Markings on scrap jewelry???

Weg

Can someone tell me what " 1/40 12K" along with "gold filled" means?
I came accross these while getting ready to send some sterling silver and scrap jewlery to a refiner.
It would be nice to know what I'm sending, or if it should be sent.

Weiss

From Wikipedia...

Gold-filled jewelry is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass.
By definition, the minimum layer of karat gold in an item stamped GF must equal at least 1/20 the weight of the total item. 1/20 12kt GF is the most common stamp you will find on gold-filled jewelry.

1/40th 12k means that about 2.25% of that piece of gold jewelry is 12k gold, which is itself only 41.7% pure. If my math is right, and I'm not positive, that means that particular piece is a little less than 1% pure gold. In other words, it's virtually worthless for its gold content.

cars

How bout 14kF? I have a bezel with that on it.

SilverBaron

..... How bout 14kF? I have a bezel with that on it.....

The "F" is for filled. There is a slight difference between filled and plated.

Filled is a specefic amount or quality, as Weiss states above. Plated can be any thickness.

As for valueing any one object, it is all virtually worthless.

Some refiners will take Filled IF you have Lbs. of it.

Weg

Thanks, I'll pull those parts out.
These old gold watches have to be pulled apart and pieces seperated further. It looks like the housing is the only part worth refining. I'm guessing the front piece which holds the crystal along with the face plate should be tossed since they have no markings at all. There isn't very much 12 or 14K in them, but what there is will be worth sending in with the rest.

PerryHall

<< <i>..............that piece of gold jewelry is 12k gold, which is itself only 41.7% pure. >>




Since 24K is 100% pure gold, 12K would be 50% pure.

Weiss

Indeed. An obvious error if I'd put any thought into it! What I quoted was the % for 10K, not 12k.

clouisejewelers

<< <i>How bout 14kF? I have a bezel with that on it. >>



It could also be 14KP with part of the P missing. I have seen this before where the stamp is not applied with enough force or there has been metal wear or repair(sizing etc.) 14KP means plumb or a minimum of 14K, not 13.5K rounded up to 14K.

PerryHall

<< <i>

<< <i>How bout 14kF? I have a bezel with that on it. >>



It could also be 14KP with part of the P missing. I have seen this before where the stamp is not applied with enough force or there has been metal wear or repair(sizing etc.) 14KP means plumb or a minimum of 14K, not 13.5K rounded up to 14K. >>



It could also be 14K Filled which implies plated.

storm888

The simple answer is that GF has ZERO value, unless you have a HUGE quantity of it.

Even then, not much gold there. A few hundred pounds MIGHT be worth the refining fees.


..........


I too often see 14KF - sometimes 18KF - that actually is "plumb gold."

The markings should read 14KP or 18KP.

As noted, the stamp could have been made off-center, weakly; or, the
item could have been well-worn, or a sizing-event could have changed
the P into an F.

When in doubt, simply test.

I buy nothing that I do not test, in any event.

PerryHall

If you give it the acid test (Nitric Acid), make sure you cut the test area with a small file to break through any gold plating prior to applying the acid or you may get false results.