Year 4: How soft is pure gold? A continuing real world experiment.

Weiss

Those following at home might recall I've posted an annual update on the gold necklace that I wear:
https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1063750/how-soft-is-pure-gold-a-three-year-real-world-experiment#latest

This is the second necklace I had custom made for me in a style known as "baht". Baht is the monetary unit in Thailand. But it's also a unit of measurement just under a half troy ounce (15.244 grams) popular in southeast Asia. And it's the style of jewelry where local goldsmiths produce high quality, often unadorned necklace, rings, and bracelets out of high karat (22k to 24k) gold.

We've been told for much of the last century that pure gold is too soft for jewelry. The truth is that most of Asia and much of the middle east would scoff at gold less than 22K (91.6% pure), and most demand 99.9% or 24K pure gold. The standard for Europe is 18K (75% pure). While we in the US buy 14K, which is barely more than half gold (58.3% pure). And 10K? It's just 41.7% pure.

We as coin collectors know that coins are some of the oldest, hardest-working machines that humans have ever invented. And circulating gold coins have been high purity for centuries.

Aside from its very high gold content, baht jewelry sells for a much smaller markup, generally 25% +/- of the value of the gold use in its manufacture. Compare that to the jewelry store out at the mall which can charge 300% to 500% or more of the value of the gold used.

My first baht necklace was about 2 ounces. Had it made for me back in 2005, and I paid a whopping $1120. Wore it for a few years but put it away eventually. Then back in the late summer of 2018 I got the itch again. The gold price was down, my discretionary income was up. Started looking around and found a Hmong jeweler in St. Paul (9999 Gold Jewelry, look them up on Facebook) who seemed to really get great big, chunky, pure gold jewelry. Contacted their main jeweler and, after several conversations, pulled the trigger on an "anchor" style necklace, in 24K .9999 pure gold. I wanted the piece to clock in at just over 5 troy ounces so there was no mistaking its 5 troy ounce weight, so we upped its weight to 156 grams.

Got the necklace just about four years ago today, and I've worn it essentially every day since. I typically wear it on the outside of my shirt (which I'm way too old to try pulling off). But I am who I am. So it sees lots of abuse.

Has my necklace worn? Yes. Absolutely. The crisp ridges that are part of the manufacturing process have become more smooth. "Softened" is a good word. But the key thing is that it isn't anywhere near "wearing out". The weight difference from when I first got it to just now might be explained by the scale, battery power, atmosphere. Or it could be legit a tiny fraction of a gram after constant wear. I just examined each link and they're all rock solid. Note the traditional "dragon" clasp. It, too, is pure gold. Gold is so malleable that the clasp has no moving parts--you literally just bend, or pull, the clasp open and then squeeze, or bend it back to close it (though my necklace is so large I just slip it over my head).

Here's how she looked four years ago:

And how she looks right now. Shown with the OG smaller original 2 ounce gold necklace (that my 13 year old son has just about co-opted), and the 1.5 ounce gold bangle bracelet I had the same jeweler make for my wife a couple of years back.

BryceM

Cool!

I think we underestimate the toughness of our coins sometimes. Coins today probably don’t see the same mileage they did 50 years ago, but they still go through horrendous abuse.

I seem to remember a story of someone showing David Hall an uncirculated coin with a spot of some sort. He supposedly took out his shirttail & wiped it off. Yeah, you can mess up a nice coin but apart from mirrored proof surfaces it takes a bit of effort.

LukeMarshall

Wondering what happened to the OG 2oz box chain as I was reading, but seems its gained the attention of your son!

I kinda like the "Rounded" edges of your 5oz chain after the 4 years of use, although its not so terrible that you cant see the original link design.

Not too big into jewelry personally, but did get chain(s) & Charm(s) in lieu of PT coins as a diversification about the same time you got your 5oz made however my chains don't see the same use as yours, only making limited appearances every so often...

Thanks for the update!

ifthevamzarockin

Nice necklace & report! Thanks for sharing.

