Jump to content

Found Bracelet - Gold or Brass or......?


tvanwho

Recommended Posts

I was going thru my junk and found a gold bracelet that I had always thought was gold plate cause it was mostly brown with some yellow underneath? On closer examination, the clasp is clearly marked 14 K underneath by where the chain attaches and it does feel heavy. I got this ages ago with my Tesoro Lobo, before I had a metered machine.Just tested it with my MXT and 6 x 9 coil and it reads VDI 26-30, Pulltab/Ring on Coin mode and in Prospect mode,it reads 10% iron id which sure sounds like nonferrous to me...Does 14 K gold really corrode like this? How do I clean it up? Maybe I better take it to my coin dealer and see what he will give me ? It is about 8 inches long, 1/4 inch wide and 1/16 inch thick. Photos attached,taken with my new used Canon SX 50.

-Tom

post-353-0-23005500-1419969776_thumb.jpg

post-353-0-18130700-1419969785_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Although gold doesn't tarnish it can have surface stains from minerals in the ground from which it was in for a unknown period of time, gold jewelry being relatively unpure compared to natural gold which is usually at least twice as pure as most common gold jewelry would be more susceptible to staining, we have all seen raw gold that is stained from the minerals it was entombed in for eons, it's no different for gold jewelry that has been buried only the jewelry would stain in a shorter period of time.

Soaking it in apple cider vinegar would most likely bring it back to it's original luster, or if you have a ultrasonic jewelry cleaner would do the job as well.

Here's a website where you can get an idea of it's value base on the spot price of gold, you would need to know the exact weight of the bracelet.

http://dendritics.com/metal-calc/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Tom,

That looks like "flea market gold" to me.   The only way to tell for sure is to have it tested.

Flea Market Gold is brass with a gold stamp.

I found a really nice large chain with a 14k stamp on it that looked a lot like your bracelet.  Got all excited when I saw the stamp as the chain had some good weight to it.   Only  I couldn't understand why it was so tarnished.  Turned out to be brass and that is when I learned the term, "flea market gold".  Not all that is stamped gold is gold.

A couple of quick swirls in ketchup made it pretty and shiny again, like it might have been when it was sold as gold.

Hope its not, though.  I hope you really got some gold there.

HH
Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks Mike,

I bet its flea market gold then but will soak it overnite in ketchup and see what happens, then go see my coin dealer later this week. He likes to gab and I like to listen so its a win win no matter what. The last piece of 14 K gold I had was from a swim hole and it was a bright yellow ring. Altho this chain was in the ground,I think, but 15 years ago, who knows...my memory isn't that good anymore.

Try to think positive...maybe will take my MXT along and see if he will let me air test some gold chains so I can see what to listen for and where they read on the VDi meter. I do like that Prospect mode where non ferrous reads like +5-+40 %.

  How do I read magnetic black sand deposits vs ground minerals on my MXT? I know they are not always gold bearing but might be worth locating to test out for gold anyway.

-T

Link to comment
Share on other sites

there is still a bit of brown on the bracelet, but dull yellow under it. My Gold Testers kit I just found is only good on gold ores so still need to go to coin dealer yet. Check out this latest photo after soaking in ketchup for 12 hours.

post-353-0-83275100-1420411665_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are spots on the links that donot look like gold, my guess is plated brass, copper or??? of the gold I have found of any karet weight cleans up very easy and bright...also some plated stuff done over some ferrous material..check it with a magnet; that is what the gold buyers do as part of their process.

 

fred

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...