Precious metals such as gold and silver are now included on the European Chemical Society endangered periodic table. If we continue to mine at current rates some materials may run out within the next 100 years. Recovering precious metals from electronic waste and developing more frugal and sparing ways of working with these valuable and culturally significant materials is now imperative. Japanese metalwork where gold was never abundant can be useful here. Nunome zogan is one metal overlay technique that works with thin gold foils 0.02mm. The technique translates as cloth weave because of the chiselled, cross hatched ground.