Dental Gold Assay Process
How We Assay Dental Gold: Our 9-Step Process
From the moment your package arrives to the moment payment is issued—every step, with real numbers.
The most common reason dental practices hesitate to mail in scrap gold isn't concern about the shipping — it's not knowing what happens on the other end. What does it actually mean to assay dental gold? How do you price a crown you've never seen? How do I know the number you give me is real?
Those are fair questions, and we should be able to answer them precisely. Many buyers provide only a final offer without clearly explaining the testing method or payout calculation. We take a different approach by documenting the process and showing the math behind the offer.
Unlike many buyers who provide only a final offer, Dental Gold Experts documents the complete melt-and-assay process, provides a written payout calculation, and bases every offer on the recoverable gold determined by assay rather than appearance alone.
This page walks through every step we take from receipt to payment, including a real worked example with actual math. If you've ever wondered exactly how we assay dental gold and turn it into a verified payout, this is the full picture.
Quick Answer
We use a 9-step process to assay dental gold: receive and photograph your prepaid USPS package, sort the material, use XRF as a preliminary screening tool, weigh the prepared material, melt it, and assay the melted sample to determine recoverable gold content. Your written offer is calculated from the recovered gold weight, assay purity, and current gold spot price. Once your written offer is accepted, payment is issued within 24 hours by Zelle or PayPal.
Our 9-Step Process to Assay Dental Gold
This sequence applies to every dental gold submission regardless of size — whether you're sending three crowns from a single extraction or a year's worth of lab scrap. The steps don't change; only the volume does.
Receive & Log
Your prepaid USPS package arrives and is logged immediately — time-stamped, tracked, and recorded against your submission confirmation. The package is not opened until we've documented the outer condition. This protects both parties in any dispute about what was sent.
Photograph the Submission
Every piece of dental gold is laid out and photographed before any handling or sorting begins. These photos are part of your permanent submission record. If you ever have a question about piece count or material type, the photos resolve it.
Sort and Remove Non-Metal Material
Gold crowns, bridges, gold-bearing PFM restorations, inlays, onlays, and gold fillings are organized and prepared for processing before weighing and melting.
Preliminary Screening
XRF may be used as a preliminary screening tool to help identify likely gold-bearing material before melting. This reading is not the final settlement result — final settlement is always based on the melt-and-assay result. See the full XRF explainer below.
Record Prepared Weight
The prepared material is documented before melting. Final settlement is based on the post-melt weight and assay result.
Melt
The dental material is melted into a homogeneous sample. This step is necessary to produce an accurate assay. Dental gold must be melted for an accurate assay and cannot be returned in its original form after processing.
Assay
The melted sample is assayed to determine the recoverable gold content. This is the figure your written offer is based on.
Calculate the Offer
The formula is straightforward: recovered gold weight × current gold spot price × applicable payout rate = your written offer. We show the math in your written report.
Issue Payment
Once you accept the written offer for your dental gold, payment is issued the same day or within 24 hours by Zelle or PayPal.
Blake Plummer — Dental Gold Experts
I spent years watching clients at the pawn counter accept offers they shouldn't have — not because they were naive, but because they had no way to check the number. Transparency isn't just an ethical choice in this business; it's the only sustainable model. If I can't show you exactly how I arrived at your dental gold number, you have no reason to trust it.
What Is XRF Testing for Dental Gold, and Why Does It Matter?
X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) — The Fast Facts
XRF works by directing a beam of X-rays at a dental gold sample. Different elements in the sample emit secondary X-rays (fluorescence) at characteristic energy levels, which a detector reads. It's non-destructive — the piece is unchanged after testing — and results appear in seconds.
XRF can be used as a preliminary screening tool to help identify likely gold-bearing material before melting. Final settlement is based on the melt-and-assay result, not the preliminary XRF reading.
Why Visual or Jewelry-Style Testing Is Not Enough for Dental Gold
Two common testing methods — acid testing and electronic gold testers — are designed for jewelry-grade alloys, which are standardized at 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K. Dental gold alloys are formulated differently, which limits how reliable these methods are when applied to dental material.
