Ask Your Goldsmith:
Melting Gold

"Hello,

I recently started to melt down some scrap gold into 8-10 gram lumps by using some high heat torches. Most of what I have melted is 10Kt and some 14Kt. I was just wondering if the 10kt gold when melted this way is still 10kt or am I burning off some of the alloys making it a bit higher. If you could give me some insight it would be greatly appreciated.

Dave H.


Hi Dave!

Thank you for you inquiry!

Yes, if you keep melting the alloy over and over again, part of the alloy burns off and surfaces! If you would pickle it in acid in between melting, it gets rid of the surface scale (mostly the copper of the alloy). Sulfuric acid diluted to half acid and half (or a bit more) water will be strong enough to get all the copper off the surface. Just make sure to put the acid slowly into water AND NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND! One drop of water only would bring the acid to boiling point and the container may explode! To be safe, use "Sparex #2" granules only and dissolve it in water. It's available at any Jewellery supply store.

When melting gold scrap, as you told me, be careful not to get any impurities like lead solder or silver solder from earrings or chains into the melting pot. Check the old scrap gold, if it had been repaired and soldered by somebody with these types of solders, by handy home do it yourselfers ;-) One tiny bit of lead would destroy the gold and after that it has to be refined, because you can not work with that gold anymore until it is purified! It will get hard and pit marks and bobbles will appear. Gold has two "enemy metals" - one of them is lead and the other is mercury, which will dissolve completely when put together in a glass or stone bowl.

Also gold solder will bring the KT down, because it is usually lower KT than the stamped gold from the "old days"! These days, the gold solder has to be same KT as it is stamped and trade marked. Chains for instance have solder on them on every link. Gold made in the USA could be stamped 10 KT, 14 KT or 18 KT and be out by a half of one Karat in the old days. The Canadian gold goes by "Plumb Gold Standard" and the percentage of fine gold has to be right on, by all Gold KT Markings, followed by a registered "Trade Mark" to verify it.

Note: In general usage, it means gold that has the same purity as the mark stamped on it. Therefore, 14KP means gold jewellery which had been soldered could be stamped 14K. according to current US and Canadian Law, the pure gold content must be within 3 parts per thousand of the stamped karat mark for unsoldered items and 7 parts per thousand for soldered items. This means that technically all marked gold sold now is plumb gold. In reality, not all gold jewelry is. When jewellers describe their jewellery as plumb gold, they are emphasizing that they abide by the law.

In the US and Canada, gold solders have to comply with the plumb gold laws. A 14K solder might range from 12 to 14K. If jewelers want specify that they want a solder which is actually 14K they may request a plumb solder. When you have repairs done you should ask if they will use a plumb solder!

For more information, please read my other articles about Buying and Selling Jewellery, About Old Gold and Taking Care of Your Jewellery.

Have a Question? Get the Answer! info@westyorkjewellers.com

Sincerely,

Hartmut Reinsch
President
West York Jewellers
September 2005






Warning:
If you're planning to sell your Gold!
UPDATE,  March 2010!

A lot of people are trying to buy your Gold and Diamond Jewellery these days,
on the WWW and through local area Advertising...!
They are looking out, to make about 300% profit or more on the Gold alone,
all for themselves, when they take their cheaply bought up Gold scrap
to their Gold Refiners, as they cash in on the fine gold after refining.

It's very easy money and a form of liquid cash for them, and much more profitable, than trying to sell any item of value to the public,
as many people are hurting these days, because of loss of jobs
and devalued paper money, as all items in stores keep going up!

Things could not get any easier for all these Gold and Jewellery Buyers,
especially since most of them are paying the lowest possible price for GOLD and therefore,  there is hardly any competition amongst these Buyers.
The ones with the most exposer trough advertising, draw the most people into their outlets.
Things could not get much tougher for the rest of any hard working person these days, trying to make ends meet every month.
Some people get desperate and decide to sell their precious metal Jewellery or broken Gold. as scrap.
After these Buyers take in the Gold Jewellery and Scrap Gold,
all Diamonds and precious stones are getting pulled out
of their Gold and precious metal Settings course,
to bring them an even larger profit

That is a sign alone..., that GOLD and other Precious Metals, Diamonds
and all precious Stones  are going to be much higher in the near Future.
These "early Buyers of Gold" and other precious metal and stone items are ready now and in full force to buy up everything, before all goes much higher...,
as our paper money becomes even less in value every day.

My Advice would be...
KEEP YOUR VALUABLE GOLD JEWELLERY FOR NOW!
Cut down, on buying unnecessary items in large box stores.

Your Gold Jewellery Items, might be one of the only liquid Capital items you own.
So keep them, for things could get worse yet,
as History seems to repeat itself!

Do not sell your Jewellery or old scrap Gold to any of these Buyers, 
who are sprouting up and coming out of the woodwork lately.
The price of Gold will probably go much higher yet in the upcoming FUTURE !

"So beware and let nobody sweet talk you,
into selling any of your Gold or Diamond Jewellery to them.
Certainly, do not part with and give away your Ancestors Family Heirloom !
It should belong to the next Generation of your Family.

Check out, what hand made Jewellery Items I could make from your "Scrap Gold pieces", for a very reasonable labor charge, by working with your Gold only

Hand made Jewellery, for a very affordable price,
 "Made in CANADA",
by your own personal Goldsmith.
Have your Scrap Gold reworked into new handmade Jewellery
for yourself or your Family!

The expressed Opinion in this article, is my own
and "without any prejudice!"

Sincere Greetings from Goldsmith
Hartmut Reinsch ©
in Toronto / CANADA


*PS*...
Do you know, who your friends are?
Certainly they're not the ones, who invite you and their other friends
and neighbors for a very trendy "Gold Party!", these days.
As these so called friends share the Profit with these ever so popular
"Gold BUYERS!"
Just stop and think about it!