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WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT LEFT OVER GOLD?

WHAT HAPPENS TO EXTRA GOLD LEFT OVER FROM REPAIRS AND SIZINGS?

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What Happens to the Left Over Piece of Gold after the Jeweler Sizes or Repairs your Ring

“You kept my gold!”

You know that little piece or section of gold that the jewelers cut out of your ring when you get it sized?

What happens to it?

Why don’t the jewelers give you this extra chunk of gold back?

Isn’t it your gold?

The answer is:

Yes and No.

Of course it’s your gold… or used to be.

Once you get your ring sized down, that little piece of metal becomes the property of the jeweler.

Why is this?

Because it’s factored into the price of the repair.

When jewelers give you a price to size your ring down (sizing up doesn’t produce any extra pieces), it includes keeping the left over gold (or platinum, silver, whatever the metal may be).

Now you may think that jewelers are ripping you off. Some people think jewelers are making tons of money doing this, but that’s not the case.

Those tiny bits and pieces are what jewelers use to fix, repair and solder other jewelry repairs with. Plus, when your ring is cut apart (during sizing – see image) and the jewelers bend your ring back together, they solder it closed again using fragments that they just cut out of your ring. So your extra gold helps fuse your ring back together again.

Besides, when those scraps of gold are melted down, they usually result in just a drop of gold the size of a bee-bee anyway.

It doesn’t amount to much!

Some customers like to keep their scrap pieces. This is fine. Just tell the jeweler when you’re dropping your ring off for sizing that you’d like to Keep it. They will probably end up charging you a bit more for the repair.

We have some customers that like to accumulate enough scrap gold pieces that they can sell them back or exchange them for other repairs. Either way, it all works out the same.

The jeweler ends up with it.

Some of these scrap pieces get sent back to gold refineries to purify again. But usually jewelers keep these for much needed repairs. They are always looking for pieces and parts to fix rings and jewelry with. It’s a never ending process.

The main thing is you get your ring back, and it fits properly.

That’s the real goal.

I look at it this way, which would you miss the most?

That little scrap piece of gold (which you’d probably end up losing anyway)…

Or another $10 from your wallet?

Your choice.

Hmmmm???

Makes you think now doesn’t it?

Cheers! :)




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Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

11 Comments on WHAT HAPPENS TO THAT LEFT OVER GOLD?

  1. Jeff Williams // April 18, 2016 at 9:30 am // Reply

    its all a rip off what’s yours is yours

    • James Parker // November 9, 2020 at 12:33 pm // Reply

      I agree. Why should we pay for a jewelers material. Gold finders spend hours finding those little pieces of gold.

  2. When you have your gold ring re-sized, is it right for the Jeweler to remove the 14kt imprint on the ring

    • Actually it can happen pretty easily, because they have to reshape, file, and smooth the inside and outside of the ring after soldering. This can remove the imprint quickly. Some jewelers will re-imprint the stamp, while others don’t bother unless the customer asks for it. Either way, it’s common and doesn’t change the work done, nor the metal in any way. -Richard

  3. Can I leave a question? I gave the jeweller my mom’s diamond engagement ring and 17 grams of old gold to make me a new, solid ring. He charged me $500. I ended up with a 9 gram ring. Do I have a right to the other 8 grams or was his keeping it the reason I paid $500?

    • Hi Kelly. More than likely the other grams of gold were used for the sprue. Other gold may have been filed away or polished. But you could still ask for the remainder back. That shouldn’t be part of the cost. -Richard

    • That about £320 in current prices that they stole from you!

  4. James Parker // November 9, 2020 at 12:32 pm // Reply

    Why should the customer pay for the jewelers material? I agree that this doesn’t seem right. If I own a ring and it is size 10 and I want to change it to a size 8 or 7. That shouldn’t mean the jeweler gets to now own the gold that was cut off. If they want to repair other customers jewelry then they can use the money they make from charging people to buy said materials. A gold finder spends hours finding those little pieces the jeweler cuts off. This doesn’t seem right.

  5. Ok, I specifically asked that any gold taken out be returned to me. On top of that, I purchased the highest warranty they offered that already covers sizing for life, along with all the other extras I paid extra for.
    My question is, it went down almost 3 sizes and I paid ALOT of money for the ring in the first place.

  6. Mercy talde // June 24, 2022 at 8:40 am // Reply

    I have a lot of damaged jewelry.i just keep it my box then I’ll make it a huge necklace.how can I know that the goldsmith will not steal a portion of my gold?

  7. Zoe Bailey // June 22, 2023 at 3:50 pm // Reply

    Hi my ring is palladium and the down size cost is far greater than the material why do I lose out

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