so i updated the auction after talking with someone on ebay. it's a small volume of material, about 1.5 inches tall in a 3 inch diameter jar, weighs about 1.5 pounds. however, it is all oxidized, so it's powder. the persno i was talking to passed on it, but i know there are some really knowledgeable chemists on here who might be able to do it. i read that carbon, like charcoal powder would take the oxygen atoms from the bismuth and make it metal again. i didn't want to add yet another contaminent to the mix. i thought about bringing it to a chem professor at some university and saying he could make a lab out of it if i get the gold back. just need the money now.
the interesting thing is i think the gold must have reacted with the bismuth, cause i don't think it would have melted away at those temps in an iron skillet on a stovetop. but i'm not sure. there's very little info on gold bismuth compounds. so i think that's what happened and then the rest of the bismuth oxidized, which i let it do so i'd have the powder to get the gold out. it oxidizes pretty aggressively in open air, like 15 minutes and that little chunk of bismuth is all blue grey powder.
so if you're up for a challenge, it's yours! i just felt that someone must know what to do, cause obviously the gold atoms are there, just not in pretty form!
