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GOLD AND SILVER INFO PAGE




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FACTS ABOUT GOLD

1. GOLDS CHEMICAL SYMBOL IS AU.
2. THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF GOLD MINED IN THE U.S. WILL MAKE A CUBE MEASURING A LITTLE MORE THAN 50 FEET ON EACH SIDE.
3. ONE CUBIC FOOT OF GOLD WOULD WEIGH APPROX 14 HUNDRED POUNDS OR 16,800 TROY OUNCES
4. GOLDS SPECIFIC GRAVITY, A DENSITY MEASUREMENT, IS 19.3 THIS MEANS GOLD IS 19.3 TIMES HEAVIER THAN WATER.
5. GOLD IS VERY SOFT, MEASURING 2.5 ON THE MHO SCALE, WHILE TALC MEASURES AT ONE AND A DIAMOND AT 10.
GOLD IS VERY DUCTILE AND MALLEABLE, CAPABLE OF ONE OUNCE BEING STRETCHED FOR 60 MILES, AND GOLD LEAF BEING FLATTENED TO 1/300 OF AN INCH.


KARAT MARK/GOLD PERCENT
KARAT MARK GOLD PERCENT
10K .416
14K .585
18K .750
22K .916
24K 100% PURE



PENNYWEIGHT IS ABBREVIATED DWT, AND GRAMS X .643=DWT, AND 20DWT = ONE OUNCE

DWT/OZ TABLE
DWT OUNCES
2 .10
4 .20
6 .30
8 .40
10 .50
20 1 OUNCE


TO FIND GOLD CONTENT AND DOLLAR VAULE USE THE FOLLOWING FORMULA:
KARAT DIVIDED BY 24, MULTIPLIED BY SPOT PRICE, AND DIVIDED BY 20 EQUALS THE PRICE PER PENNYWEIGHT.
EXAMPLE: 14K DIVIDED BY 24 EQUALS .583
.583 MULTIPLIED BY $363 (SPOT PRICE) EQUALS $212.80
$212.80 DIVIDED BY 20 EQUALS $10.64 (PRICE PER PENNYWEIGHT)
PRICE PER PENNYWEIGHT MULTIPLIED BY RING'S WEIGHT (MINUS STONES) IS THE SCRAP GOLD PRICE FOR THE RING


GOLD IN JEWELRY


GOLD WASH-----GOLD DEPOSITS WITH A THICKNESS FROM 2 TO 5 MILLIONTH OF AN INCH

GOLD PLATING-----DEPOSITS WITH A MINIMUM THICKNESS OF 7 MILLIONTH OF AN INCH

GOLD INLAYS-----SOLID PIECES OF GOLD OR GOLD ALLOY ATTACHED BY DOVETAILING (USUALLY 14-24 KARAT)

GOLD LEAF-----GOLD LEAF IS VERY THIN, 3-4 MILLIONTH OF AN INCH, MADE SO BY FLATTENING UNDER PRESSURE. CAN BE HAMMERED THIN ENOUGH TO TRANSMIT LIGHT

GOLD FILLING-----REFERS TO A BASE METAL SUCH AS NICKEL THAT HAS GOLD SHEET ATTACHED BY SOLDERING OR SOME OTHER MEANS. GOLD FILLED WAS ONCE COMMONLY USED IN WATCH CASES

HEAVY GOLD PLATE-----A FILM OF FINE GOLD PLATED TO OTHER METALS TO A THICKNESS OF AT LEAST 100 MILLIONTH OF AN INCH.

