Gold jewelry

[treasure sstate]

The CO numbers on gold jewelry is all over the place. The reason lies in the composition and mass of the piece. Gold jewelry comes in 10K (41.6 %gold), 14K (58.33%), 18K (75%), 22K (91.67%). In 18K gold the alloys can be any number of combinations such as 75% gold and 25% copper; or 25% aluminum, or 25% iron, or 25% silver, or 15% silver 6% copper and 4% cadmium. 14K white gold is 75% gold 25% platinum, or 25% palladium, or 10% palladium 10% nickel and 5% zinc. And there are many more combinations with base metals. Then you throw in all the combinations with the other K's and there are 100's. Then time spent in the ground where say copper can make a halo that would change the numbers. So if you pass up a 12/04 or a 12/24 who knows, most likely foil or pull tab but it could have been a gold ring. I do not dig them all just the ones that are a good solid signal and always a 12/09. Never going to have a machine that will tell you what you hear or see is gold just to many variables.

 

[sugar]

like you say you just gotta dig um you just never know the one nice thing about it is silver paper isnt likely to be too deep so it is better to check it makes for a good nights sleep lol

 

[Tom_in_CA]

Hey treasure-state, you are right: Gold rings can read all over the spectrum, depending on their K's, size, etc... Generally at the lower to mid portion of the spectrum, but I have found big men's gold rings that read up at nearly zinc penny before. And one time I found a 24k ring (yes, some asian jewelers actually make pure gold rings!) that read up at penny! And it was a SMALL gold ring too, that if it had been 14 or 18K, no doubt, it would have read below tab, for instance.

What cracks me up, is the md'rs who try to suggest that you can tell the gold, apart from aluminum, by the sounds & tones. That is, even though two objects might have the same TID, they'll suggest that gold is a mellower sound, or a more-locked-on even tone, or whatever. Whenever I hear someone make this claim, I challenge them to go to the nearest inner city blighted junky park, and see how many gold rings they can find, while effortlessly leaving the foil and tabs behind. They quickly abandon their claims It's sometimes tempting to *think* that gold sounds, or reads, differently, because each time we find a gold ring, we subconsciously tell ourselves "this one sounded different". But this is just a function of selective memory in our subconcious. That is: every time we stop to dig, we think "this sounds different" or "this might be gold". But when it turns out to be junk, we forget our premonitions. However, the one time it turns out to be gold, only THEN do we remember our premonitions, and think "aha! I was psychic!"

But the truth is, for every gold ring "signature", you can mimic the exact same signature, by simply wadding up a piece of foil or aluminum slaw, in such a way that it can/will read exactly the same. And for every piece of can slaw of foil wad signature, there's going to be rings that read the exact same way. And to the extent that a "given" ring will sound distinct and different from a variety of sample wads and shrapnel, you have to remember that SO TOO does each and every ring, sound different from each and every OTHER ring too.

About the only thing a person can do, to up their odds of digging more rings, from junky environments, is to use "ring enhancement programs". This runs statistical odds of commonly recurring junk items, and odds-ratios of the most common gold ring sizes, etc... But even those ring-enhancement programs go out the window, when you're in an area where lawn mowers cut up cans to infininate variable sizes of slaw. And gauranteed you will miss some gold rings, and dig a lot of junk, even using the enhancement programs. Thus the best bet to digging more gold, is to avoid the junky blighted turf, and hit swimming beach instead, where ratios are simply better to begin with, and digging is easy

Hey, I see from your post that you've been hunting since 1962. Do tell: what machine were you using then? What was its capability? (ie.: depth on coin-sized targets, etc..). What type places did you hunt, and what type finds did you make?

 

[utahshovelhead]

I totally agree with you sug. BUT one thing is that of the 100 plus gold rings I have found they mostly all land on the 12 line or close too it..(out of the ground anyway) If I am in an area where gold rings are I dig the 12 line and then if I have to I will edit out the items that are consistent junk on the 12 line. Like certian typs of tabs ect. If its easy to dig I will dig lots of junk but am rewarded more often. I do not do this at nice parks or lawns as I leave lots of holes. I am a shovelhead you know.

good luck
utahshovelhead

 

[treasure sstate]

Tom in CA my first detector I do not remember the brand. It was a TR machine. There was no auto drift control (probably everyone here says "Whats drift"?) and had to be re-tuned every 30 seconds or so. The search coil was encased in plywood and would false on a wet blade of grass. Depth was maybe 1 1/2 inches so found surface coins but what the heck dimes and quarters were all silver then and I was the only person who had a detector. The next machine was Garrett's grey BFO no discrimination. Used an ice pick to probe the ground after pinpointing, if I did not touch anything went to the next signal (on a side a BFO machine is the best in granite soil). Then I got a Garrett TR discriminate Ground Hog and then a VLF Ground Hog fallowed by a Garrett GTA1500 which I used trouble free for 25 years. And now an E-Trac.
Oldest coin is an 1868 nickel (I am in Montana so real old coins are a rarity here). Have found the grand slam of half's (for here) Barber, Walking, Jefferson and Kennedy. I have never spent a single coin I have found it is all in a treasure chest I made ; well not all, it is full and the over flow is in coffee cans. I put the wheat pennies in rolls last count I have 92 rolls. I can remember people asking me if I was looking for worms