Chinese man extracts gold from old Sim cards, then tells others not to

It sounds like alchemy, the turning of ordinary substances into gold and yet, that’s exactly what one Chinese man is laying claim to. He apparently managed to extract the honeyed metal from Sim cards. The news has created some buzz online and resulted in a frenzy to buy Sim cards. Or, it had before the man – known as Qiao – said the process was extremely dangerous and should not be tried at home by ordinary people, reported South China Morning Post.

On January 20, Qiao explained his process online, which became viral. As for where the gold came from, Qiao said Sim cards are usually coated with gold for durability. He added that it’s not just phone cards that have this coating – it’s also laved on computer chips .

How did it work?

In the clip, in put the cards (about two tonnes of scrap) into chemicals and after carrying out several chemical processes, he managed to extract what looked like shiny sludge. Finally, after much heating and sifting, the man was left with 191g of gold.

After putting out the video, Qiao said that he processed electronic waste for a living and knew what he was doing. He wanted to share his knowledge but hoped people would not begin to follow suit not only because it could be dangerous but also because in many cases, it’s against the law.