ROLLED GOLD-----A LAYER OF PLATING, OF 10 KARAT OR BETTER, MECHANICALLY BONDED TO A BASE METAL. GOLD CONTENT MAY BE LESS THEN 1/20TH TOTAL WEIGHT


JEWELRY ABBREVIATIONS


GP-----GOLD PLATED

GF-----GOLD FILLED

HGE-----HEAVY GOLD ELECTROPLATE

14K-----RANGES FROM 12K UP

14KP-----14 PLUMB-----14/24 PURE (.585 PURE)

PLUMB IS USED TO GUARANTEE GOLD CONTENT IS NOT LESS THAN SHOWN

CUBIC ZIRCONIAS ARE GENERALLY USED IN 10K JEWELRY

DIAMONDS ARE GENERALLY USED IN 14K AND ABOVE

SOME EUROPEAN COUNTRIES USE THE NUMBER SYSTEM IN PLACE OF KARATS, THUS, A RING MARKED .750 IS 18 KARAT, ONE MARKED .585 IS 14 KARAT, ETC.


ACID TESTING


ACID TESTING
METAL NITRIC ACID
(HNO3)		 HYDROCLORIC ACID
(HCL)		 AQUA REGIA
HCL+HNO3 COMBO
GOLD INSOLUBLE INSOLUBLE POWDERED SAMPLE WILL DISSOLVE
PYRITE
(FOOLS GOLD)		 Fine Powder will dissolve: solution doesnt change color. INSOLUBLE WILL DISSOLVE

SIMPLE ACID TEST FOR GOLD JEWELRY

1. MAKE A SCRATCH IN AN INCONSPICOUS PLACE TO REMOVE ANY PROTECTIVE COATING, SUCH AS LACQUER. A SCRATCH WILL NOT BE NEEDED IF THERE IS NO PROTECTIVE COATING

2. USING RUBBER GLOVES AND A NON-METAL ITEM, APPLY ONE DROP OF NITRIC ACID TO THE SCRATCH

3. THERE WILL BE NO REACTIONS IF THE OBJECT BEING TESTED IS GOLD.
A BRIGHT GREEN REACTION MEANS THE OBJECT IS COMMON METAL
A MILKY REACTION IN THE SCRATCH MEANS IT IS GOLD OVER SILVER


GOLD/SILVER WEIGHT CONVERSION TABLE
COLUMN GRAINGRAM DWT TROYOZ TROY LB TROYOZ AV LB AV KARAT
GRAIN 1.0 0.06479 0.041667 0.00208333 0.00017 0.0022887 0.0001428 0.3240
GRAM 15.4324 1.0 0.6479 0.03215 0.0027 0.03527 0.002205 5.0
DWT. TROY 24.0 1.5517 1.0 0.05 0.00416 0.0548571 0.0034285 7.7755
OZ. TROY 480.0 31.10346 20.0 1.0 0.0833 1.09714 0.06857 155.51
LB. TROY 5780.0 373.241 240.0 12.0 1.0 13.1657 0.82286 1866.12
OZ. AV. 437.0 28.3495 18.2297 0.9114883 0.07595 1.0 0.0625 141.75
LB. AV. 7000.0 453.592 291.667 14.5833 1.21107 16.0 1.0 2267.96
KARAT 3.168 0.20 0.03215 0.0064304 0.000536 0.007055 0.000441 1.0

Abbreviatons Av.=Avoirdupois, DWT = Pennyweight, LB=Pound, OZ= Ounce

DIRECTIONS: To find conversion vaules, find basic weight in left-hand column and follow this line until it intersects with the desired weight. For Example, if you desire to determine how many ounces Troy there are in a pound Troy, locate Pound Troy in the left-hand column and follow it across until you intersect with Ounce Troy, and you will find 12.0 which is the correct number of ounces Troy in one pound Troy. Then, if you want to know how many ounces there are in 2.5 pounds Troy, multiply 12 by 2.5 and arrive at a correct figure of 30 ounces Troy. Another valuable way to use this table is for comparative purposes: for comparing avoirdupois against Troy, for example. If you want to compare the relative actual weight of a pound Troy against an avoirdupois pound, follow the Poun Av. line across to the Pound Troy column and you can determine that a pound avoirdupois is equal to 1.21107 pound Troy. Using the same method, on the other hand, you will find that an ounce avoirdupois is equal to 0.9114883 ounce Troy. Anyone who buys or sells gold or silver will find hundreds of valuable applications for this table which are not immediately apparent to the casual observer


