MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!! (nice surprise-update

Silver Surfer

Bronze Member
Oct 6, 2009
1,212
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Florida- Somewhere in the middle
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Hey all..... Just got back from another week at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.... I had one day (last thursday) with no appointments, so I figured I would try out some of the local parks... I found one about 7 miles from the motel and it was a tot-lot next to a school. Regular tot-lot, medium sized, and an adjacent Basketball court along side of it.. I have been making a point lately of hitting the areas of tot-lot's away from the heavy traffic/play areas, as so many of the lots I hit lately seem to have been picked clean right around the play areas. This has paid off on several trips as nothing is found in the usual areas, but I find stuff on the perimeter and even around the bench's where moms sit and watch..
I hadnt gone ten feet into the area when the MXT went off with a scattered but strong signal, bouncing back and forth between nickel/ring range and 1 cent/10 cent range... Usually this finds a disfigured or rusty bottle cap, but I am keeping to my promise to dig everything... It says the object is 8" down, so I start digging.. Nothing in the hole, nothing in the pile of chips/dirt next to the hole.. Sweep again and it says it is still in the hole.. I take the pinpointer out and probe the hole, and on the inside of the hole at about 7" it goes off... So I take the lesche and dig away at the side a bit and when the dirt falls, there it is.. Another silver chain!!! Man oh man, how can I be so lucky?!? So I grab it, and pick away at the dirt as I pull... Out she comes and it is a lovely 24" silver chain!! Man I am so pumped... Put it deep in my pocket so I dont lose it, and continue to work the lot... The first pic is of the rest of the stuff I found, the big earrings look like gold, but I cannot find stamps on them anywhere so they cant be... But man, when I saw them shining down in the holes at first, I was simply dumbfounded at my streak of good luck... As a side note, the area I was hunting was NOT in a good area of Jax... I found 2 .32 loaded bullets, and one .38 cal deformed bullet that had obviously been shot into the dirt.. GULP... Ended up with $4.38 in clad at this spot also, which was a bonus..... Now back to the necklace...
I get back to the motel, of course I am so excited to tell the wife about the necklace.. But first I wash it off.. Didnt look right, but oh well, it may have tinted due to the tannin in the wood chips or something. After I show the wife the other stuff I found and the clad, I then pull the chain out of my pocket and proudly show her "look, another silver chain!"... She of course was happy, but as I handed it to her, she says "this one must be thicker than the other one you found, it feels heavier".... Oh man, I suddenly feel a lump in my throat, thinking that maybe I simply found a cheap chain that is silver plated... "I never looked for the .925 mark, I guess I should before I get too excited"... I pull out the mag glass, and nervously look at the clasp.... WHAT?!?!?!? Yes, you guessed it, "ITALY 14K".... OMG, I couldnt believe it! The MXT had just more than twice paid for itself!!!
Just got back home last night, and first thing I did was weigh it... 43.89 gms!
I have to wonder how people lose things like that. The clasp is not broken, but has a slight gap in it, just enough for the other side to slip through if you move it just right.. I guess someone was running or such and as it bounced around, it fell off.... Maybe someone running from a bullet?? LOL...

Enjoy the pictures folks, I am still grinning from ear to ear... Of course, with the med bills I have and such, it will have to go to the gold buyers, either midwest or ARAgold... Leaning toward ARAgold though...

First pic is of the odd's and ends jewelry, then the whole chain, then the clasp that says it all....
 

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Upvote 0

thrillathahunt

Silver Member
Jul 24, 2006
4,591
952
TEXAS
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All Treasure Hunting

Cr4zyH0rs3

Sr. Member
Mar 3, 2007
329
3
MA.
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X-70 & Myself
Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Corpsegrinder said:
I have seen a ton of them.. Have one in my my desk right now that i keep on hand to show people who buy that stuff thinking its real and then i have to give them the bad news that they got ripped off.. I just drop a little 14k acid on it and watch it bubble green..


