PURPOSE: To recover gold in high elution ratio without damaging reuse of ion exchange resin, by eluting gold adsorbed on the ion exchange resin with a solution of a chlorate having given concentration and pH.

CONSTITUTION: Gold cyanide etc. are passed through an anion exchange resin to give a resin having adsorbed gold. Then by passing a solution of a chlorate (e.g. KClO3) having 0.05W1M/l concentration and pH 4W14 through the resin, the kind of ion of the gold cyanide is oxidized from formula I into formula II (X and Y are complex ligands such as Cl-, ClO3-, H2O, etc.) so that the number of complex ligands is increased from 2 to 4, the difference in distribution ratio between the ion exchange resin and each complex is produced and the adsorbed gold complex is eluted to give gold.