FACTS ABOUT SILVER



SILVER CONTENT OF SILVER COINS
COIN YEAR AMOUNT OF SILVER
DIME 1853-1964 .07234oz.
QUARTER 1853-1964 .18084 oz
HALF 1853-1964 .36169 oz
HALF 1965-1970 .14792oz
DOLLAR 1840-1935 .77344oz
Coins manufactured prior to 1853 contained slightly less than 90% silver


TO DETERMINE THE SILVER VAULE OF A COIN, MULTIPLY THE AMOUNT OF SILVER BY THE CURRENT PRICE

1. SILVER'S CHEMICAL SYMBOL IS AG.

2. IT CAN BE HAMMERED OUT INTO SHEETS SO THIN THAT IT WOULD TAKE 100,000 OF THEM TO MAKE A STACH AN INCH HIGH. THESE SHEETS ARE SO THIN THAT LIGHT SHINES THROUGH THEM, SILVER CAN BE DRAWN INTO WIRES THAT ARE FINER THAN A HUMAN HAIR. IT IS THE BEST CONDUCTOR OF HEAT AND ELECTRICITY AMONG THE METALS.

3. THE ATOMIC WEIGHT OF SILVER IS 107.870, AND ITS ATOMIC NUMBER IS 47. SILVER MELTS AT A TEMPERATURE OF 1761 DEGREES F. OR 960 DEGREESS C. SILVER HAS A SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF 10.5. WHEN MELTED, SILVER CAN ABSORB AS MUCH AS 20 TIMES ITS OWN VOLUME OF OXYGEN

4. PURE SILVER IS TOO SOFT TO STAND UP UNDER CONSTANT WEAR, IT IS USUALLY MIXED WITH COPPER TO FORM AN ALLOY BEFORE IT IS MADE INTO COMMERCIAL ARTICLES

5. SILVER COINS IN THE U.S. USED TO BE MADE OF 90% SILVER AND 10% COPPER. BUT, IN 1965, CONGRESS PASSED A BILL TO ELIMINATE ALL SILVER FROM NEW DIMES AND QUARTERS, AND TO REDUCE THE SILVER IN NEW HALF DOLLARS FROM 90% TO 40%

6. UNTIL THE COINAGE ACT OF 1920, BRITISH COINS WERE 92 1/2 PERCENT SILVER AND 7 1/2 PERCENT COPPER. THE 1920 ACT REDUCED THE SILVER CONTENT TO 50 PER CENT. THE 1946 ACT ELIMINATED ALL SILVER IN BRITISH COINS. THEY ARE NOW MADE OF A COPPER NICKEL ALLOW

7. STERLING SILVER CONTAINS AS MUCH OR MORE SILVER AS BRITISH COINS DID. THE WORD STERLING HAS BEEN USED TO MEAN HIGH QUALITY SILVER SINCE THE 1200'S

8. SILVER ITEMS MARKED STERLING MEANS THEY CONTAIN AT LEAST 92.5% SILVER, SOME JEWELRY, ESPECIALLY SOME OF FOREIGN MAKE, MAY BE MARKED .925, INSTEAD OF THE WORD STERLING.

9. SILVER PLATE IS MADE BY COATING BASE METALS WITH PURE SILVER OR SILVER ALLOY BY ELECTROLYSIS. SILVER PLATE, BEING A LOT LESS EXPENSIVE THAN PURE SILVER, IS MORE WIDELY USED FOR TABLEWARE.

10. SILVER IS NOT CHANGED BY MOISTURE,DRYNESS, ALKALIES, OR VEGETABLE OILS, BUT SULFUR, WILL CAUSE SILVER TO TURN BLACK

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