Why is the gold testing positive for copper?

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Jay_Filthey

New member
Joined
Dec 11, 2018
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1
me and my grandfather used to collect gold from the ground from scrap anywhere we can get gold and we would melt it into this bar that we saved over the years. Recently I went to sell my gold the weighed out too little bit over 5 oz.. for the place that I have taken it to wanted to make sure that it was gold and decided to take it to the refinery and I agreed but to my surprise the results came back as it tested for copper. At the store they used a little machine that the guy was using said it was picking up on different things are everywhere from 18 to 22k . And it was the inconsistency the machine was picking up that made him want to take it to the refinery ..so what I'm trying to figure out here is why does the gold that we melted over the years now test as copper rather than gold I mean is there something that I'm missing here? can it be what we used to smelt it down or or I don't know but I'm lost I don't know what's going on little help anyone
 
If the gold scrap had copper or base metals in it, melting will just make an alloy of the gold.

Placer gold is not pure gold it will contain some copper and silver (normally somewhere around 80% gold)
Gold smelted from ore can have all kinds of other metals involved depending on the recovery or refining process.

You say they used a machine to check your gold, an acid test of a prepared sample would be a better test, even if it was just nitric acid used, or a comparison test with aqua regia and scratch needles of gold of known karat, the machines will only read the surface of the gold the gold can also have surface oxidation of base metals which can give unreliable readings.

It is simple to test the gold for yourself, and gaining the knowledge you will have a better understanding of the tests the buyer uses...
 
Butcher, this is Goldbarb, a woman gold miner in the Northwest. I have problems getting my gold "powder" refined. Can you possibly give me some advice? I have lived in Oregon for many years and have a claim in Union County. Goldbarb
 
goldbarb,
Are you dealing with placer gold, or is it load gold, Maybe if you can give more details of your gold "powder".
is the problem in recovery of the gold, or are actually wishing to learn to refine it?

Most miners do not refine their gold they normally just recover it and sell it (normally for around 80% spot for placer gold in my area).

We can help you learn to refine it, we need a few more details of the gold, we also will need to discuss safety along the way
 
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