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In my previous article entitled 'How To Find 'Almost' Free Gold - Beginners Guide' I taught you how to spot gold with the common gold marks employed in The U.S. and Europe. I also taught you ways to gauge your find. This 'Advanced Guide' may be the remaining portion of the story. First I address the markings and indications that the item just isn't gold. I discuss the properties of gold besides markings which indicate that an item is definitely gold or otherwise might very likely be gold and might be worth buying ideal price. I will briefly explain what white gold, rose gold as well as other gold alloys are and the way much they may be worth. I will finish my article having a section concerning how to actually test for gold and karat content. This information will increase your profitability and provide the full pair of tools you'll want to be a first rate gold finder.
The first thing to do with gold toned goods that aren't gold you aren't affordable web hosting valuable due to intrinsic artistic merit is usually to avoid them just like the plague. Your mistakes can cost you money or at best decrease your gold finding income. So we should become aware of the markings in jewelry or other physical indications which say 'hey! this is just not gold'.
It Glitters But It's Not Gold
Take your magnification device . and appear closely in any way markings present. If it says '18K HGE' it just isn't gold. 'HGE' represents Heavy Gold Electroplate. It usually isn't even heavily electroplated as well as the gold color will soon disappear about the more exhausted aspects of the product. Even if it were heavily electroplated, it is just not worth many cents in gold content. The same is valid for '14K GE' which naturally represents 14K Gold Electroplate. These are the easy ones to eliminate. Save your money.
Next we look in an old pocket watch which gleams that rich yellow color we only want to see. However, on closer inspection they have the marking '1/10 12K GF'. This means that this wrist watch isn't 12K gold but rather 1/10th 12K gold by weight. Almost each of the 12K gold is an extremely thick plating. Generally I sell 10th GF on Ebay for around $5 and ounce. Some people do strip the gold plating off and refine it. To make money using this method you have to setup an expensive and somewhat dangerous refining operation. '1/20 12K GF' could be the same except it only has half the gold content as 1/10 GF. You can and really should skip the buy on these materials unless they come free or near free and will sell a lot of it on Ebay. Most gold buyers won't buy gold filled whatsoever. Many Cross pens are produced with 10K, 12K, 14K and in many cases 18K Gold Filled barrels. A variation of this marking is '20/14K' which is the same as '1/20 14K GF'
The marking 'RGP' in any karat is basically the identical to gold filled. It is a tiny layer of gold using a thick layer of copper sandwiched among the 2 thin layers of gold. Avoid this if you are searching for solid gold pieces which you'll want to sell.
Finally, avoid new looking items which are marked but the mark is only partially readable. Avoid gold looking items from Avon, Monet, Triffary (not Tiffany) as well as other specialists in attractive costume jewelry. They rarely make genuine gold items when they are doing make them, these are clearly marked 14K or 10K with no other initials. Avoid, a minimum of for now, anything marked Hong Kong, Taiwan, China or Korea. They just don't make solid gold items.
Properties Of Gold
Many items created from gold have no mark at all. This is due to excessive wear containing rubbed off of the marking, shortening rings sometimes omits the mark and older pieces were not marked in many cases. The most notable example is 22K Oriental and Indian gold. You may see no mark even over a heavy bracelet worth hundreds of dollars or the objective could be in Chinese that is no help to me or probably you. In these cases the properties of gold will help you to decide if you should buy or not. Of course for those who have a gold testing kit you might be another step before everybody else.
High karat gold is an extremely heavy metal and rock, far heavier than lead, brass, copper or silver. Platinum may be the only metal that is heavier than gold however it is also twice as valuable worth over $1,200 per troy ounce in todays world. The heft of gold is a great indication that everything you have is high karat gold. The low karat gold 8K, 9K and 10K weigh less since they are mostly copper and also the weight is probably not an excellent clue. 14K is proper in the centre and is also generally heavy enough to help you determine that could possibly be gold. A caution is always that some gold items are manufactured hollow, like earrings plus some bracelets so unless they may be clearly marked avoid them.