MUD(S.W.A.T) said:
It says Italy, :icon_scratch: I've never seen a fake one that says Italy. I have seen fakes marked 14k and .925 but they never say Italy. :dontknow: I think its real and from K-mart they have Italy on their jewelry. :icon_thumleft:

See on the clasp all the little dents... I think, This happens to Gold cause its so soft. (These ways are not a scientific way of telling just something I noticed.) Your best bet is an Acid test from your local coin/pawn or jewelry store. :notworthy: :icon_thumleft:

Keep @ it and HH !! ;D :D


That is so true I found a gold rope chain that displayed 14k also but it didn't say Italy on it either when I tested it, it also turned green too.
 

Tnmountains

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jan 27, 2009
18,716
11,708
South East Tennessee on Ga, Ala line
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Great find. They start getting heavy like that they are easy to loose.(I know). I am so glad you found it. Good luck at Mayo's and congratulations on your treasure.
TnMountains
 

Dec 27, 2005
964
16
Bay Area Ca.
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

congrats on the great find, would have liked to see the look on your face when you realised it was gold and not silver....:) wishing you much continued success and thanks for sharing hh
 

TORRERO

30+ YEARS, XP DEUS I & II ARE MY GO TO MACHINES
Nov 17, 2004
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

It's always nice to find something like this,
But before I start counting my money....
I would certainly have a jeweler look at this...
From the pictures you posted it has a very strong coppery color around the edges of the links
and places on the clasp look to be plated.
Millions of item every year are marked with whatever mark sells the best, regardless of true content.
I would hate to be wrong, and get my feelings hurt if it were to be returned by the smelter...
 

OP
OP
Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

Bronze Member
Oct 6, 2009
1,212
2
Florida- Somewhere in the middle
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

I had sent it off before I read any of the "may be fake" posts..... Now I am nervous.. I had noticed right after I cleaned it that the inside of the "rings" used to attach the clasp, it looked yellow.. But I also remembered looking up white gold a while back when neither my wife or I knew what white gold was, that it is actually yellow gold that is mixed with nickel or palladium and plated with rhodium, in other words, there is no such thing as white gold, it is all yellow until mixed and plated...
Of course, my question was, "why would anyone buy white gold when they could just buy silver and save a bunch of money, and have something that looked basically the same"...
I will surely let you all know the results, I hope it is real... I need to get a gold testing kit for future finds...
 

odave

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Nov 20, 2007
108
1
California
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Congrats on Banner !!!
 

Frank1960

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Nov 13, 2009
884
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Evans Colorado
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Congradulations now I am just going to sit here and cry :( LOL
 

prolab69

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Oct 8, 2007
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

You may want to look that chain over, here are the markings from a real one. Youll recognize what was said in some other replies about what to look for. An ex GF got me this 10 years ago from Pennys
I still have the reciept, I know its real. I hope the pictures help and I hope yours turns out to be real also, that is a great find.
Pro-
 

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detectahead

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Dec 1, 2007
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Western, N.C.
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Love surprizes like that! Congrats! :icon_thumright:
 

Sand-duner

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Nov 24, 2009
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128
Sequim, WA
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Congrats on the find, and here's to hoping it's real! :occasion14: I live in Jax, FL, south end of town, however, I work in probably one of the worst areas of town, just north of downtown, right around the corner from an old cemetery. It's definitely not wise to go around at night by yourself in some areas. I usually ring my gun into work, and at times, so do my bosses. It can be scary, but I agree with the theory of the drug dealers. Chains like that are the norm, and late night dope deal fights happen all the time.
 

Bigcypresshunter

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Dec 15, 2004
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

I always say that drug dealing ghettos are the last frontier of metal detecting. Some of these areas are simply virgin. Congrats.

