The invention provides a method of recovering transition or noble metal values, particularly gold and silver values, from a support having absorbed thereon the metal values in the form of an ionic complex, particularly a cyanide ionic complex, by desorbing the metal values with water of low cation concentration such as deionized or softened water. When the cation of the complex is an alkaline earth metal cation then the support is preferably subjected to a pre-treatment with an alkali metal salt solution to effect an exchange reaction before the desorption step.