recovery of silver from karat gold, what happened?

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Galaxy419

Galaxy419

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 6, 2015
Messages
70
Location
Royersford Pa
I refined 70 grms of 14 kt gold I inquarted gold with 90 grms of silver 3 grms short of proper amount 93 grms. I didn't want gold to crumble. I used sterling silver from jewelry and candle sticks. Nitric leach was done 2 times everything looked ok. Then proceeded to Aqua Regia. Solution did looked a little green after Aqua Regia. But I wasn't to concerned at the time because I wash powder then refined a second time. Recovered silver using copper when I went to melt silver for my own use this is the results I got.
 

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Stannous chloride test was done with piece of silver ? I recovered I put small piece in 22kt testing solution to see if there was gold but it negative. But to me looks like there is gold. Any help or suggestions an I would be very grateful.
 

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In the first post, I'd guess you have some copper in your cemented silver. Wear gloves!

Second post, I'm not sure what the stannous test is supposed to show us. The gold looks good.

The third post I just don't understand at all.

Dave
 
Sorry for the confusion the second post was dissolving the silver in 22kt testing solution to see if any gold was present an it tested negative. The third post was dissolved silver doing stannous chloride test. And yes do wear gloves when I process. But I should wear them 100% of the time even when testing solution.
 
So dissolved copper will give that look to silver? I have used copper before to cement silver an i never saw that. Thank you for time and help
 
FrugalRefiner said:
In the first post, I'd guess you have some copper in your cemented silver. Wear gloves!

Second post, I'm not sure what the stannous test is supposed to show us. The gold looks good.

The third post I just don't understand at all.

Dave
Click to expand...

Dave, i believe he is saying that he digested some of the melted silver he tried melting. Then proceeded to test with stannous to confirm/deny gold present in the cemented/melted silver.

What i dont get, is why there is no silver chloride if digested with AR.
Or, if he digested said melted silver with just nitric, why he would think gold is in solution for a positive result anyways :shock:

But, I don't know if i understood him correctly either.

Galaxy?
 
OK, I think I understand. In the third post, why do you think there is gold. You dissolved some cemented silver in some 22K test solution and got a greenish solution? Am I right?
 
I thought there might be gold with my cemented silver because when I melted it an an poured melt into water the result was what I posted in first picture and I have cemented silver before with copper and never saw what I posted in first picture.
 
But stannous chloride says otherwise. Just don't understand the color of the silver. Guess I better start reading Hokes again. And see what I might have done wrong or missed.
 
I apologize for some of my post not making sense I thought I might have gold mixed with the silver I cemented with copper because of the color of the silver not because of the color of the solution after I put silver in 22kt testing solution. But stannous chloride says otherwise. So if I understand correctly the copper I used to cement my silver with was mixed in with my silver powder? And when I melted it the result was what I posted in my first picture.
 
I think I understand now.

Cemented silver can be very pure, or not so much. I've gotten some of each. If the silver came from inquarting karat gold, dissolving in nitric acid, then cementing with copper, it is very unlikely there will be any gold there. Nitric acid actually does dissolve gold, but it is in such a tiny amount it is insignificant.

Remember that karat gold just means there is supposed to be a certain percentage of gold in the alloy. There is virtually no control over what the other metals can be. Anybody can buy a 14K stamp on eBay, make up their own alloy, cast a piece of jewelry and stamp it 14K.

Dave
 
I'm far from an expert! The colors on your silver look just like the "toning" often seen on old silver coins/flatware/hollowware/etc. If you heat a piece of copper pipe or wire and let it cool, you'll see those same colors from the copper oxides that form.

A lot of factors can affect how clean cemented silver is. Concentration of the solution, other metals in solution, amount of excess nitric, size/type of the copper used to cement, any copper exposed to atmosphere, the alignment of the stars... :)

That's just my guess.

Dave
 
Gold test solution is just varying concentrations of aqua regia. AR will not dissolve silver unless it's heated or at least not to any noticeable extent.
 

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