does anyone here offer xrf testing??

[ProSmelter]

I have come across a bunch of what look to be hand poured buttons from an estate sale in a bunch of old jewelry, the estate owner was supposed to be an old school jeweler....I have an acid test kit, the buttons hold t 10k but not t 14k, but they are a hard metal??? as in I broke a small pair of snips checking the hardness!! LOL..They are however quite heavy for their size. Any clues or does anyone have a better method that tthe acid test?? I dont have my scale to weigh them but I would guess around 3 or so ounces of the buttons is what I have, maybe more. ANy help would be great!

 

[qst42know]

I would expect a solid button of 10k to be quite hard. Hard enough to make it very difficult to "snip" with most any hand operated cutters.

 

[ProSmelter]

well, i think I screwed up a little, my first instinct should have been a :roll: magnet test it and did it by accident last night, they are all quite magnetic so that throws gold out the window. But I would still like to know what they are???

 

[qst42know]

Gather up some file shavings or hack saw chips, digest in a test tube or spot plate, and do some tests with stannous, ferrous sulfate, and Dimethylglyoxime.

 

[bgwatch]

I bet they are gold with a mix of other metals like iron. The jeweler probably gathered up sweeps and melted them together in a crucible. If your test shows gold, there must be gold in there, just not pure.

 

[qst42know]

Jewelers use iron wire to hold assemblies together for brazing. This could be a blend of many types of bench scraps. A stannous test will tell you more of what is in it.

To your filings add a few drops of hydrochloric acid and one or two drops of 10k test acid (dilute nitric). Warm to dissolve all of it and test with stannous.

 

[NobleMetalsRecovery]

A friend of mine has a XRF gun. I could get it tested.