Relays

Clear-cased relays let you see the contacts directly. Bright white metal buttons = silver. Small yellow bifurcated contacts = gold- or palladium-plated signal relays. Bigger is better — power relays, automotive relays and contactors carry real silver; tiny SMD signal relays carry almost nothing. Pre-2000 gear carries more.

Ag 2–20 g/lb of whole relayAu trace

eBay typical$3–10per lb

Refiner pays$1.5per lb

Metal in it$15.2per lb at 4 Aug 2026 spot

Confidencemedof the yield figures

How to spot it

Sealed rectangular plastic cubes (blue, black or clear), open-frame types with visible contacts, or cylindrical telecom cans. Marked with coil voltage and contact rating like 12VDC 10A 250VAC.

Metal content

Metal	Quantity	Notes
Silver	2–20 g/lb of whole relay	0.5–5 wt%; the contacts themselves are 40–90% Ag
Gold	trace	gold-flashed AgPd on signal relays

At 4 Aug 2026 spot prices that works out to $15.2 per pound of contained metal — Silver 8 g = $15.2. A refiner paying $1.5 returns about 10% of that, which is normal: refining costs money and the buyer takes a margin.

Safe removal

Working temperature: Cold

Crack the plastic housing with pliers or a vice, snip the silver buttons off the copper/brass springs. Dismantle before selling — refiners pay materially more for loose contacts than whole relays, because they don't have to pay for the labour.

Hazards

☠ Cadmium

NEVER grind, burn, torch or braze cadmium-plated or AgCdO material, and don't inhale the black contact dust.

The common trap

Whole relays trade at roughly $0.26–2.63/lb. The value is entirely in the contacts you cut out of them. Reed relays 'contain rhodium' — technically true, practically worthless: the plating is sub-micron.

Questions

How much gold is in relays?

Silver: 2–20 g/lb of whole relay. Gold: trace. At current spot that is about $15.2 of contained metal per pound.

How do you identify relays?

Clear-cased relays let you see the contacts directly. Bright white metal buttons = silver. Small yellow bifurcated contacts = gold- or palladium-plated signal relays. Bigger is better — power relays, automotive relays and contactors carry real silver; tiny SMD signal relays carry almost nothing. Pre-2000 gear carries more.

How do you remove relays safely?

Crack the plastic housing with pliers or a vice, snip the silver buttons off the copper/brass springs. Dismantle before selling — refiners pay materially more for loose contacts than whole relays, because they don't have to pay for the labour.

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