Another property of gold is its malleability and softness. Gold can be hammered to 1 atom thickness and it is the only substance this may be done to. The result is gold leaf which may almost float in a very high wind. A 22K ring could be bent just by somewhat finger pressure. Bracelets and earrings are ideal for displaying this property. They bend and after that can be easily unbent. Be careful here in order to use them or if this doesn't happen belong to you because it may not bend back in the identical shape. Think of lead solder wire. This bends just like easily as high karat gold.
The proven fact that gold never tarnishes or oxidizes is yet another telltale property. If you see major toning on an item that isn't grease and other external dirt and which can be wiped away using your fingers or perhaps a tissue, then more than likely you do not have gold. Many times people find jewelry that is gold plated silver. This is called vermeil and will be bought only if the silver weight makes it definitely worth the cost.
Gold is a superb conductor of heat and electricity along with not magnetic. As a conductor gold is preferable to copper. Gold is even better than silver, that also surpasses copper like a conductor. That is why gold is used a lot in high tech devices. It is just not magnetic though. A wise gold finder will always bring magnet with them. While iron, steel and pure nickel are fascinated by a magnet both silver and gold are not. One should realize that in most chains with snap lock clasps, you will find small steel springs to force the clasp to seal. This spring is magnetic but the remaining chain really should not be. Copper, brass, bronze as well as some steel alloys will also be not magnetic so this is just not a definitive test. It is a great indicator though when used with other indicators.
Gold features a distinctive, high pitched ring when bumped against another gold piece or against glass. This is something that you will recognize over time. It does take experience as a way to utilize this knowledge.
Finally some people say they are able to smell gold. I can't but many of gold finders swear by it. If you can smell it you possibly can make a lot of cash just sniffing around.
The Color Of Gold
Medium to low karat gold also comes in many colors. Pure gold is a rich gold tone, which many Americans and Europeans don't favor, yet it's hot within the Orient and India. We are more used to traversing to a 14K alloy of 58.5% gold and 41.5% copper and nickel mix or copper and silver mix. However, gold comes in many colors at 10K, 14K and in many cases 18K. White gold will be the most common variation and rather than copper, manufactures utilize a gold and nickel or zinc combined with nickel to obtain the white color. Rose gold can be a pure mix of gold and copper and includes a 'reddish tint'. There can also be green gold and different shades of gold colored gold which depends upon the alloy mixed with the gold.
There is merely one overriding factor with color for that gold finder. 14K of any color offers the same amount of gold as 14K of any other color and is worth the exact same sum of money.
Gold Testing
The most accurate strategy to test for gold as well as fineness is using a gold testing kit. This kit includes a touchstone, which seems like a small, rectangular slab of slate (but isn't slate) and several bottles of nitric acid. It may also have a group of gold tipped needles to try you acid's accuracy. I suggest buying 10K, 14K, 18K and 22K acids. To test for gold take your items and rub in on the small section of the touchstone until a thin line about 1/8 inch by ?? appears. Then take your acid and place one drop for the line. If the acid eats through the line leaving a gap within the line or perhaps a spot very faded, it's whether lower karat gold or not gold at all. Use a lower karat acid to determine in the event the former applies.
If I find unmarked gold I test drive it with 14K acid first. If it fades I use 10K acid. If that fades and you've got silver testing acid you can use that because it will also test for 9K gold. If it compares to 14K acid then try 18K acid into it. If it doesn't fade you already know you've got a minimum of 18K gold. Try the 22K acid next. One warning: Stainless steel will frequently not fade under some gold acids. However it leaves a silvery, white line when rubbed and sound much scratchier than gold would sound.
If you obtain any acid onto the skin, don't panic but quickly wash it well with water. Better yet use water and soap and make some baking soda handy since this neutralizes acid which might fall on your desk or floor.
Some jewelry supply stores sell electronic gold testers for about $150 a pop. These devices should measure gold purity by electronic or heat conductibility. This sounds great and naturally it is safer than using acids. The problem is that they actually do not appear to be very accurate. I have seen 1/10 GF items test as solid gold. I have also seen solid gold objects which can be dirty or greasy test as not being gold. White gold alloys do not seem to have the same conductivity as gold.
Save your dollars and figure out how to use the acids. You have heard the expression 'that is the acid test' meaning the definitive test. Now you know where this expression originates from.