Im hoping its real too but dont forget these same drug ghettos are a place where fake gold is peddled. How many times have you been approached by a ragged person trying to sell an extremely heavy men's gold chain. I know I have been approached many times. But they dont look silver. :dontknow:

ADDED: Could the gold plating have come off underground?
 

Bigcypresshunter

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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

http://en.allexperts.com/q/Jewelry-Gems-Minerals-689/14kt-italy.htm

Someone online wants to purchase a 40+ gram necklace with ITALY 14K and this is the story..

Question
I am about to purchase a great looking rope chain....40 grams in weight and stamped 14kt italy....my friend is trying to tell me that gold stamped "italy" like that is fake...is that true. is 14kt italy fake or real?

Answer
Nancy, thanks for this fine question. I hope to ease your concerns.

First of all, your friend is mistaken. A stamp of 14k Italy does not mean fake by any means. The chain should also have a makers mark. This is law: If stamped with a quality mark(the 14k mark) then the item must also have a makers mark near that 14k mark. The makers mark is like a signature on a check, attesting that it is good. If there is not a makers mark, then you can be a bit suspicious.

Most of the fake chains we see are heavy link men’s styles, generally heavy flat links. The stamp might be 14k with or without “Italy” on the chain ends. Is the chain is a fake, you cannot trust any of the marks and who knows where it was made!

Why “Italy”? This is why: For years Italy has been a premier producer of gold jewelry and known especially for gold chains. The metal artisans in the chain factories of Italy have proven to be very innovative and have shown exceptional design in chain forms and in the very machinery needed to produce the often intricate designs. Italy has become famous for the gold chains from that country. Today, the business is much less than before because of competition, much of that from Israel and Turkey. But, because of the reputation of Italian gold, it is natural for a person wanting to sell fake chains to stamp the word “Italy” on the chain, to try and make it look authentic and cash in on the good reputation of Italian gold works.

The only way to know for sure if the chain is already purchased is to go to a jeweler and have the chain tested. We generally do that test for free but some stores might charge a minimal amount for the test. The test is quick to do.

SUGGESTION: Only buy from reputable dealers or those your fully trust. Buy off the street and take your chances! No reputable and established business wants to sell fake jewelry items. Believe me, they would want to be the first to know if something they sell is not as marked!

The chain you say is 40 grams. That is over 1.29 ounces. That is a very heavy chain. This should be fairly expensive. That is the first clue: If the price sounds way too good to be true, than likely you are being taken. Keep this in mind always if buying from an untrusted source!

Nancy, I hope this helps you. Let me know if you need more info by using the “follow-up” that comes with the answer.
 

Chaz

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Aug 3, 2007
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Carlisle, PA
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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

This is turning into an educational thread! I hope your chain is the real deal, and if it is, I will have learned a few things. I bought a chain that was marked, but which turned out to be fake several years ago, so I've had an interest in learning a bit about the fakes. Mine was also marked on one end only, and no stamp on the clasp. In looking at a bunch of real chains- mostly smaller feminine ones, I see they are often if not always marked on both ends, and the clasp is marked (as pointed out in an earlier post.) If this chain turns out to be a fake, it will fit into that pattern, but if real, then I'll have to rethink my 'quick fake' test. My fake was quite heavy, and when I looked online at various real chain dealers, the weight per inch was very close to that of similar real gold chain, so it would seem that the weight or heft of the piece is not a good determining factor. But, I'll admit, the more I looked at good quality heavy gold chains, the more I wanted one! :) I do hope if this one should unfortunately turn out to be a fake that it will not just disappear from the banner. I want to follow the story, and see how it turns out. Maybe hear other stories of real or fake ones. You know, this is the kind of thing that may turn up at a yard sale or flea market where it may really be real, and one could got a great deal. Knowing what to look for other than weight or markings could be the difference between a bargain, or a skunk...
 

M

michigan michael

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Re: MXT pays for itself (and then some)..... Lucky Day!!!

Very nice! :notworthy:
 

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