Gold Testing Question

thatboyaintright

So I just bought a gold and platinum test kit and the instructions are a little vague. Here the situation : I scratch tested 3 chains and on each mark left on the stone the mark dissolves instantly with the 14k acid. I re-scratch the chains and with the 10k acid the mark stays.... so I figure they're 10K.
About 20 seconds later, the gold particles start to lift of the stone and float, about 2 minutes later the particles are still there but dispersed. In 5 minutes the particles are gone.

I've filed the chains through and they are uniform in color so I'm still figuring that they are solid 10K gold. The weight seems very dense and the acid is fresh. Is there something else I'm missing or can I safely assume that its 10K gold???

The chains are pretty old (1950's??) and have been sitting in a jewelry box in my basement for many years since my great aunt passed away. The chains are unmarked except for one that says "Korea"

jdimmick

Typically 10k gold that is left on the stone will change to a darker color and then slowly fade away if tested with 14k acid. If 14k acid immeadiately eats it away, most likely it is not 10k, and either a lesser carat like 8 or something else such as heavily plated. If the chain is thicker, best thing to do it to cut into the chain, then drop the acid directly onto the place you cut. If nothing, then it would be 14k(not in your case as you already know its not 14k based on your observations already. ) if it turns dark, then its 10k. If its plated or some other metal it will smoke, turn green bubble or all of the above.

JIm

be careful as I buy scrap gold daily and there is quite a bit floating around that is not what it says it is????

thatboyaintright

Thanks Jim,

I'm not a gold buyer. This was from my great aunt who left me a box full of what I figured to be costume jewelry. I bought the test kit as to have some fun and see if anything was PM.

Turns out she had a lot of little sterling peices and quite a few mexican silver peices. Of the ten chains, these three are the only ones I couldn't figure out right away. The others, when cut or filed had non magnetic white metal (Zinc or Nickel ??) under a thin gold layer and they bubbled quickly with the 14k acid. These three only discolor brownish in the 14k acid but do nothing but sit in the 10k acid. Funny thing is when I wash them off, and buff them with a cloth after the 14k acid, they look completely unchanged from their original look.

In the abcense of any other evidence, I'm concluding that they must be 10K.