Behind barbed wire and coded security gates at its site near Cardiff in Wales, the Royal Mint -- the state-owned maker of British coins as well as medals -- is turning electronic waste into luxury jewellery. The initiative remains unusual in a sector where much electronic waste never reaches proper recycling facilities. Advertisement AdvertisementAdvertisement AdvertisementBut its chemical stability also makes it difficult to recover from electronic waste. Unlike many recyclers, which melt electronic waste in bulk, the Royal Mint dismantles devices first. Instead, the Royal Mint uses a process that dissolves the gold at room temperature.