Is all that glitters GOLD? How to select plated filled scrap

[kadriver]

Can someone give me some guidance:

I have several pounds of costume jewelry and much of it is gold in color.

I have carefully sorted through and seperated those gold pieces that are marked filled, plated, or rolled gold.

There is much more gold colored jewelry that is not marked.

Here are my questions:

Can I use any and all gold colored jewelry for gold recovery?

Can I assume that any piece of jewelry is suitable for gold recovery simply because it is gold colored?

Or should I only select the pieces that are marked?

Thank you - kadriver

 

[Anonymous]

While most gold "colored" jewelry contains no gold whatsoever,it is always best to doublecheck.A simple scratch test would let you know one way or another,and assure you did not throw away a $400 necklace because a previous owner broke the clasp and replaced it themselves.That being said,the opposite can be true about marked jewelry.Anyone can purchase a jewelers stamp from ebay and use it for their own disshonest acts.
The only way to know for a 100% fact is to process every piece,outside of that...testing should work just fine.

 

[kadriver]

mic:

By scratch test do you mean scratch the piece on a gold testing stone?

If this is so, then I can always tell I've got a loser when the piece I am testing is hard as a rock and will only scratch little or no material onto the stone.

If these hard pieces can be considered not suitable for refining, then this would go a long way in helping me eliminate some of the scrap I have.

kadriver

 

[jimdoc]

Use a file and really take a bite out of the surface.

Jim

 

[lazersteve]

Set up a small sulfuric cell and give each piece a quick test dip in the cell, if the small section you test strips down to base metal and leaves a fine black powder floating in the electrolyte, it's plated gold. Most costume jewelry that is gold colored and has some kind of mark (Avon, Monet. etc) has some gold plating, but there are some items that are coated with some kind of glaze or enamel that makes them golden colored.

Of course, this is only good for scrap that you own.

Steve

 

[kadriver]

I will set up a test with sulfuric - Thanks

 

[kadriver]

Lazersteve:

I have watched your video on a sufuric acid stripping cell - very informative.

I have a case full of gold plated flatware and some gold plated pins that I am ready to strip using a sulfuric acdi cell.

I have a suitable container with a lid for a cell, I also have a battery charger with amp readings.

I have alligator clips and acid.

What I need is the anode & cathode bars - I will order these items from your store along with anything else I will need.

What else will I need to get the cell operational?

Also, Once I have my plated items stripped, what is the process for recovering the gold that is left in the stripping cell acid?

attached are pics of the items I want to recover gold from in the cell.

Thanks for your input
kadriver

 

[Anonymous]

If you intend on making a purchase from steve,then I suggest you add a video to you cart.He has several,but any time I purchased something I made sure I got one of the dvd's also.
On setting up your cell,make sure you have a rinse container and running water available nearby in case of a mishap.Make abundantly sure you do not accidently drip any water into your cell.
The entire process,including recovering the gold from your cell,is available on his website.

 

[jimdoc]

Make sure your battery charger is a manual charger-not an automatic.

Jim

 

[lazersteve]

You will need 95% or greater concentration sulfuric acid for the electrolyte.

Here's the cell clean up process:

Black Powder from the Cell

Steve

 

[kadriver]

I ordered some lab grade concentrated sulfuric acid. I have ordered the anode and cathode. I have all the other items needed to make this cell.

I have plenty of running water. I did a small experiment with 25ml of liquid fire (conc sulfuric acid) in a 50ml beaker. I got on all my safety gear and remotely added a drop of water to the acid. It spattered pretty good.

I will take extreme care not to get any water in that cell while I am working around it. I can't wait to strip these pieces of flatware.

Thanks for all your help.

kadriver

 

[kadriver]

My battery charger is manual - from the 1970s

kadriver

 

[Barren Realms 007]

I ordered some lab grade concentrated sulfuric acid. I have ordered the anode and cathode. I have all the other items needed to make this cell.

I have plenty of running water. I did a small experiment with 25ml of liquid fire (conc sulfuric acid) in a 50ml beaker. I got on all my safety gear and remotely added a drop of water to the acid. It spattered pretty good.

I will take extreme care not to get any water in that cell while I am working around it. I can't wait to strip these pieces of flatware.

Thanks for all your help.

kadriver

Unless your acid or the water were hot it should not have had this reaction just from a drop of water. You are spending money you don't have to ordering lab grade.

 

[Harold_V]

Unless your acid or the water were hot it should not have had this reaction just from a drop of water. You are spending money you don't have to ordering lab grade.

I agree that reagent, or lab grade is a waste of money, but I strongly disagree with the reaction not happening. That's exactly what it does---and the reason one does NOT pour water to acid, especially concentrated sulfuric. The reaction is violent and sure, turning the small amount of water to steam almost instantly.

If you must dilute sulfuric, it should be poured VERY slowly to as large a body of water as is possible, and stirred constantly. Even then, you risk a steam reaction.

I had no problems, ever, pouring water to nitric or HCl, but it's wise to get in the habit of never pouring water to acid, for it can be very unforgiving.

Harold

 

[kadriver]

From now on i will use roto drain cleaner.

Thanks for the info.

kadriver

 

[kadriver]

I realized that I had all I needed to set up the sulfuric acid stripping cell.

Lazersteve was right on - those plated flatware pieces stripped quickly.

I cant say as much for the plated pins & wires. I stood in from of that cell for 6 hours dipping each pin one at a time.

I know there has to be a better way than stripping each pin one at a time.

I finished all the flatware in about 2 hours. I got about 1/4 the way through the pins and I had to stop.

I thought about putting the pins between two stainless steel mesh, and clamping then together with stainless wire and doing the whole lot all at once.

Can somebody give me some insight on how to get these pins stripped fast.

Thanks.

kadriver

 

[jimdoc]

You should use copper mesh,not stainless for the pins.


Jim

 

[kadriver]

I will get some copper mesh to finish the pins.

What is the problem with using stailess steel?

Is there a certain way to configure the copper mesh with the pins inside?

Thanks - kadriver

 

[Barren Realms 007]

I will get some copper mesh to finish the pins.

What is the problem with using stailess steel?

Is there a certain way to configure the copper mesh with the pins inside?

Thanks - kadriver

Go look at Steve's video again and pay close attention to how he has his basket made for stripping the pins.

 

[kadriver]

got it - thanks
kadriver