Does this blob look natural on this nugget?

[Spartcom5]

Bought this nugget stickpin dating to around the 1900s. Overall the nugget looks good and tests around 16k-18k. However, there is this blob right in the middle of the nugget and to me it looks like it was added?? It doesn't look natural to me because it is rough and unfinished compared to the rest of the nugget which is smoothed out. It looks like a big blob of gold solder or something... What do you guys think? Is it natural of added in for whatever reason?

 

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[triple d]

Looks like its how they attached the pin. With a soldier or melted the gold to attach.

 

[brianc053]

First: What a cool find! I hope you got a good bargain on the stickpin.
Second: great pictures. But even with those, who knows.... I agree with triple d: that the blob you're wondering about appears to be similar to the solder attachment of the pin (but I think the blob is on the front).
A question: isn't natural gold from the earth typically higher purity? I know different deposits vary somewhat, but I didn't think natural gold was as low as 16-18k, I thought it was more like 23k+. If true, that makes me think that someone created this "nugget" from jewelry grade gold.

As another example (but at the risk of hijacking your thread a little), I found this tie clip at an estate sale some years ago. The 2 on it is the price...$2.00! I figured for $2.00 what could I lose so I bought it.
I tested the gold (on the outer tip of the nugget opposite where it attaches to the tie clip) and it came up 23k+ using those simple acid tests.
I took it to a jeweler to ask what you were asking: is it a real nugget or not? The jeweler (a guy in the business 30+ years) said that he couldn't be sure but he did tell me that back around 100 years ago it was stylish to create and wear this sort of stuff. Jewelers were creating some of it by taking jewelry grade gold, heating it up and then drizzling the molten gold into water to create "simulated nuggets" (I guess like they make funnel cakes). He wasn't sure about my piece....and I don't think we can be sure about yours.
Sorry I can't help more.

But enjoy your stick pin - it's very cool!

- Brian

 

[bedrock bubba]

Its unnatural and so UGLY! Let me get rid of it for you...for FREE!

I specialize in UGLY GOLD NUGGETS!

 

[arizau]

Looks natural to me. The edges seem to blend in perfectly.

 

[russau]

Well if you really want to know if it's whatever , take it to your local state college and have them do a electro microscope check for it's purity in different area's of the pin . around the solder joint it'll be higher purity granted because of the gold solder . BUT in different areas it should be the same. I was very fortunate in that where I worked before retiring ,the company had a electron microscope and it showed on a Graff what minerals were in it and the percentage's. I was told that when I was in Alaska the owner of the place we were at SALTED the ground. I found out that it WAS'NT SALTED and sent a copy of the test to the owner . He already knew it though!!!