Hello and how to check painted items

[Simplestar]

Hi, I’m new here. I have been collecting things with gold but have never processed anything. I have a couple nice urns that seem to have gold trim and handles
Does anyone have any suggestions for different methods to check if something is really gilded?
I have a few things I believe to have gold paint or gold leaf on them and would like to figure out for sure.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Hi, I’m new here. I have been collecting things with gold but have never processed anything. I have a couple nice urns that seem to have gold trim and handles
Does anyone have any suggestions for different methods to check if something is really gilded?
I have a few things I believe to have gold paint or gold leaf on them and would like to figure out for sure.

Welcome to us.

If it is gilded or not it do not matter much.
It will be very little Gold and the item will most likely be worth more as it is.

here is for your studies.

We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/safety.47/
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/dealing-with-waste.10539/

Suggested reading:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/the-library.101/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/when-in-doubt-cement-it-out.30236/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/


Forum rules is here.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/

 

[Simplestar]

Welcome to us.

If it is gilded or not it do not matter much.
It will be very little Gold and the item will most likely be worth more as it is.

here is for your studies.

We ask our new members to do 3 things.
1. Read C.M. Hokes book on refining jewelers scrap, it gives an easy introduction to the most important chemistry regarding refining.
It is free here on the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=54&t=19798
2. Then read the safety section of the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/safety.47/
3. And then read about "Dealing with waste" in the forum: https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/dealing-with-waste.10539/

Suggested reading:
https://goldrefiningforum.com/forums/the-library.101/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/when-in-doubt-cement-it-out.30236/
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threa...le-read-this-before-you-post-about-ore.33333/


Forum rules is here.
https://goldrefiningforum.com/threads/gold-refining-forum-rules.31182/

Thank you. I have two of them and broke one so it is not valuable anymore, sadly.

 

[Yggdrasil]

Thank you. I have two of them and broke one so it is not valuable anymore, sadly.

Still if it is actually gilded, it will be very little.

 

[Simplestar]

Still if it is actually gilded, it will be very little.

I know what you are saying but I just want to know if it is.

I have searched on testing gold leaf and there are no topics on it. The only thing I could find was about how burning unused gold leaf could show if it is authentic and I doubt that would work in this case.

I tried a drop of iodine on it and it dissolved the paint but it probably would do that to any paint but maybe I will experiment to see if ordinary paint disappears in the same manner.

 

[Simplestar]

I cant find a mark on it to figure out who made it and the only ones I can find are for sale on ebay. I contacted the seller and they don’t know who made them either

 

[Shark]

Won’t be much you can that won’t hurt the piece. But, you can take a piece from a spot, scrape a spot about the size of you small finger nail, and using literally drops of hydrochloric and nitric to create AR, and stannous test the AR.

 

[Simplestar]

Thank you, I would like to test it just out of curiosity. I was hoping I was onto a new type of test with the iodine, lol.