Contacts & relays · Tier C

Beryllium copper contacts ☣

The spring temper. If a thin metal finger returns perfectly to shape after significant deflection and has a warm reddish bronze tone, assume beryllium copper. Sometimes marked CuBe2, BeCu or C17200.

Au 0.5–1.5 g/lb when platedCu ~98%

eBay typical$6–15per lb

Refiner pays$4per lb

Metal in it$4.70per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

Connector springs, battery contacts, RF finger stock, EMI gasket fingers, spring probes, relay blades. Visually near-identical to phosphor bronze.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Gold	0.5–1.5 g/lb when plated
Copper	~98%	C17200 is 1.8–2.0% Be; C17510 is 0.2–0.6% Be

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $4.70 per pound of contained metal — Copper 440 g = $4.70. A refiner paying $4 returns about 85% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Cold only

Cold cutting and shearing are safe. The danger is grinding, sanding, abrasive cutting, welding, torching or melting — all of which make respirable beryllium.

Hazards

☣ Beryllium copper

NEVER put BeCu in a grinder, a sandblaster, or a melt.

The common trap

Sell it as a separate copper alloy stream — mixing it into clean copper downgrades your whole lot.

Questions

How much gold is in beryllium copper contacts ☣?

Gold: 0.5–1.5 g/lb when plated. Copper: ~98%. At current spot that is about $4.70 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify beryllium copper contacts ☣?

The spring temper. If a thin metal finger returns perfectly to shape after significant deflection and has a warm reddish bronze tone, assume beryllium copper. Sometimes marked CuBe2, BeCu or C17200.

How do you remove beryllium copper contacts ☣ safely?

Cold cutting and shearing are safe. The danger is grinding, sanding, abrasive cutting, welding, torching or melting — all of which make respirable beryllium.

Related in Contacts & relays

Pogo Pins & Spring-Loaded Test Probes Contacts & relays · $200–500/lb Au 1.4–3.0 g/lbCu ~330 g/lbBase steel springs S Silver contacts (switches, breakers, contactors) Contacts & relays · $400–550/lb Ag 180–400 g/lb of clean cut contacts S Silver-Graphite Brushes & Slip Rings Contacts & relays · $150–400/lb Ag 40–95% by weightCu pigtail + commutator segmentsBase electrographite S Aerospace Connectors & Backshells Contacts & relays · $25–70/lb Au 0.3–0.8 g/lb complete; ~3.6 g/lb de-populated contactsCu ~80 g/lbBase Backshells: ~0 g Au/lb A IC Test, Burn-In & ZIF Sockets Contacts & relays · $15–60/lb Au 0.5–2 g/lb complete; 3–8 g/lb de-populated contactsCu ~60 g/lbPd Pd-Ni with gold flash on high-cycle sockets A Mil Circular Connectors (D38999/MS) Contacts & relays · $25–60/lb Au 0.20–0.50 g/lb whole; 2.5–4.0 g/lb de-pinned contactsCu ~80 g/lbBase 70–85% Al 6061-T6 shell A

Get this offline → The full guide runs in your browser with no signal, and you can add your own photos.