Ring A Gold Ring!.. Maybe? Fools Gold

[runecaster]

I posted this in the Medal Detecting Forum but got to thinking maybe it was better posted here, sorry for any goofs. I don't mean to double post.

I found what I think is my first gold ring...Problem however, The ring looks like a wedding type band, has two hallmarks inside, a crown and a 14 in a square. so far so good. I pulled it from some highly mineralized soil. it had lots of corrosion on it. In fact I thought it was a copper fitting of some type and tossed it in my junk pouch. At home I decided for the heck of it to clean it up before tossing. That when I saw the hallmarks. Well long story short, it is badly pitted on the outside with what appears to be rust? in the pits. The inside is clean and smooth with the hallmarks very easy to see. I really don't think is plated, as when I polish the rust away from the areas not pitted it still looks like gold underneath. It also looks like it was sized at one point by a professional and re-soldered with gold solder. Has anyone else found a gold ring that looks rusted? I plan on taking it to a jeweler to figure out what is up on Monday. My excitement is somewhat tempered thinking it might be "A Fools Gold".

 

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[SusanMN]

Post some pics for us but I have never seen gold pit or rust. On the other hand, plated rings aren't usually sized. Would love to see this ring.

 

[runecaster]

Here's a picture of the ring. The hallmark on the inside is deep in. I'm thinking the acid soil has something to do with the pitting, it has some green corrosion as well. The soil here in the Northeast is brutal on coins, this site where I found the ring was loaded and I mean loaded with slag and slag ash.

 

[bigfoot1]

me thinks you scored.it would appear to me a mens wedding band,likely 14k with a smooth bordered texture.not unlike the one below.If found near or in water or in a place that uses fertilizers or even certain mineralised soils the rough area may take on a "patina"like appearance where the smooth areas will not above 10k.Its a form of environmental leaching and is easily removed by jewler.it is not corrosion in these cases.

I found a honker signet ring that had so much green leaching from it that I thot it was a junker.clean right up and was 10k.I must caution however that I cannot blow the photo up much without it blurring and am goin on some assumptions.

....good luck,let us know how it goes !!!

 

[OBN]

The Hallmark sure looks 100%, I have found rolled gold rings that had pit marks on top where they wore thru the gold and the filling was leaching thru, but never on the sides like that. Keep us informed, I would say 14k solid gold.

 

[runecaster]

Well fellow MD'ers I went to the jewelers this morning with the ring. According to his evaluation its a gold overlay over a base metal. Overlay is thicker than plating. The pitting is the base metal coming through to the surface. He also says the hallmarks were most likely put there to convince someone that it was real gold. In other words fake I guess, totally bummed. I was hoping that because it said 14 in was 60% gold 40% other metal and that was what caused the pitting from being in the high iron soil (slag and such). Not a total loss, I learned a thing or three along the way. 1. all that glitters is not gold, (good to remember this old adage) 2. clean everything before you toss it in the trash bucket. 3. dig everything. Oh well, maybe next time, Keep digging!

 

[SusanMN]

Sorry to hear it, I had my fingers crossed for you. There is a surprising amount of plated gold out there with fake marks. Since I am sure you are going to dig more gold at some point, I would suggest you consider buying a gold test kit. There are the kind where you rub the item on a stone and test with acid, and electronic versions where you dip the item.

 

[runecaster]

Thanks, SusanMN for the crossed fingers and the test kit hint, I'll look into one of those. I wonder however if with the gold overlay on the ring, would the test show it was gold? Never used a kit so I don't know for sure.

 

[SusanMN]

Thanks, SusanMN for the crossed fingers and the test kit hint, I'll look into one of those. I wonder however if with the gold overlay on the ring, would the test show it was gold? Never used a kit so I don't know for sure.

I have a Mizar electronic golf tester and it will distinguish gold from gold plate. Not sure on the stone type.