How do you calculate precious metal yield?

Divide finished recovered metal weight by total metal charged and multiply by 100. With 210 g recovered from 250 g charged, yield is 210 / 250 x 100 = 84%.

What is a good precious metal yield in jewelry casting?

Well-run gold casting often hits 88-95% finished yield per tree; the rest is recoverable sprue and scrap. At 84% against a 90% target you are 6 points short and leaving metal in scrap.

What does the yield gap to target tell me?

It is actual yield minus target. Here 84% against a 90% target gives a 6-point gap, meaning roughly 6% of charged metal that you expected in product is sitting in scrap and sweeps instead.

Is metal below my yield lost forever?

No. Sprues, filings, polishing sweeps, and flask debris are refined back to fine metal, usually at 90%+ recovery, so the real loss is refining fees and tied-up working capital, not the metal itself.

Precious metal yield vs. recovery rate?

Yield measures metal that reaches finished product on the first pass; recovery rate measures how much of the scrap a refiner returns as fine metal. You need both to see true metal loss.

How do I improve casting yield?

Optimize sprue and gating design to cut runner weight, right-size flasks to the tree, control over-pour, capture and segregate filings and polishing dust diligently, and reduce rework that re-melts good product.

Jewelry, Watches & Precision Luxury Goods calculator

Precious Metal Yield Calculator

Precious metal yield is the share of gold, platinum, or silver charged into a casting or fabrication run that ends up in finished, saleable product. Casting supervisors, refiners, and cost accountants in jewelry and luxury watchmaking watch it closely because every percentage point of lost metal is real money tied up in sprues, filings, polishing dust, and crucible loss. A low yield means more metal is stranded in scrap and sweeps awaiting refining, inflating working capital and refining fees. Tracking yield against a target keeps casting and finishing losses honest.

What this calculator does

Calculate the percentage of precious metal (gold, silver, platinum, palladium) that ends up in finished jewelry pieces versus total metal charged into a casting, fabrication, or production run. Helps goldsmiths and production managers track material efficiency and identify where metal is lost to sprues, filings, polishing dust, or casting defects.
Use after a casting run or production batch to measure how much precious metal made it into saleable pieces. Compare your yield against your target to decide whether casting parameters, sprue design, or handling procedures need adjustment.
It divides finished recovered metal weight by total metal charged to give a yield percentage, then shows the gap to your target yield.

Formula used

Precious metal yield rate = finished metal weight ÷ total metal charged × 100
Yield gap to target = actual yield rate - target yield rate

Inputs explained

Finished metal weight recovered:
Total precious metal charged:
Target precious metal yield rate:

How to use the result

Use it per casting tree, batch, or shift to monitor how much charged precious metal converts to finished product versus reclaimable scrap.
Metal in sprues, sweeps, and filings is recoverable through refining, so a low first-pass yield is not the same as permanently lost metal.

Common questions

How do you calculate precious metal yield? Divide finished recovered metal weight by total metal charged and multiply by 100. With 210 g recovered from 250 g charged, yield is 210 / 250 x 100 = 84%.
What is a good precious metal yield in jewelry casting? Well-run gold casting often hits 88-95% finished yield per tree; the rest is recoverable sprue and scrap. At 84% against a 90% target you are 6 points short and leaving metal in scrap.
What does the yield gap to target tell me? It is actual yield minus target. Here 84% against a 90% target gives a 6-point gap, meaning roughly 6% of charged metal that you expected in product is sitting in scrap and sweeps instead.
Is metal below my yield lost forever? No. Sprues, filings, polishing sweeps, and flask debris are refined back to fine metal, usually at 90%+ recovery, so the real loss is refining fees and tied-up working capital, not the metal itself.
Precious metal yield vs. recovery rate? Yield measures metal that reaches finished product on the first pass; recovery rate measures how much of the scrap a refiner returns as fine metal. You need both to see true metal loss.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.