# GOLD FLAKES - Can I process these with AR - yield?



## kadriver (Nov 12, 2010)

I came across these flakes.

Can I use aqua regia to dissolve?

Should I pretreat the flakes or can I skip this step?

What kind of yield, if any, can I expect from these flakes?

The bag weight has been tared out - there are 7.7 grams of gold leaf flakes in the bag.

Thanks - kadriver


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## Anonymous (Nov 12, 2010)

kadriver said:


> I came across these flakes.


Translation=you bought them from ebay?
They appear to just be "tourist trap" flakes.If they are,I would expect no yield.
If they are from escrap,they appear to be clean,and should yield close to what the total weight is....I wouldn't hold your breathe though.


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## kadriver (Nov 12, 2010)

yes, they appear to be tourist trap flakes.

Are they real gold or some other metal, or a mixture?

Is there a test that can be performed to check gold content - if any?

Can I dissolve in with my next gold refining in AR?

Should I even bother mixing these in with my next batch?

Should I throw them away?

Thanks for looking - kadriver


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## Anonymous (Nov 12, 2010)

I wouldn't throw them away.Since you know how to run AR,just test a little bit with that.


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## kadriver (Nov 12, 2010)

I may try to dissolve in AR (probobly wount take much - about 6ml nitric to 18ml hydrochloric).

Then process and see what I get.

Thank you for the input mic

kadriver


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## butcher (Nov 12, 2010)

stannous chloride.


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## metatp (Nov 12, 2010)

I would just test them with a little nitric. Most tourist flakes just disappear and leave a bluish tint in the solution.

Regards,
Tom


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## Harold_V (Nov 13, 2010)

What Tom said. Testing with AR and stannous chloride is a wasted step. What you want to know is if there is gold present. You can determine that with a tiny sample placed in a cavity of a spot plate, then applying a drop of nitric. If there's base metal included, you'll get a blue/green solution, along with some fizzing and brown fumes. If there is any gold present, it will remain after the base metal has been consumed by the drop of acid. if nothing remains, and you see no dark specs, you have no gold. By sharp contrast, if the drop of nitric does nothing, and the metal remains, it is likely gold that has already been processed with nitric. 

Harold


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## kadriver (Nov 13, 2010)

I will perform the test that Harold & Tom recommended. Thank You - kadriver


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## kadriver (Nov 14, 2010)

The flakes dissolved in ntric and left no noticeable material.

I also performed a stannous chloride test with negative results.

I will do a few more tests, maybe try a greater quantity of the flakes with nitric - but I think this will have to be tossed into the bad investment pile.

You live, you learn.

kadriver


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## goldsilverpro (Nov 14, 2010)

kadriver said:


> The flakes dissolved in ntric and left no noticeable material.
> 
> I also performed a stannous chloride test with negative results.
> 
> ...



Just another proof that those slimeballs on Ebay selling imitation gold and calling it "gold flake" are crooks. Now you know and you will never make that mistake again.


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## joem (Nov 14, 2010)

how much did you pay for this?
If I put an equal amount of gold foils I recovered
being real I could get top dollars from those with gold
in their eyes.


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## metatp (Nov 14, 2010)

I just bought some scrap on ebay and they said that 1.3 grams of it was 24K gold flakes. I was sadly taken, since they are not gold after I tested. I now have a case against the seller, but he is accusing me of switching real gold for fake flakes. They are real crocks. They even said they acid tested the flakes themselves and bought from a reputable dealer. Either he got taken and is passing his bad dealings along, or he is the crock trying to cheat the ebay buyer. I am sure that the average buyer with gold fever in their eyes probably would not have tested the material.

Where did the ethics in this country go? So sad.

Tom


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## joem (Nov 14, 2010)

HTPatch said:


> I just bought some scrap on ebay and they said that 1.3 grams of it was 24K gold flakes. I was sadly taken, since they are not gold after I tested. I now have a case against the seller, but he is accusing me of switching real gold for fake flakes. They are real crocks. They even said they acid tested the flakes themselves and bought from a reputable dealer. Either he got taken and is passing his bad dealings along, or he is the crock trying to cheat the ebay buyer. I am sure that the average buyer with gold fever in their eyes probably would not have tested the material.
> 
> Where did the ethics in this country go? So sad.
> 
> Tom


I found more good ethics on this forum in the past few months than I have found in the past ten years of everyday life.


