When the Dust Settles

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Tips for recovering precious metal particles

By Shawna Kulpa

Most jewelers know how to handle their precious metal scraps: they separate their scraps by metal, dry out ultrasonic solutions so they just ship the metal-infused sludge, and they keep their bench sweeps separate. But what about the precious metal scrap that’s not easy to see—that fine metal dust that gets tossed into the air from a flex-shaft or polishing machine, settling here, there, and everywhere?

While you will never be able to capture and refine every single speck of metal that enters your shop, there are steps you can take to maximize how much of that fine metal dust winds up back in your wallet.