Thought I had 14k but it was magnetic?

[pk7tanner]

I have about an ounce of what I thought was 14k gold in the form of piercing earrings. When I took them to the refiner/assayer he put neodymium magnet to them and they were slightly attracted to the magnet, so he wouldn't take them or test them. These earrings are stamped 14k & the manufacturers are large international businesses. Not that I think that a large business wouldn't do something like that, but Id be surprised nobody had caught them yet. I'm planning on melting the earrings down in an attempt to get the assayer to put it in their XRF machine. Is this the best plan of action? Why are they attracted to the neodymium mag. (other than it's super strong)?
Thank You
Aaron

 

[Claudie]

Possibly 14K plated?

 

[goldsilverpro]

Are they white or are they yellow?

 

[qst42know]

It wouldn't be unusual to find the post or wire is gold and the rest plated something else.

 

[pk7tanner]

They are a mix of white and yellow gold, but I think it was only the white gold ones that were sticking to the magnet.
They're advertised as solid 14k because they also offer them in a plated version. I was able to easily differentiate between the two when I pulled the stones out (the plated settings were much harder). Should I separate the white from yellow (hasn't that already happened twice in this country? LOL J/K) before I melt them?
The post is what's stamped 14k.

 

[jimdoc]

14K white gold could have nickel in the alloy that would stick to a powerful magnet.
Try it with a weaker magnet.

Jim

 

[pk7tanner]

I did try it with a weaker magnet and even though that magnet was fairly strong, none of the earring made the slightest movement. I'm gonna melt down the yellow ones now. I'll take a pic and post it when I'm done.

 

[goldenchild]

Sometimes the posts aren't gold. Just like chains and bracelets have magnetic springs in the clasps. A rare earth magnet will pick them up. You should invest in a rare earth magnet. I recommend everyone does. It makes it very easy to weed out the non karated stuff out of a pile. It also get's the stuff a normal magnet doesn't detect.

 

[pk7tanner]

Well it took me a lil while to post these, but here they are.

 

[seawolf]

In the hard drives there is a free niobium magnet. I pull them and have found dozens of uses for them.
Inquart each button separately with at least 2 times the weight of the button with silver (as seen in Lasersteves videos) pour cornflakes and process in 50 - 50 nitric then recover the gold and silver for further refining.
Good luck, Mark

 

[Harold_V]

Inquart each button separately with at least 2 times the weight of the button with silver (as seen in Lasersteves videos) pour cornflakes and process in 50 - 50 nitric then recover the gold and silver for further refining.

I'd be inclined to suggest adding only about 120% of the weight of the button in silver (assuming the buttons are 14K). That way the ratio of gold to silver will remain near the 25% mark that is desirable. Adding too much silver would result in the gold breaking down in to fine particles. That's not the best scenario when processing by inquarting. Keeping the gold intact is.

Remember--inquarting is "quartering". Adding 200% silver yields an alloy that is less than 18% gold.

Harold

 

[pk7tanner]

In the hard drives there is a free niobium magnet. I pull them and have found dozens of uses for them.

Where at? I've taken a few HDD apart, but none of them contained a magnet of any substance.

Inquart each button separately with at least 2 times the weight of the button with silver (as seen in Lasersteves videos) pour cornflakes and process in 50 - 50 nitric then recover the gold and silver for further refining.

I'd be inclined to suggest adding only about 120% of the weight of the button in silver (assuming the buttons are 14K). That way the ratio of gold to silver will remain near the 25% mark that is desirable. Adding too much silver would result in the gold breaking down in to fine particles. That's not the best scenario when processing by inquarting. Keeping the gold intact is.

Remember--inquarting is "quartering". Adding 200% silver yields an alloy that is less than 18% gold.

Harold

I don't really have the proper place or resources for that, otherwise I would.
Harold do you live in WA state? If so, how far North of Portland? I'd be willing to trade you some labor (e.g. painting, computer work or other handyman chores) if you'd show me and had the chemicals and equip. to inquart with.

 

[seawolf]

Where at? I've taken a few HDD apart, but none of them contained a magnet of any substance.

 

[Harold_V]

I don't really have the proper place or resources for that, otherwise I would.
Harold do you live in WA state? If so, how far North of Portland? I'd be willing to trade you some labor (e.g. painting, computer work or other handyman chores) if you'd show me and had the chemicals and equip. to inquart with.

I'm about 85 miles north and east of Portland. Exit 71 off I-5, then 14 miles east.

I likely could do the inquartation, but processing with nitric would not be something reasonable for me. I no longer refine, having sold my refining business (which was in Utah) back in '94.

I'm happy to give you some hands-on time if you'd like. Not a big deal, really. All you need to inquart is a melting dish, a carbon rod (to stir the molten metal) and a container of water, to which you pour the alloy. Oh, yeah----and the needed silver. I don't recommend a propane torch----unless you use oxygen, too. I used to use a Hoke torch powered by natural gas, along with oxygen. Hoke torches can be purchased from jewelry supply houses for modest amounts of money, and they provide the required heat in a timely fashion.

If you'd like to discuss any of this further, contact me via PM and we'll go over the fine details.

Harold

 

[pk7tanner]

I hate threads on help based sites when the OP gets advice and never posts the outcome. So here is what transpired.
I ended up taking what amounted to 1 oz t (in the form of 3 buttons) back to the same refiner that initially rejected what I had. Because it was not stamped jewelry, I had to pay to have it refined before they would buy it from me. This would cost me $95.00+3% over the refined total (but they purchased it at market value). I got call last Friday informing me that my check was in and that my refined total was just over 1/2 an oz. That means the gold I brought them was 56.7% pure.
I would like to thank everyone for their help.
P.S.
If you're a noob like me, watch Lasersteves' videos. They're simple to understand and contain priceless information.

edit 57.61% purity