A Complete Guide to Melting Gold

melting gold

Maybe you have gold jewelry that you want to melt. Or you are an artist or jewelry designer who wants to develop a new design and needs to melt gold. There are several ways to melt gold at home, but you should always be mindful of your safety, as melting gold requires high heat.

Get the right gear

Buy a crucible to melt the gold in.

You need the right equipment to melt gold. A crucible is a container specially designed to melt gold because it can withstand intense heat. A crucible is usually made of graphite, carbon, or clay. The melting point of gold is around 1064 degrees Celsius, and you need to reach that temperature to melt it. So you mustn’t use just any container. In addition to the crucible, you will need tongs to hold and move the crucible. It must also be made of heat-resistant material. If you don’t have a pan, you can use a potato instead. All you have to do is cut a hole in the potato and put the gold in it.

Use a smelting additive to remove impurities from the gold.

A smelting addition is a substance that is mixed with gold before smelting. It often consists of a mixture of borax and sodium carbonate. You need more smelting additives if the gold is impure. You can use different formulas. One method involves mixing borax and sodium carbonate. Add two pinches per 1 ounce of jewelry scraps, more if contaminated. You can use plain baking soda or bicarbonate. When you heat it, it forms sodium carbonate. The smelting additive holds the fine gold particles together and helps remove impurities from the gold as it is smelted. If you’re using the potato method, sprinkle a pinch of borax down the hole in the potato before melting the gold.

Always pay attention to your safety.

Melting gold can be dangerous as it requires a lot of heat. Get help from a pro if you’ve never melted gold before. You should also find a safe area in your home to smelt gold, such as your garage or guest room. You need a workbench to put your materials on. You must wear safety goggles and a face shield to protect your face. You should wear heat-resistant gloves and a heavy apron. Never melt gold near a flammable item. This can be very dangerous and you certainly don’t want to fire.

Use a heating set

Purchase an electric furnace used for melting gold.

These are small, powerful melting furnaces where precious metals, including gold and silver, can be melted. You can buy them online. Some of these electric melting furnaces are affordable. They can also mix metals (like gold, silver, copper, aluminum, and so on) and melt them at home. To use them, you’ll need the same gear, including a Crucible and a Melt Additive. If the gold item also contains small amounts of silver, copper, or zinc, the melting point will be lower.

Try melting gold in a 1200-watt microwave.

Use a microwave with the magnetron on the side or back instead of on the top. You can purchase a gold smelting kit or a microwave kiln. Place the kiln on a dedicated shelf in the microwave. The crucible holds the gold while it is being heated. This is covered with a lid and placed in the kiln. However, you may no longer use the microwave to prepare food or drink once you have melted gold in it.

Find other heat sources

Attempt to melt the gold with a propane torch.

As mentioned above, you must be very careful about your safety when using such a torch. But he will melt the gold in a few minutes. The gold should be placed in a crucible. Then place the crucible on a fireproof surface and hold the burner against the gold in the crucible. Adding the chemical borax to the gold first allows you to melt it at lower temperatures than a burner might require. If the gold in the crucible is in the form of a fine powder, lower the burner very gently, otherwise, you may blow it around. Also, if you heat the crucible too quickly, it could break apart. You need to heat it thoroughly and slowly. A torch with oxy-acetylene will melt the gold faster than one with propane. Hold the torch flame above the gold powder and slow, circular motions. When the powder gets hot and red, you can slowly bring the burner closer until your powder is a lump.

Shape your molten gold.

You have to decide what to do with the melted gold. Maybe you want to sell it in a new form. For example, you could use it to form an ingot. Pour the molten gold into the ingot mold or other shape before it hardens. Then let it cool down. The mold should be made of a material similar to the crucible’s. Don’t forget to clean up your mess! Never leave heat sources unattended or within reach of children.

Warnings

24k gold is very soft. If you want to make it stronger, mix it with another metal. Melting gold is not easy, so you should consult a professional beforehand.

 

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