Jewelry in AP

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caracosida

Member
Joined
Sep 12, 2011
Messages
11
Hi guys,

I've got some 14k and 18k jewelry. I started the process by digesting them in a flask with 100 ml. 20% HCl until it turn black. I noticed some steel in the solution because it got a nice golden color before it got greenish/black. Then, I added 50 ml. of 3% H2O2 and attached some air preassure system. It all turned inmediately green (showing that there was copper in the solution), and a fine grey/white dust precipitated.

Is this grey dust silver? Must I continue the bubbling until all turns black? How long can it take?

I know nitric acid works better here, but I don't want to use it. What do you recommend about jewelry in AP?

Thanks.
 
As far as I'm concerned, it's a waste of time & OUT of the question!
Karat jewelry should be inquarted with silver, digested in 50/50 nitric/distilled water.Properly rinsed, and then the gold "sponges" digested in AR with the oxidizer of your choice.

Take care & be safe!
Phil
 
Joined: September 12th, 2011, 10:24 pm
Posts: 8
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For as long as you have been a member it seems that you have not learned much! I suggest you start from the beginning and search and study proper procedures for individual materials. Otherwise your just wasting time (yours and ours) and materials.
Not trying to be snotty or mean.......just fact!
 
caracosida said:
I know nitric acid works better here, but I don't want to use it.
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If you don't want to use nitric acid then I would suggest that you choose a process that you are comfortable with and collect material than can be processed using that proceedure.

As an example A/P for fingers followed by HCl /bleach to dissolve, SMB to precipitate.

sulphuric cell for gold plate, HCl /bleach, SMB.

Sell any karat gold you have and buy fingers or gold plated items to process.
Horses for courses I guess.
 
Thanks for the advices.

I have read here that it is possible to recover the gold in AP from gold filled stuff, but it takes a lot of time; since time is no problem for me (this is just a hobby) I think I'll still try to dissolve all the base metals in AP.
 
If you insist, wouldn't it be wise to cut up the jewelry into small pieces, and then maybe hammer them thin? Use extra H202....
 
Acid peroxide, even on very thin karat gold would just be a waste of time, that time would be better spent reading Hokes and learning to deal with the chemicals needed to get the job done, doing the experiments she suggests so that you will not fear the acid but can understand it and gain respect for what it can do and learn how to use it properly.
 
caracosida said:
... since time is no problem for me (this is just a hobby) I think I'll still try to dissolve all the base metals in AP.
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Trying to digest karated gold with AP would be worse than trying to digest Pt with HCL and poor mans nitric. The Pt would at least eventually dissolve. With the strength of AP and the silver in gold alloys this route would be a 110% waste of time. You will have to learn to use nitric if you are ever to be successful in refining.
 
caracosida said:
I know nitric acid works better here, but I don't want to use it. What do you recommend about jewelry in AP?
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Please accept my comments in the spirit in which they are offered.
It isn't up to you to pick and choose which procedure you can use, as you're going to discover. Certain metals, and even worse, certain combinations of metals, ensure that only one way may yield the results you seek. You will not achieve your goal by the method you have chosen.

You have two options. One is to follow prescribed and acceptable methods that are known to work--

the other is to spin your wheels endlessly as you attempt to build a new mouse trap. Success in that endeavor is most likely to not succeed.

Best advice that you can be given is for you to read Hoke's book. From it you will come to understand how each of the precious metals will respond to acids in a way that will help you achieve your goal.

Harold
 
@Harold_V and other: I really appreciate your tips. They are certainly the voice of the experience. But I did some test, and the method I'm following seems to work, but is it too slow. I'll test today the same using 30% H2O2 and heat (overflow of foam is expected).

However, is there isn't success, I'll have to get some nitric acid and give him a try.

Thanks you all again.
 
caracosida said:
@Harold_V and other: I really appreciate your tips. They are certainly the voice of the experience. But I did some test, and the method I'm following seems to work, but is it too slow. I'll test today the same using 30% H2O2 and heat (overflow of foam is expected).

However, is there isn't success, I'll have to get some nitric acid and give him a try.

Thanks you all again.
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You will get bogged down by the presence of silver.

Harold
 
After some days bubbling/heating, the solution seems to be fooled, so I changed it. I washed with water the jewells, dryed them and poured new HCl over them. I closed the flask and applied heat again. This morning I found this grey/silvery/white powder floating around.

Is this silver chloride? In case is it silver, will I have it all out of my scrap by repeating this?
 

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will I have it all out of my scrap by repeating this?
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Maybe, after six months and 50 gallons of HCl!!!!
Forget this approach....you're wasting your time! :roll: If you continue on this course, I can pretty much guarantee no one is going to help you.
 
Reading through this thread a second time I'm a little confused. Are you trying to process gold filled or karated jewelry?
 
Take some of the white stuff out, wash it, and try and dissolve it in ammonium. If it dissolves add hcl,bleach, or table salt to it. If if come back as a white cloud then it's silver chloride. Or expose the silver chloride to sunlight for a day and if it turns purple then bingo!
 
caracosida said:
After some days bubbling/heating,
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When I refined, I could process five ounces, from beginning to end, in 24 hours. I can think of no one who has the luxury of spending a few days and still not having the base metals dissolved.

I wonder why that is?

I see that you are head strong.

I wish you luck.

Don't expect any. You have already been given excellent advice.

We can lead readers to water----but

Harold
 

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