Look, if the mercury eats your gold it’s no biggie. All you have to do is hit the amalgam with a blow torch. It’s hot enough to vaporize the mercury, but not the gold. Besides, a little mercury vapor never hurt anyone.
I feel the need to say this because some people may not know this. The above statement is true except mercury vapor being harmless. Mercury vapor does hurt people. Just listen to the S-Town podcast. It literally makes you insane.