Urban Mining and Jewelry

We know that old electronics yield great potential for precious metal refining. That e-waste can in turn be made into all sorts of items, from aluminum cans to steel rafters to newer, high-tech electronics. It can also be refined into jewelry.

Materials recovered from e-waste and other precious metal bits are melted down and sold as ingots to jewelers and jewelry companies. This practice is already commonplace for many jewelry manufacturers. But, don’t expect to be able to tell if your new necklace was once a microchip in a PC.

“Smelters are constantly feeding in materials, and by and large they’ll see used electronics, process them, then put in some raw ore. It’s hard to say what came out of the end at given time was from electronics.”

— Mike Newman, Vice President, ReCellular

On the flip side, used and damaged jewelry also commands its weight in gold. Although damage to a gold chain or a silver ring may be noticeable in its jewelry state, once smelted it is no worse for the wear and commands its current market value. Commodities such as gold, silver, copper and platinum are routinely purchased for jewelry purposes following the urban mining process of extraction and smelting.

With the increase in urban mining activity comes steep competition. Both electronics manufacturers and jewelry companies are vying for the same commodities, constantly trying to get the best product at the most attractive rate. As this clash continues to intensify, one thing is certain: Urban mining will only continue to become more commonplace.