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## butcher (Nov 14, 2010)

do not give in, demand your money, and tell him if he wants the worthless flake brass back he will have to pay shipping and insurance. 

if he is honest and made a bad deal and mistakenly passed it on he will have no problem with refund with an appology.

if he is a crook he will do his best defend his innocence and claim you as the crook.

do not let these crooks take you or anyone else if you can help it. that is one thing that has happened to this country people are getting by with it.

do not buy any flakes from mail, ebay, or anywhere you cannot test them first, even then may just be better not to deal with them at all. the higher the price of these metals the more of the slimmy scum will come out from under their rocks to take advantage of people.

stand your ground.


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## Anonymous (Nov 14, 2010)

Unfortunately unless it actually states a karat value in the auction somewhere,ebay will side with the seller,seeing how gold also describes a color.And of course the seller is VERY well aware of that fact.So they prey on folks like kadriver that think they are getting the element gold.


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## butcher (Nov 14, 2010)

if a company like ebay sided with a crook they would not have my business.
do not let ebay by with it.

I cannot see how ebay would be much good in our business anyway, I tried it for a while and it is too risky buying without seeing, guessing unknown values, trying to outbid mr. deep pockets, at times dealing with con artists, paying shipping, on top of purchase. list goes on. I gave up on ebay for a place to waiste my gold, plenty of other holes to through it into, I mean bury (gold).


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## metatp (Nov 14, 2010)

butcher said:


> if he is a crook he will do his best defend his innocence and claim you as the crook.


 That's where we are right now. He had some other stuff where some panned out to be as he stated, but the biggest issue is the gold flakes (which I bought assuming they were fake). To me, it was worth the risk. I am sure ebay with take care of this. They side with the buyer when all evidence points to the item not being as described. He did state the Karat of each of his items. He just says that I switched the real gold for fake gold. I think he planned this all along. Even when I send his junk back to him, I will watch this crock to make sure any other buyer knows the truth as well, because ebay will let him resell it again. I've seen it in the past and let ebay know the seller was trying to cheat other, but they would not interfere until the buyer complains after the sale.

I am sure ebay pays the buyer like insurance. If they didn't, they would collapse.


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## kadriver (Nov 15, 2010)

I will ask the person who sold me these flakes to allow a partial refund.

If he says no, then I will graciously accept my loss.

I don't need to start a war with someone over a few dollars. The amount I have invested is small.

i will let the person know that I feel they did not deliver on their stated reason for selling these flakes: for gold recovery.

Thanks to all for your kind input - kadriver


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## dtectr (Dec 6, 2010)

mic said:


> Unfortunately unless it actually states a karat value in the auction somewhere,ebay will side with the seller,seeing how gold also describes a color.And of course the seller is VERY well aware of that fact.So they prey on folks like kadriver that think they are getting the element gold.


 To "Lazarus" an old thread - When I was still in the jewelry biz - nearly 2 decades ago - LEGALLY "gold" required some actual Au, even if very slight. 
"Gold*en*" described the color, & didn't require any Au.
But FeeBay doen't really worry about "Legal" that much anyway.

just my dos centavos.


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## Palladium (Dec 6, 2010)

joem said:


> HTPatch said:
> 
> 
> > I just bought some scrap on ebay and they said that 1.3 grams of it was 24K gold flakes. I was sadly taken, since they are not gold after I tested. I now have a case against the seller, but he is accusing me of switching real gold for fake flakes. They are real crocks. They even said they acid tested the flakes themselves and bought from a reputable dealer. Either he got taken and is passing his bad dealings along, or he is the crock trying to cheat the ebay buyer. I am sure that the average buyer with gold fever in their eyes probably would not have tested the material.
> ...



Very well said.


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