# I have done it!!!



## Cozza (Jul 14, 2019)

Good evening all,
6 months ago I knew nothing about refining PMs. 3 months ago I produced my first silver Crystal's. Tonight I finished my first gold refine, and I must thank everyone on this forum for the knowledge so generously given, as it was a textbook run!
2.74grm of gorgeousness!
This was produced from a small amount of 9k metal detecting finds and some nuggets given to me by a mate I loaned my detector to recently.
The 9k was inquarted as per normal, and I also decided to inquart the nuggets, despite testing at 21k through previous xrf of other nuggets from the same patch. I thought I had parted adequately with nitric, however some 'cottage cheese'  formed when the gold was digested in AR. Am I correct to assume this was Silver chloride?
Anyway, a photo of the twice refined bead next to my 15k ring for comparison.
Ps- thanks to frugalrefiner for resetting my password when the site logged me out and wouldn't let me back in when I tried to post this earlier!


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## rickzeien (Jul 14, 2019)

Nice looking button. Congrats!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## FrugalRefiner (Jul 14, 2019)

Congratulations! I love the deep color of the button next to your ring.

Dave


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## anachronism (Jul 14, 2019)

You never forget that moment when you have your first nice clean button in your hand. Well done 8) 8)


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## butcher (Jul 14, 2019)

Now you are Hooked, and you've done it, I like it.


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## Shark (Jul 14, 2019)

Very nice! Thanks for the pictures, I love seeing other people's work.


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## metatp (Jul 15, 2019)

Nice job. Better than my first button. I too started with silver cemmenting and then silver crystals. Do you have any pictures of you silver crystals?


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## Cozza (Jul 16, 2019)

Thank you all for the kind words. Hooked is one word!
Here are some of my nicer silver crystals-


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## rickzeien (Jul 16, 2019)

That is some great looking crystal!

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## kernels (Jul 16, 2019)

Gloves are a really good idea when working with Silver Nitrate 8)


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## Cozza (Jul 17, 2019)

Gloves indeed. I always wear gloves...... usually. I got it on my hands after handling some of the choice Crystal's I separated from the main batch. I thought I had rinsed them thoroughly enough, but evidently not it seems. Lesson learned!


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## kernels (Jul 17, 2019)

Haha no stress, we all learn the hard way sometimes.

I wiped up a small Silver Nitrate spill with a paper towel once (wearing gloves), then a little while later picked it up to throw in the waste (not wearing gloves). Then later I walked outside in the sun . . . . big mistake and lesson learnt!


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## anachronism (Jul 17, 2019)

kernels said:


> Haha no stress, we all learn the hard way sometimes.
> 
> I wiped up a small Silver Nitrate spill with a paper towel once (wearing gloves), then a little while later picked it up to throw in the waste (not wearing gloves). Then later I walked outside in the sun . . . . big mistake and lesson learnt!



Purple hands haha- been there done that one.


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## kurtak (Aug 18, 2019)

kernels said:


> Gloves are a really good idea when working with Silver Nitrate 8)



First of all let me say that when refining - yes - you should wear gloves & that is because you are working with both strong acids & strong caustic's (such as sodium hydroxide) & these acids & caustic's WILL burn you if you get them on you --- also "some" metals dissolved in (acidic) solutions are toxic (such as copper, nickel, mercury, lead, PGMs etc.) & when you get them (the solutions) on you they are absorbed into the tissue & carried to the rest of the body through your blood which in turn can/will lead to serious health issues especially when exposed to repeated exposure over time --- so yes - gloves (as well as other PPE) should be the rule 


However - that said - silver &/or its compounds (silver +) including silver nitrate are a "bit" of a different story 

Out side of the purple stains as a result of getting a bit of silver nitrate on you (provided there's not still a lot of "free" acid in the solution) is actually harmless

In fact - silver & its compounds (including silver nitrate) have medical benefits due to silvers antibacterial properties 

:arrow: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical_uses_of_silver 

Bottom line --- getting a bit of silver nitrate on you is not going to hurt you (outside the stain) 

So the reality here is that though getting silver nitrate on you is not going to hurt you - when it comes to refining - what the stain on you from silver nitrate shows you is that you are likely also being (at least a bit) careless in the handling of other chems &/or solutions in your refining--- in other words - what the silver nitrate stain show you (though they are harmless) is that you need to take more care in your refining practices as other metals dissolved in solution can/will lead to health problems down the road

another way to put it - if your getting silver nitrate stains on you - its an indicator that you need to "clean up" your refining practices 

Kurt


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## g_axelsson (Aug 19, 2019)

Beautiful button!

And since no one else said it, it's safe to assume the cotton cheese came from silver nitrate hiding inside the inquarted gold. It's really hard to wash it out and honestly, there are not a lot gained from slaving with several washes after inquarting. You remove it when filtering the gold chloride.

Göran


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## JoeyJoystick (Aug 22, 2019)

kurtak said:


> In fact - silver & its compounds (including silver nitrate) have medical benefits due to silvers antibacterial properties
> 
> Kurt



Hi Kurt,

When I was young I once called the doctor and asked him what to do because I was worried my mom wanted to kill herself. I had found a bottle of cyanide tablets...

He explained that in small doses it is medicinal and not poisonous... What did I know! I am laughing even now when I am writing this, but back than it was not funny for me.

Anyway, is it possible that this applies to Silver and its compounds as well? I honestly have no idea, but I can well imagine that this would apply to more chemicals than just cyanide.


Joey


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