking for when you go hunting for gold in and around old gold mines . . .

While you are looking for gold in those locations, what other metals should you be looking for too?

Gold and silver can be found in many homes. The question is, where? 

Just to be sure you’re not missing any stocks of precious metal scrap that could be right under your nose, here’s a checklist for you to keep handy.

Antiques and decorative Items -  Older or antique items in the household, such as antique silverware, decorative items, or collectibles, might have significant amounts of silver.

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:

Is platinum toxic?

In its pure form, platinum is inert and does not react with most chemicals or substances, including acids and bases. This property makes it highly resistant to corrosion and tarnish. Consequently, platinum is often used in medical and dental implants, such as pacemakers, stents, and dental crowns, due to its biocompatibility and resistance to corrosion.

We have written on this blog that gold can be reclaimed from electronic devices such as computers, computer tablets, smartphones, and even remote controls that came bundled with televisions and other devices commonly found in the home. It seems that gold is waiting to be reclaimed in almost any kind of electronic device you find. 

Platinum Scrap Wisdom  . . . 

Investing Lessons from the Most Valuable Pieces of Platinum Jewelry in History

Old telescopes often feature various components made of gold and silver. Here are some common uses of these metals in vintage telescopes.

If you are on the lookout for platinum – and you should be because, at the time of writing this post, the precious metal is currently trading for $1,334 per Troy Ounce – you should be looking for small items of jewelry that are made of the metal. 

You can find several kinds of platinum jewelry at estate sales, junk shops, and even in the places where you store jewelry in your home. 

What kinds of small pieces of jewelry are most likely to be made of platinum? Some examples include: 

What are platinum group metals, where are they found and what are they used for?

Platinum group metals (PGMs) are a group of six metallic elements that belong to the platinum group on the periodic table. 

Thermocouple wires are not like simple gold, silver, or platinum wire, because they contain a combination of valuable metals, as you will learn in today’s post. If you are a regular reader of our blog, you already know thermocouples are used where temperatures must be monitored or controlled remotely. 

Most small companies are run by businessmen and businesswomen who are committed to doing business honestly. Even if you have a dispute with them or they have done something that strikes you as less than honorable, they are likely to try to “make things right.” After all, they want to maintain a good reputation and avoid getting negative reviews online.