In Conclusion
Don't get discouraged if you purchase a specific thing and it is not gold. Chalk it for the tariff of doing work and learning the ins and outs of gold finding. With experience your family will enjoy fewer mistakes and earn more money. I am correct 97% of the time when I buy gold. Your batting average may turn out to be better still than mine given some patience and experience.
You have every one of the knowledge you'll want to be a successful gold finder. Go out there and discover gold!
The first thing to do with gold toned goods that aren't gold you aren't affordable web hosting valuable due to intrinsic artistic merit is usually to avoid them just like the plague. Your mistakes can cost you money or at best decrease your gold finding income. So we should become aware of the markings in jewelry or other physical indications which say 'hey! this is just not gold'.
It Glitters But It's Not Gold
Take your magnification device . and appear closely in any way markings present. If it says '18K HGE' it just isn't gold. 'HGE' represents Heavy Gold Electroplate. It usually isn't even heavily electroplated as well as the gold color will soon disappear about the more exhausted aspects of the product. Even if it were heavily electroplated, it is just not worth many cents in gold content. The same is valid for '14K GE' which naturally represents 14K Gold Electroplate. These are the easy ones to eliminate. Save your money.
Next we look in an old pocket watch which gleams that rich yellow color we only want to see. However, on closer inspection they have the marking '1/10 12K GF'. This means that this wrist watch isn't 12K gold but rather 1/10th 12K gold by weight. Almost each of the 12K gold is an extremely thick plating. Generally I sell 10th GF on Ebay for around $5 and ounce. Some people do strip the gold plating off and refine it. To make money using this method you have to setup an expensive and somewhat dangerous refining operation. '1/20 12K GF' could be the same except it only has half the gold content as 1/10 GF. You can and really should skip the buy on these materials unless they come free or near free and will sell a lot of it on Ebay. Most gold buyers won't buy gold filled whatsoever. Many Cross pens are produced with 10K, 12K, 14K and in many cases 18K Gold Filled barrels. A variation of this marking is '20/14K' which is the same as '1/20 14K GF'
The marking 'RGP' in any karat is basically the identical to gold filled. It is a tiny layer of gold using a thick layer of copper sandwiched among the 2 thin layers of gold. Avoid this if you are searching for solid gold pieces which you'll want to sell.
Finally, avoid new looking items which are marked but the mark is only partially readable. Avoid gold looking items from Avon, Monet, Triffary (not Tiffany) as well as other specialists in attractive costume jewelry. They rarely make genuine gold items when they are doing make them, these are clearly marked 14K or 10K with no other initials. Avoid, a minimum of for now, anything marked Hong Kong, Taiwan, China or Korea. They just don't make solid gold items.
Properties Of Gold
Many items created from gold have no mark at all. This is due to excessive wear containing rubbed off of the marking, shortening rings sometimes omits the mark and older pieces were not marked in many cases. The most notable example is 22K Oriental and Indian gold. You may see no mark even over a heavy bracelet worth hundreds of dollars or the objective could be in Chinese that is no help to me or probably you. In these cases the properties of gold will help you to decide if you should buy or not. Of course for those who have a gold testing kit you might be another step before everybody else.
High karat gold is an extremely heavy metal and rock, far heavier than lead, brass, copper or silver. Platinum may be the only metal that is heavier than gold however it is also twice as valuable worth over $1,200 per troy ounce in todays world. The heft of gold is a great indication that everything you have is high karat gold. The low karat gold 8K, 9K and 10K weigh less since they are mostly copper and also the weight is probably not an excellent clue. 14K is proper in the centre and is also generally heavy enough to help you determine that could possibly be gold. A caution is always that some gold items are manufactured hollow, like earrings plus some bracelets so unless they may be clearly marked avoid them.
Another property of gold is its malleability and softness. Gold can be hammered to 1 atom thickness and it is the only substance this may be done to. The result is gold leaf which may almost float in a very high wind. A 22K ring could be bent just by somewhat finger pressure. Bracelets and earrings are ideal for displaying this property. They bend and after that can be easily unbent. Be careful here in order to use them or if this doesn't happen belong to you because it may not bend back in the identical shape. Think of lead solder wire. This bends just like easily as high karat gold.
The proven fact that gold never tarnishes or oxidizes is yet another telltale property. If you see major toning on an item that isn't grease and other external dirt and which can be wiped away using your fingers or perhaps a tissue, then more than likely you do not have gold. Many times people find jewelry that is gold plated silver. This is called vermeil and will be bought only if the silver weight makes it definitely worth the cost.