- Dental gold alloys don't follow standard jewelry karats. A dental crown that looks similar to another can assay very differently, since dental alloys aren't formulated to jewelry-karat standards.
- Attached tooth structure, cement, and porcelain affect gross weight. Any test based on weight or appearance alone can be thrown off by material that isn't actually gold.
- Acid testing only gives a rough surface-level indication. It can be unreliable when used on dental alloys.
- Electronic jewelry testers are calibrated for jewelry-grade gold. Results on dental alloys can be inconsistent.
- Determining the actual recoverable gold content requires melting and assaying the material. Many pawn-shop and jewelry-buyer offers rely on preliminary testing or estimated recoverable value rather than a completed melt-and-assay result.
Dental Gold Testing Method Comparison
| Method | Best Use | Limitation | Final Settlement Method? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Visual Inspection | Quick initial look | Cannot determine gold purity or content | ✗ No |
| Acid Test | Rough surface check | Estimates surface purity only; unreliable on dental alloys | ✗ No |
| Electronic Jewelry Tester | Jewelry-grade gold | Calibrated for standard karats; unreliable on dental alloys | ✗ No |
| Preliminary XRF Screening | Identifying likely gold-bearing material before melting | A preliminary reading, not a final settlement figure | ✗ No |
| Melt and Assay | Determining actual recoverable gold content | Requires melting the material | ✓ Yes — used by Dental Gold Experts |
A Worked Example: How We Assay Dental Gold from 3 Crowns
Here's an illustrative look at how a small dental gold submission gets calculated. All figures use an illustrative gold spot price — your actual offer will reflect the live market rate at time of processing.
Submission: 3 full-cast dental gold crowns
Illustrative example only. Actual results depend on post-melt weight, assay purity, live gold spot price, and the settlement rate shown in the written offer. Use our dental gold calculator for a current estimate.
What Your Written Dental Gold Assay Report Looks Like
Every dental gold submission receives a written report. Below is an illustrative sample — anonymized — of the format you'll receive.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Post-Melt Weight | 7.2 g |
| Assay Result | 72% gold |
| Pure Gold Recovered | 5.18 g (0.1666 troy oz) |
| Gross Value of Recovered Gold | $516.46 |
| Settlement Rate (illustrative) | 82% |
Illustrative only. Actual payout is based on post-melt weight, assay purity, live gold spot price, and the settlement rate shown in the final written offer.
Blake Plummer — Dental Gold Experts
I've seen dental gold assay reports from other buyers that list a single line item: "dental scrap — X grams — $Y." A complete assay report should clearly show the recovered gold weight, assay result, and payout calculation. That level of transparency helps you understand exactly how your written offer was calculated."
What Determines a Dental Gold Payout?
| Factor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Post-melt weight | The weight of the homogeneous metal sample after melting is used together with the assay result to calculate the recoverable gold content. |
| Gold purity from assay | The assay determines the percentage of the melted sample that is recoverable gold. |
| Live gold spot price | The current market price of gold at the time of processing sets the baseline value of the recovered gold. |
| Settlement rate | The applicable payout percentage, shown in your written offer, is applied to the value of the recovered gold. |
| Non-metal material removed during preparation | Attached tooth structure, porcelain, and cement do not contribute to the gold value and are removed before the material is melted and assayed. |
Why color alone is not enough: A yellow appearance does not reveal the exact gold purity of a dental restoration. Two crowns that look similar can assay very differently. That is why the final offer is based on the melted sample and assay result rather than appearance alone.
How to Submit Your Dental Gold for Assessment
- Request a free prepaid USPS shipping label from our contact page.
- Collect your dental gold using our dental office SOP guide if you'd like a system for ongoing collection.
- Securely package your dental gold in a USPS Small Flat Rate Box or another sturdy box, and tape the outer box securely.
- Attach the prepaid label and drop the package at USPS.
- We receive, photograph, and begin the assay dental gold process the same business day of arrival.
- You receive a written dental gold assay report and offer. Once accepted, payment is issued within 24 hours by Zelle or PayPal.
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Founded by Blake Plummer, a Gold Buying Expert with 15+ years of experience buying, valuing, and refining gold.
Houston, Texas Based · Serving Dental Practices Nationwide
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