What Is This And Is It Gold?

[phrunt]

I was out with my Vortex this morning and found what appears to be an ear ring or something, pretty odd design as it would stick straight out from your ear, it's in pretty rough shape.   I'm not too familiar with ID's on the Vortex yet so I swung it past my Equinox and it gets a very solid 5 on the Target ID, 5 seems too high to me to be gold for the size/shape of it.  I can't see any hallmarks on it.  I suspect it to be a junker however it isn't magnetic.

 

[dig4gold]

Interesting. Is there a chance the straight bit has been bent 90 degrees? If that is the case then as an earring it would sit flat against the ear lobe. It certainly looks like an earring as you can see the little indent near the end of that straight bit where the butterfly would clip into. Unless it was meant to sit the way it would if as you found it.

D4G 

[Shojo510]

Maybe it was an artisan made hoop with something in the middle, looks like it has some channels or slots...and as D4G was saying maybe it was flatened while it sat so originally it would have had the hoop flat against the ear lobe...very interesting

 

[Skull diver]

4 hours ago, phrunt said:

  I suspect it to be a junker however it isn't magnetic.

Definitely an item flattened by someone's foot or I'd say wheels, before to fly near the road...

At first sight, slightly less warm than 18 and then 14, maybe....Before acid and without markings...It is just suggestion...

[mn90403]

I say gold!  Good gold at 18k

[F350Platinum]

If it is "pure" gold it should have a Hallmark somewhere unless the piece that it was on is missing. Inspect it with a loupe or magnifier. Hallmarks and makers' marks have been required on gold items for a very long time.

If it is thickly plated a gold acid test might be misleading. 

Many jewelry shops will have an XRF gun which would tell you the metal composition, mine will do it for free.

[Slimpickuns]

Looks like a gold ear ring that's been stepped on or ran over..Looks like there is an 18K hallmark on the inside of the ear ring. Also looks like that post might of held a pearl.  Just my guess though...

 

[GB_Amateur]

6 hours ago, F350Platinum said:

If it is "pure" gold it should have a Hallmark somewhere unless the piece that it was on is missing. Inspect it with a loupe or magnifier. Hallmarks and makers' marks have been required on gold items for a very long time.

If it is thickly plated a gold acid test might be misleading. 

Many jewelry shops will have an XRF gun which would tell you the metal composition, mine will do it for free.

X-Rays (at the energy of XRFS guns) can detect *through* heavy gold alloy plating to see the underlying base metal?  I'd be surprised.

[F350Platinum]

22 hours ago, GB_Amateur said:

X-Rays (at the energy of XRFS guns) can detect *through* heavy gold alloy plating to see the underlying base metal?  I'd be surprised.

Sorry GB, these guns cost 25 grand. Jewelry stores are reluctant to test some things, but the following should help: 

"XRF technology detects the presence and thickness of the outer gold layer, and if the underlying material is not gold (e.g., copper, steel, or silver), the device can identify the non-gold substrate, indicating it is plated. This method is non-destructive and provides a full report of the item's elemental makeup, making it a reliable tool for verifying gold content and detecting plating."

My local shop will do it for free if it's interesting. 🙂