Wastes derived from electrolytic or chemical polishing of jewelry, as well as used electroplating solutions contain gold and other metallic ions which stem from the carat gold alloys used in jewelry manufacturing.

The recovery of gold from such solutions by two different methods was studied:
- By cathodic electrochemical deposition
- By chemical deposition obtained through the dissolution of a more active metal-aluminum in the gold containing solution.

The paper discusses the effect of process variables such as current density, temperature, stirring alkalinity and ratio of aluminum area to solution volume, on the recovery of the gold. A practical method for recovery is described in detail.

Author: L. Gal-Or