"I wanted the piece to just over 5 troy ounces so there was no mistaking its 5 troy ounce weight"
"I typically wear it on the outside of my shirt"

I wouldn't dare wear 5 oz outside my shirt unless I was packin' heat.

Weiss

I've got reasonably good situational awareness.

It also kind of hides in plain sight. Most people don't suspect it's "real". It's just a casual decorative chain around the neck of a guy in a t-shirt and cargo shorts. The only people who really notice it are east Indians, because many of them are wearing the same thing (though smaller). Once you get used to the color of 24K gold, you notice it on others. It's distinctive. I mentioned before that an old guy behind the counter at a liquor store actually asked if it was 150 grams!

But it is kind of crazy to forget you're wearing the equivalent of 5 Kruggerands around your neck!

asheland

It’s held up well. 👍
Still looks good.

Smudge

Pure gold has such a lovely color.

Cladiator

Sorry if I missed it from one of the earlier threads but did you supply the maker with the gold to create the jewelry or did he use his own stock?

erwindoc

Thanks for the update! I remember reading it before. I wonder how a ring that is 24K would hold up? I suspect that it would be subject to much more damage/wear than a necklace.

Weiss

@Cladiator said:
Sorry if I missed it from one of the earlier threads but did you supply the maker with the gold to create the jewelry or did he use his own stock?

He got the gold he needed for my necklace directly from Apmex in the form of their .9999 pure gold industrial grain or "shot". Shot is tiny little spheres (like small BBs) that are easy to refine and easy to melt/form. A common material for jewelers.

https://www.apmex.com/product/22778/1-oz-gold-grain-shot-9999-fine-order-by-the-ounce

I'd asked to be in the loop every step of the process, and the jeweler even sent me a copy of the invoice from Apmex.

Cladiator

Dang, pretty slick.

Weiss

@erwindoc said:
Thanks for the update! I remember reading it before. I wonder how a ring that is 24K would hold up? I suspect that it would be subject to much more damage/wear than a necklace.

That's a fair point. Rings probably get beat up easier than necklaces or bracelets. Would I give my wife a 24k gold engagement ring with a big diamond supported by tall 24k prongs? No.

But consider that the most common item of gold jewelry in the US is most likely the plain wedding band. I might go 22k for something like that. My own band is 18k and shows little wear after 25 years.

messydesk

So are you going to burn all of your shirts to recover the missing 300 mg of gold?

Weiss

And because I know I'd be asking the same question as most of you: I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon at the local engineering college's material sciences lab a few weeks after the necklace arrived:

logger7

Interesting wearing down of a soft precious metal. Gold is one of the few metals without isotopes.

Also was thinking about wearing coins down from one grade level to another and how you'd do that to make it look natural?

Nysoto

Very interesting. My wife has a nickel allergy and cannot wear most 14K or 18K because of the nickel content, she wears platinum jewelry instead. She does have one 24K ring that has really nice pure gold color.

I think that some of the rounding of the crisp edges is from peening rather than loss of metal.

PerryHall

@Nysoto said:
I think that some of the rounding of the crisp edges is from peening rather than loss of metal.

Agree. Most wear on a circulating gold coin is movement of the metal while a lesser amount is from loss of metal.

1630Boston

Thanks for the update @Weiss

ricko

@Weiss... Thanks for the pictures and technical information. I have one chain/pendant that I wore in my younger days (still do occasionally when I want to feel young ). It is not 24K.... 18K pendant.... 14k chain. Pure gold certainly does stand out. Cheers, RickO

divecchia

@Weiss Thanks for sharing your story and update on the necklace weight loss progression over the years. It's a beautiful piece for sure, along with the others.

When I was in my twenties and just married I used to like wearing gold necklaces and rings. Unfortunately, working in a manufacturing facility made them very dangerous as they could easily get caught in moving machinery. Haven't worn this stuff in more than 30 years.

Donato