Gold is a superb conductor of heat and electricity along with not magnetic. As a conductor gold is preferable to copper. Gold is even better than silver, that also surpasses copper like a conductor. That is why gold is used a lot in high tech devices. It is just not magnetic though. A wise gold finder will always bring magnet with them. While iron, steel and pure nickel are fascinated by a magnet both silver and gold are not. One should realize that in most chains with snap lock clasps, you will find small steel springs to force the clasp to seal. This spring is magnetic but the remaining chain really should not be. Copper, brass, bronze as well as some steel alloys will also be not magnetic so this is just not a definitive test. It is a great indicator though when used with other indicators.
Gold features a distinctive, high pitched ring when bumped against another gold piece or against glass. This is something that you will recognize over time. It does take experience as a way to utilize this knowledge.
Finally some people say they are able to smell gold. I can't but many of gold finders swear by it. If you can smell it you possibly can make a lot of cash just sniffing around.
The Color Of Gold
Medium to low karat gold also comes in many colors. Pure gold is a rich gold tone, which many Americans and Europeans don't favor, yet it's hot within the Orient and India. We are more used to traversing to a 14K alloy of 58.5% gold and 41.5% copper and nickel mix or copper and silver mix. However, gold comes in many colors at 10K, 14K and in many cases 18K. White gold will be the most common variation and rather than copper, manufactures utilize a gold and nickel or zinc combined with nickel to obtain the white color. Rose gold can be a pure mix of gold and copper and includes a 'reddish tint'. There can also be green gold and different shades of gold colored gold which depends upon the alloy mixed with the gold.
There is merely one overriding factor with color for that gold finder. 14K of any color offers the same amount of gold as 14K of any other color and is worth the exact same sum of money.
Gold Testing
The most accurate strategy to test for gold as well as fineness is using a gold testing kit. This kit includes a touchstone, which seems like a small, rectangular slab of slate (but isn't slate) and several bottles of nitric acid. It may also have a group of gold tipped needles to try you acid's accuracy. I suggest buying 10K, 14K, 18K and 22K acids. To test for gold take your items and rub in on the small section of the touchstone until a thin line about 1/8 inch by ?? appears. Then take your acid and place one drop for the line. If the acid eats through the line leaving a gap within the line or perhaps a spot very faded, it's whether lower karat gold or not gold at all. Use a lower karat acid to determine in the event the former applies.
If I find unmarked gold I test drive it with 14K acid first. If it fades I use 10K acid. If that fades and you've got silver testing acid you can use that because it will also test for 9K gold. If it compares to 14K acid then try 18K acid into it. If it doesn't fade you already know you've got a minimum of 18K gold. Try the 22K acid next. One warning: Stainless steel will frequently not fade under some gold acids. However it leaves a silvery, white line when rubbed and sound much scratchier than gold would sound.
If you obtain any acid onto the skin, don't panic but quickly wash it well with water. Better yet use water and soap and make some baking soda handy since this neutralizes acid which might fall on your desk or floor.
Some jewelry supply stores sell electronic gold testers for about $150 a pop. These devices should measure gold purity by electronic or heat conductibility. This sounds great and naturally it is safer than using acids. The problem is that they actually do not appear to be very accurate. I have seen 1/10 GF items test as solid gold. I have also seen solid gold objects which can be dirty or greasy test as not being gold. White gold alloys do not seem to have the same conductivity as gold.
Save your dollars and figure out how to use the acids. You have heard the expression 'that is the acid test' meaning the definitive test. Now you know where this expression originates from.
In Conclusion
Don't get discouraged if you purchase a specific thing and it is not gold. Chalk it for the tariff of doing work and learning the ins and outs of gold finding. With experience your family will enjoy fewer mistakes and earn more money. I am correct 97% of the time when I buy gold. Your batting average may turn out to be better still than mine given some patience and experience.
You have every one of the knowledge you'll want to be a successful gold finder. Go out there and discover gold!
About the Author
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Luis Manchester-born Jaime loves metal, family history,genealogy, entertaining. She also likes spending precious time together with her pals. #links# |
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