# My first batch



## Dadiola (May 20, 2014)

I recently refined my first batch of 10k, 14k & 18k gold jewelry. I inquarted the gold with enough sterling so as to get the gold down to 6k. According to my calculations prior to starting the process I should have ended up with 39.5 g of gold and approximately 100 g of silver (hard to determine the exact silver content as I didnt know what the gold was alloyed with). I ended up with 37.1 g of gold and 95 g of silver after refining. I did the usual process of placing the corn flaked gold after inquartation in nitric (2 times) and then placing the gold in aqua regia to dissolve. I guess my question to you expereinced refiners out there is where did the other 2.4 g of gold disappear to? Is it normal to have a loss like that? I had tested each item of jewelry prior to inquartation so I knew the gold content going in. By the way, the aqua regia solution tested negative for any gold after I had precipiated it - so I know that is not where it was lost. Also, I noticed a strange white substance (not alot) that precipitated out with the gold...however it disappeared after I rinsed the gold in HCL - just curious as to what that was. Thought it may have been too much SMB (i mixed the SMB with water prior to putting in solution)? Anyways, I have studied on how do do this process for quite awhile prior to actually doing it and it was alot of fun. I look forward to doing more in the future.


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## FrugalRefiner (May 20, 2014)

If you calculate the amount of gold you expect based on the stamped or "tested" karat value, you will almost always come up short. Old jewelry was allowed to be up to 1/2 karat below the stamped value, and if there is solder involved, the allowance was up to a full karat below the stamped value. Current standards in the US are tighter, but it's still allowed to be underkarated.

When I buy jewelry, I always assume it to be one karat below the stamp. 

Dave


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## joubjonn (May 20, 2014)

And testing is not going to be exact. Unless you used
Some expensive lab equipment.


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## goldsilverpro (May 20, 2014)

Markings of karat gold jewelry in the US are rarely correct. It is never higher than what it is marked. Never, never, never. Ninety nine times out of 100, it is lower. For an average, figure at least 1/2 karat lower. Use that figure, or lower, when buying. One karat lower is not terribly unusual. In this country, it has always been easy to cheat. The laws in this country, and how they are enacted, *always* favor the manufacturer and not the buyer. No exception.


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## Dadiola (May 20, 2014)

I tested each piece of jewelry with acid and the gold held with the test. I guess the acid tests are not that accurate. Still, i was just wondering if you fellas consistently yielded less than what is projected.


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## goldsilverpro (May 20, 2014)

With acids, you're distinguishing between 10, 14, and 18. Big 4 karat spreads. Unless you're really an expert at seeing very subtle differences in what happens on the stone, that's about as good as you can do.

When you test, are you using absolute standard karat alloys to make marks next to the marks of the unknowns and then testing the 2 marks simultaneously, in order to compare them (speed of attack and the resulting colors)? At its best, acid testing is a comparison method, not a go-no go method.

Once you learn how to do everything correctly, you have to assume that what you got is what was there. To me, the gold numbers you got are very possible.


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## Clneal2003 (Jun 29, 2014)

Just wondering... How much do you think these two items will yield? There both about 70 years old and pretty well plated. The bottom of the lamp is completely covered with gold plating. In addition to the I have another identical lamp and a vase to match the lamps. This will be my first run at refining gold so I'm nervous and don't know how much to estimate.


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## Clneal2003 (Jun 29, 2014)

Clneal2003 said:


> Just wondering... How much do you think these two items will yield? There both about 70 years old and pretty well plated. The bottom of the lamp is completely covered with gold plating. In addition to the I have another identical lamp and a vase to match the lamps. This will be my first run at refining gold so I'm nervous and don't know how much to estimate.



Sorry couldn't figure out attachments on my ipad... Here's the other of the top of the glass thing.


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## eastky (Jun 29, 2014)

Clneal2003 don't waste your time or money. Sell the lamps and the vase that goes with them and the glass bowl for $20.00 and you will be getting more for them than you will recover in gold.


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## eastky (Jun 29, 2014)

Dadiola If you were dealing with rings that may have been resized to fit the persons finger. I think you will come up with a lower figure when refined because of the solder used. Read about that on the forum here if I remember right.


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## Clneal2003 (Jun 29, 2014)

eastky said:


> Clneal2003 don't waste your time or money. Sell the lamps and the vase that goes with them and the glass bowl for $20.00 and you will be getting more for them than you will recover in gold.



Thanks. That's why I'm starting with this... If I mess up I'd rather lose $20 in gold rather than $100


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## necromancer (Jun 29, 2014)

that vase is kind of nice, candy dish or something from a church...... :?: 

easy $30.00


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## eastky (Jun 29, 2014)

Clneal there isn't $20.00 worth of gold on them. Sell the items and take that money and buy some scrap and recover the gold from that.


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## Clneal2003 (Jun 29, 2014)

necromancer said:


> that vase is kind of nice, candy dish or something from a church...... :?:
> 
> easy $30.00



Not sure. My mom said it came from her uncles home when he was a kid. We tried to sell this stuff in a garage sale and nobody wanted to pay more than three bucks. We made $500... Two dollars at a time. 

I figured start with gold on glass then move on to working with nitric. Hcl and bleach is cheap compared to nitric. Plus we don't really have enough gold to justify a $50 bottle of nitric. We have a 6g button of 10k from broken odds and ends... I'm wondering if the hcl bleach will be strong enough to refine it? I know it should go through the other processes to do it properly but like I said... Nitric is expensive and I don't really have that much gold.

I've really been baby stepping this whole process. We started just buying scrap sterling here and there... Now we've got over a pound decided to move onto gold in little bits.


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## necromancer (Jun 29, 2014)

i would save this until you get it appraised, i think its very nice

where are you located, i may send a offer if shipping is not to much


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## Clneal2003 (Jun 30, 2014)

necromancer said:


> i would save this until you get it appraised, i think its very nice
> 
> where are you located, i may send a offer if shipping is not to much



Indiana - USA. PM offer if you'd like.


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## necromancer (Jun 30, 2014)

pm sent


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## Pantherlikher (Jul 1, 2014)

Those pieces are to nice to wash the gold from.
All those pieces would not yield enough gold for you to even see much less hold in your hand 1 day.
I have washed gold from several hundred pieces. Many with that much gold and I might have 5 grams of dirty gold waiting for me to refine again.

Mind you, I said hundreds of pieces. Maybe 4 days 6 hours a day washing gold from all kinds of glassware.

It is allot of work to end up with a small amount but it was all free except the work.

B.S.


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