# gold plated scrap



## rsbubba3 (Jul 20, 2010)

hello all i have a question about best process to use on 120 grams of gold plated beads and chain links these are verry small pieces of scrap? thanks for any responce in advance bob


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## lazersteve (Jul 20, 2010)

Dilute (35%) nitric acid should do the trick for removing the base metals. Finish up with AR or HCl-Cl to dissolve the washed gold foils and powder.

Steve


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## rsbubba3 (Jul 20, 2010)

thank you steve for the reply ..ps just ordered your dvd gold plated scrap also some crucibles and cell parts


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## lazersteve (Jul 20, 2010)

Thank you for the order! I'll be making a trip to the post office tomorrow and get them right out to you.

Steve


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## Chumbawamba (Oct 22, 2010)

So if I have a big horking plated chain that is mostly what looks to be copper underneath the plate, I just immerse it in the dilute nitric and wait? Do I need to clip the links or anything to give the acid an attack vector, or will it simply permeate the gold layer?


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## philddreamer (Oct 22, 2010)

Incinerate first, then into the nitric acid. It definitely makes a difference. I just did it with a 14K necklace.


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## qst42know (Oct 22, 2010)

I save the thin plated stuff for the stripping cell.


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## Chumbawamba (Oct 22, 2010)

I have a big chain and I don't know exactly what's up with it. I took it to a jeweler in town that I kind of know (a friend of a friend is one of their jewelry makers) and he examined it and told me it was plated. He then got the jewelry store owner to look at it and he very quickly concurred.

So I have a gold-plated chain with what looks to be (under high magnification) a copper base.

Incinerate: OK. What temp should I bring it to? Until it "glows red"? What does this do to the piece exactly?


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## philddreamer (Oct 22, 2010)

Harold recommends to icinerate to dull red. It starts to break down the metals & they digest better & faster. 
(I got to check the posts again & get the right terminology. :roll: )

How thick is your gold plated chain? If its too thick, you would be better off running thru the sulphuric cell, like qst42know suggested. I had 2 gold plated heavy necklaces, 60g & a 56g; the running thru nitric was a waste, for the 56g. The 60g went thru the sulphuric.


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## Chumbawamba (Oct 23, 2010)

philddreamer said:


> Harold recommends to icinerate to dull red. It starts to break down the metals & they digest better & faster.



Thank you for the explanation. 



> How thick is your gold plated chain? If its too thick, you would be better off running thru the sulphuric cell, like qst42know suggested. I had 2 gold plated heavy necklaces, 60g & a 56g; the running thru nitric was a waste, for the 56g. The 60g went thru the sulphuric.



Here they are, with my dirty finger butting into the frame for reference.




The thick chain is about 61g. The thin one is slightly magnetic. I think I'll go with your the sulphuric stripping cell suggestion as that seems the best way to go. That being said, I'll put them aside until I have more material and until I have time for that project.

Actually, I just remembered I have a full gold-plated silverware set that my mom gave me to strip, as well as various gold-plated silverware pieces I picked up from thrift stores here and there. I guess I can run it all together, so it looks like I have enough material. Still, I have other projects already in progress and don't want to start yet another fire


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