Gold plated paperweights/dinnerware etc.

[birdflu78]

Hello everyone. Right now I'm in the collecting phase as I learn the techniques and processes for PM recovery. I came across this item at the local thrift store today. It's a 24K plated paperweight/wall hanging. It's approx. 4.5in x 4in plated on both sides on brass base. Price was $5. Should I buy it?

http://www.amazon.com/Gerity-Four-Leaf-Clover-Hanging/dp/B005WONDKI/ref=pd_sxp_f_i

This item doesnt appear to be collectable as most of the ebay listings for it go unsold. I searched the forum and found that the value depends on the plating thickness. What's the typical thickness on these decorative items? If its 7 micro-inches as suggested before (I believe by Goldsilverpro) then it's not a smart buy, unless of course I get it to practice PM recovery. Any thoughts/opinions?

I've also seen other plated decorative items at flea markets, etc., such as a large pitcher and dish. Asking price was around $10. Are they worth chasing? I would love to get my hands on CPUs or jewelry but I live in a rural area. People here think their 20 year old computers are still valuable as computing devices and the jewelry is just hard to come by. All I can work with right now is gilded glassware and dishes.

I want to say thanks to everyone who has contributed to this site. I literally stumbled onto this site a few months ago and since have become enthralled with the notion that PMs are all around us in everyday items and that they can be recovered and recycled! It has totally changed the way I look at everything around me. Thanks again!

Birdflu78

 

[Pantherlikher]

Here.../http://www.auctionzip.com see if there's any auctions in your area... Hopefully you will find 1 local that's a weekly auction... Go watch the box lots and see how low the prices go..
Today, I spent a totale of $26...$10 was for a dehumidifier. They normally sell for almost $100.
But I went through a couple hundred boxes for that $$$ to dig out lots of gold covered stuff and 3x that amount just in scrap metals to pay for it. Not to mention adding to my new wife's Coke glass collection and my "kewl someday I use it" mess...umm pile

BS.
http://www.auctionzip.com

 

[birdflu78]

Thanks for the link BS. It showed several in my area and this is the slow season.

I got the plated brass clover today. It will be a good item to work with recovering from plated metals when I get confident enough to give it a try

 

[Vargas]

..... It's a 24K plated paperweight/wall hanging. It's approx. 4.5in x 4in plated on both sides on brass base. Price was $5. Should I buy it?

..... Any thoughts/opinions?

Birdflu78

Estimate on how much gold that would be:
for ease of calculation I'll turn the gold on this flower in to a cylinder with a diameter of 127 mm (added some to make up for concaveness (?) and rim) and a height of 0.35 Microns ( 2 x 0,175 microns = typical thickness of electroplating)

That gives me about 4,435 mm³ of 24k gold and knowing the specific weight that will come to about 86 milligramms.
At the moment that amounts to $ 4.57

same in imperial system
for ease of calculation I'll turn the gold on this flower in to a cylinder with a diameter of 5 inch (added generously to make up for concaveness (?) and rim) and a height of 14 microinch ( 2 x 7 microinch = typical thickness of electroplating)

That gives me about 0.00027064in³ of 24k gold and knowing the specific weight that will come to about 86 milligramms.
At the moment that amounts to $ 4.57 throw in 50 cents for the brass and you end up with a fiver

Correct me if I am wrong (cause that actully seems a lot to me - how do the sellers make money?), but I'could not find a mistake in my calcs.

So you wouldn't make a profit, certainly not considering your costs (chemicals) and loss of gold through processing, BUT you wouldn't make a huge loss either- so for practicing your skills, why not. IF my calculation is correct.

that brings me to a question for all the pros here: How much gold do you think would YOU get out of that flower?

and an idea for a challenge: take e.g 10 of those flowers with a max yield of 860 milligramms . And then compare between all of you, who got the most out of it. Use any method you like. 8)

PS: yes I know I'm new here and I will instantly hurry off to the "About Yourself" forum, but I can't resist a chance to do some math when I see it.

 

[goldsilverpro]

Vargas,

I think you did a good job on the evaluation. Of course, the value is dependent of the gold thickness and none of us know exactly what that is. The first thing I noticed was how super bright and shiny it was. In general, that is an indication of thin gold (not always, though). The brightness is probably due to the mirror bright nickel coating underneath. As the gold becomes thicker, it can tend to take on its own character and dull somewhat. Although we never know until we process it, I would go along with your estimate of 7 microinches thick.

 

[Vargas]

Vargas,

I think you did a good job on the evaluation. Of course, the value is dependent of the gold thickness and none of us know exactly what that is. The first thing I noticed was how super bright and shiny it was. In general, that is an indication of thin gold (not always, though). The brightness is probably due to the mirror bright nickel coating underneath.

Or traces of cobalt in the gold for hardening/resistance.

As the gold becomes thicker, it can tend to take on its own character and dull somewhat. Although we never know until we process it, I would go along with your estimate of 7 microinches thick.

I guess, that it is 7 cause they say electroplated otherwise they'd call it gold plated(20) or "heavy gold plated" (about 100 microinches).
Just wanted to say, that very few people can really imagine HOW thin 7 microinches really is!
A human hair is abot 3000 microinches!, a dollarbill about 4500 (i think)

Gold is really something special!

I know a guy, that custom goldplates even plastic surfaces (for people, who want their coffee machine or laptop shiny )

Vargas

 

[birdflu78]

Vargas wrote:
How much gold do you think would YOU get out of that flower?

And that's the key - the Pros will certainly recover more than someone like myself who has just begun my education. I am more than likely to lose some values strictly due to inexperience so really whatever I would recover would not be a good indication of how much gold is actually there to recover.

Due to it's size (and my apprehension of using sulfuric) would AP be a good method to try on this?

 

[Vargas]

Reverse electroplating would be probably the best method. In AP that flower would sit for ages and nothing would happen.
IMHO

 

[goldsilverpro]

Vargas wrote:
How much gold do you think would YOU get out of that flower?

And that's the key - the Pros will certainly recover more than someone like myself who has just begun my education. I am more than likely to lose some values strictly due to inexperience so really whatever I would recover would not be a good indication of how much gold is actually there to recover.

Due to it's size (and my apprehension of using sulfuric) would AP be a good method to try on this?

AP is used to dissolve the base metal and not the gold. That thing weighs 4.5 pounds, according to the listing, and would take lots of AP, produce lots of acid waste, and would take forever, all for a little bit of gold. In my estimation, the best way would be to use the sulfuric stripper to strip the gold away from the base metal.

 

[birdflu78]

Good to know, thanks. I'll put it away until I'm ready to tackle a sulfuric cell.

Birdflu78