The gold rush of the 1800s has taken a new form in cellphones. Mining the precious metals in cellphones has become a profitable business. An article published in the Wall Street Journal in February 2011 titled Entrepreneurs Find Gold in Used Phones said that the phones that have no use – completely outdated or non-repairable are sent to refurbishers to mine its precious metals.

CNET goes a step further. They show you the specs of gold on a cellphone circuit board. Cell phones yield up to 150 grams (15.3 ounces) of gold per ton, compared to five grams per ton of ore, according to Urban Mining.

The parts inside these phones are filled with the commodities whose prices continue to rise. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, recycling 100 million cellphones could save approximately 7,500 pounds of gold.

So, open that desk drawer and break open that old broken phone.