Mike, I’m not one to spend money where I don’t have to and this
applies to purchasing casting grain. I purchase alloy from Stuller
Settings in Louisiana and add the 24K to mix my own. Why use
Stuller instead of Hoover, Handy & Harmon?? Most jewelry stores I
do work for have an account with Stuller and tend to buy more
castings from them. If I’m using the EXACT SAME alloy they use, it
matches other products they have or have sold. The alloy costs
around 6-7 bucks an ounce and I usually by about 5 ounces at a time.
The white gold is usually rhodium plated so it’s color doesn’t
matter as much. If I had to guess, I’d say the casting grain would
cost yo about 8-10 dollars and ounce over spot price of gold for the
mix, plus 2-3 % above spot rice for that. I.E.: Gold @ $350.00 +
9.00 (for alloy) + 3% (profit margin for refiners) = 369.77 X. .585
= $216.31 per Oz For 18 KY I use the same 14K alloy 50/50 with
sterling silver to make the nice bright 18K color. I don’t work too
much in silver to search for a site online, so I’m sorry I can’t
help you there. Good Luck,
Travis Duggan
Placitas, NM
(Master of the Gold-Butchers Art)