Koftgari Scrap Gold Melt Value?
 

I have often seen examples of antique swords and daggers missing their original gemstones, as those were considered more valuable than the arms itself.

Taking that idea further, I'm wondering if anyone has heard of people intentionally scrapping the gold koftgari work from a piece to sell the gold.

It seems like a terrible loss of craftsmanship, but I'm curious if it's happened.

Not sure all the yellow metal in koftgari is gold. There are other yellow metal non tarnish alloys. Or so low alloy of gold not being worth any money. Even in the UK 9ct can seen as yellow metal {rather expensive yellow metal}

What I've heard is that Chinese people visit antique shops and look for rhino horn! :mad:

I'm not surprised about that at all. Rhino horn sold in powder form is much sought after by Chinese who can afford to pay for it.

Don't quote me on this, but I believe it is thought to be beneficial for older men to increase sexual potency. In S.Africa conservationists have started to put small but detectable radioactive materials into the horns of living Rhinos to discourage poachers.

I watched a demonstration of koftgari technique at the bladesmith's seminar I attended the weekend before last. The technique can give a lot of surface glitter for a very, very small amount of gold. Though the thickness applied can vary, it may be very thin as well demonstrated by the well worn surfaces we often encounter. The wire flattened into and spread over the scored surface is similar in diameter to a human hair. But I have often encountered scraped or otherwise suspiciously denuded surfaces as well, whether to prepare the surface for redecoration or for scrap recovery I do not know.

As to rhino horn, I shall restrain myself from getting started except to say that any placebo medical effect achieved in Chinese traditional medicine makes a lot more sense than self-righteously burning it for self-righteous virtue signaling.