Once we receive your material, it can take up to 10 business days to process your scrap. Once the value of your scrap has been determined, we will contact you by email or telephone. Certain items such as carpets, large volume low grade sweeps, etc may and usually do take longer.

We charge 10% of the value of your material. In other words, you will receive 90% of the value. Make sure you ask your refiner if they have an "accountability" line item and ask them to explain what it is. The only exception would be if you are a dental lab in which case we have a minimum $125.00 charge. Please read our policy on minimum quantities below.

Simple-Trust and Integrity. While it is true that you may have encountered promises of higher returns or lower rates, it may not mean you will receive more money for your scrap. You should only be concerned with the bottom line- how much you money you receive. Several dental associations have endorsed Scientific Metals even though other companies advertise "lower fees."

Make sure you are familiar with the difference in terminology with words like "refining fees, and payable weight" Why? Because some companies may have a 10% refining fee as we do BUT the crucial difference is that their 90% return is only AFTER they deduct a percentage (up to 20%) from the weight of your recovered metal as part of accountability. So, in that type of system, you are only paid on 80% of the recovered metal AND then a 10% refining fee is applied resulting in a real return of 72%. Make sure to read the fine print on the back about "Accountability."

We ask that in order to ship your material through Fedex that you have approximately 2 troy ounces of material or approximately 30-35 units (combination of crowns and bridges, etc). If you have less but would like to send in, please click here to have a United States Post Office Priority Mail Shipping Label with delivery confirmation and tracking number emailed to you.

For Dental Labs who are sending in grindings/sweeps, there will be a $125.00 minimum charge. This minimum charge would only come into effect for lots valued at less than $1250.00.If the value of your material is more than $1250.00, your fee will simply be 10% of the total value. However, if the value of your scrap is less than $1250.00, your fee will be a flat $125.00, and not 10% of the value. So, for example, if the value of your scrap is $700.00, the fee will NOT be 10% or $70.00; rather, the fee will be a flat $125.00 .

We use the average market price (taken from the "Second London Fix") from the day we receive your material to the day we contact you. For example, we take the daily Second London Fix from each day the material is in our possession and divide by the number of days to arrive at an average.

You can receive your payment with a check or gold/silver coins or a combination of check and bullion. (Click here for our gold/silver bullion options.) Certain coins may not be in stock at all times based on market supply and demand.

Yes. In most cases, there will be approximately a 5% premium on 1 oz. gold coins. For example, if spot gold is $1500.00/oz, gold coins would be valued at $1575.00. Premiums on gold coins increase as the denomination or size of the coins decrease. For example, there might be a 5% premium on 1 oz. gold coins but an 8% premium on ½ oz. coins. Currently, premium on 1 oz silver coins are ranging from $3.00-$5.00 per ounce, but change frequently with supply and demand. Premium on a 10 oz. or 100 oz. silver bar will be less per ounce than the premium on a 1 oz. silver coin or bar.

Please do not give our Fedex refiner kits to your patients. Often, the Fedex shipping costs will be more than the value of the individual's crown. B) Unfortunately at this time we do not accept individual shipments from patients. However, you can include a patient's crown in your office's next scrap shipment and ask for a separate valuation.

By virtually eliminating reps, we are able to drastically reduce costs and deliver superior scrap returns. Dentaltown magazine best summarized it when they wrote that our "no frills business model allows Scientific Metals to pass on the savings to the customers."

Consistent scrap returns and accurate scrap returns may not necessarily be one of the same. By trying a new company, two things can happen: 1) you confirm that your current refiner has been doing a good job and you can continue with full confidence going forward or 2) you realize that you have not been receiving full and accurate scrap returns and begin to "right the ship".

It is very difficult to determine the metal content of your scrap just by looking at it and separating the yellow from the "white looking material". As a result of this uncertainty, the cash offer usually will be very conservative. You are more likely to get an accurate assessment by sending in your material for a 4 element assay.

Yes. We pay on all four precious metals: gold, palladium, platinum and silver.

Scientific will provide you with padded mailers, boxes, jugs, drums if you need them. Whether you use our material or you prefer to use your own materials to pack your scrap, make sure your name appears on both the inside and outside of the package, but never write descriptions, such as "Scrap, Gold, Precious Metals, etc.," on the outside of your package for obvious security reasons. Click Here to Order Shipping Supplies.

Small Shipments

For small amounts of scrap (less than 2 troy ounces or 30-35 pieces) please send in a padded mailer or small box using the United States Post Office and click here to have a prepaid United States Post Office shipping label emailed to you. Emailed USPS shipping labels will have a tracking number and delivery confirmation and must be used within 10 days of receipt

If you would rather mail with your own postage, please send to :
Scientific Metals
6689 Orchard Lake Rd. # 274
West Bloomfield, MI
48322

If you choose to ship with your postage, we will gladly add the postage costs to your settlement. If you are shipping on your own with the USPS, it is recommended but not required to use a level of service that provides you a tracking number or delivery confirmation.

Larger Shipments

For shipments over 2 troy ounces, if you already have one of our shipping labels and the materials are packed, you can schedule a pickup by calling us at 1 (888) 949-0008 or going to http://scientificmetals.com/order.php and clicking " I already have a refiner's kit with label" and completing the form.

If you are ready to ship and do not have one of our labels, Fedex can bring you a shipping label at the time of pickup. Simply pack your scrap in the appropriate sized packaging and call us at 1 (888) 949-0008 to schedule a pickup and tell us to have Fedex bring you a label or go to http://scientificmetals.com/order.php and click "At time of pickup, I need Fedex to bring me just a return shipping label. Again, make sure your name appears on both the inside and outside of the package, but never write descriptions, such as "Scrap, Gold, Precious Metals, etc.," on the outside of your package for obvious security reasons.

Absolutely. Simply email us at info@scientificmetals.com and ask us to email you a shipping label. Simply provide us with your address and telephone number for the shipping label.

If you think the price of gold will continue to rise and want to stay invested in gold, you can always exchange your scrap for bullion/coins. It is better to have gold coins/bullion sitting in your drawer than a pile of scrap.

Reputation. We are the only scrap metal refining services company to be featured on the cover of a major dental publication- Dentaltown July 2010 "Setting the Gold Stand For Dental Scrap". Why? It's because we do things differently. We've lowered our costs by eliminating our biggest cost input- reps. It's only logical that if our costs go down, then so do yours. And with lower costs come higher scrap returns.