Gold tarnishing question..

[finderzzs]

Aloha, I've been water hunting for probably 18 years now, I've seen gold that's been buried a long time get slightly tarnished but this ring I just found, I thought for sure it was fake. After intensive buffing it is white gold, 14k I weighed it with another I have just like it and it weighs .2 grams heavier so I'm sure it's gold, just never had one get so tarnished before. It was a chore to get it this clean. Any thoughts or input out there?
1st pic is the ring before, 2nd after cleaning.

 

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[Sandman]

Gold does not tarnish, but the alloy it is alloyed with will. It depends on the Kt. and the alloy. Nice rings too.......

 

[Jason in TN]

Here is a 14k cross I found this year. It was tarnished also. Looks to have been in the surf for a long time. I thought it was fake also but felt heavy and after the clean up it is marked 14k and looks great.

 

[finderzzs]

Here is a 14k cross I found this year. It was tarnished also. Looks to have been in the surf for a long time. I thought it was fake also but felt heavy and after the clean up it is marked 14k and looks great.

Wow that was seriously tarnished, must have alot of copper alloyed in it. Nice find.
And thanks for the reply.

 

[finderzzs]

Gold does not tarnish, but the alloy it is alloyed with will. It depends on the Kt. and the alloy. Nice rings too.......

Thanks Sandman, I was hoping for your thought. I've dug 100's of gold but none as tarnished as this one was. As I started to clean it it looked a dull yellow, then finally white.

 

[Cubfan64]

Aloha, I've been water hunting for probably 18 years now, I've seen gold that's been buried a long time get slightly tarnished but this ring I just found, I thought for sure it was fake. After intensive buffing it is white gold, 14k I weighed it with another I have just like it and it weighs .2 grams heavier so I'm sure it's gold, just never had one get so tarnished before. It was a chore to get it this clean. Any thoughts or input out there?
1st pic is the ring before, 2nd after cleaning.

Interesting - I found a ring with "knobs on it" just like the one you found there. I was pretty certain it wasn't silver (it had no markings).

I ended up having some tests done on it and it turned out to be lead as I suspected. A couple people told me it was a "fighter" ring - something akin to brass knuckles.

If I can dig up a picture, I'll attach it here.

 

[Cubfan64]

Here's the link - looks familiar eh?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,56987.msg403575.html#msg403575

 

[finderzzs]

Here's the link - looks familiar eh?

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,56987.msg403575.html#msg403575

HUH!, I'd go with that although it's to solid to be lead. Mine isn't marked either but I've zapped it and it came out shiny. And the Hawaiians are all about fighting, so that part makes sense to me.

 

[diggerfororo]

Like the man said" gold will not tarnish" Thats pure gold. If another metal was in contact you will get some plating. I have found gold coins and jewelery that had rust on them and jewelery found in heavy concentrations of seashells can be coated with a calcium like material. A lot of gold rings from Europe are sized with silver solder and will turn part of the ring black after being in salt water. Keep on hunting!!!!!

Les

 

[WV_Detecting]

Here is a 14k cross I found this year. It was tarnished also. Looks to have been in the surf for a long time. I thought it was fake also but felt heavy and after the clean up it is marked 14k and looks great.

What method did you use to clean the cross up? I have several pieces that look like that as well that I just wrote off as being gold plated with a copper core...could have something afterall.

 

[Jason in TN]

Cleaned by soaking in Ketchup and hitting it with a old tooth brush from time to time. Came out all shinny and new.