18K Ring Wading

[mike b]

I hit the water yesterday, and it hit me back ! Yesterday was only the second time in ten years that I got soaked wading. It was windy and rough, got slapped by a wave while I was digging and filled my gloves up to the elbow, shoulders head and neck got wet enough to be chilly. But I still lasted three hours.
Using my Excalibur I dug a bunch of sinkers and scrap metal. The first exciting target was the melted chunk of metal. It came out very heavy and had mirror bright gold flashing around it. It was obvious it had been melted in a fire, actually had particles of sand imbedded in it.
Later I heard the faintest scratchy signal that took two scoops to get a clear signal, sucker had to be over 15 inches down in black muck. I thought it was 10K until I got it back to the car and saw it was 18K.
I put both of these finds in a tumbler and what came out is in the middle picture. I think the chunk was a piece of gold plated jewelry that was melted in a beach fire. It weighed 6.9 Grams but tested not gold at all but did have the plating visible. I cut it in half to be sure. Its in the recyclable can now. The ring tested 18K. and weighs 6.6 grams . My first 18 Karat for the year.

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

A Handbook of Civil War Bullets and Cartridges - Grab it through Amazon!

[pepperj]

Congrats on the 18K, great recovery.
If one is going to get gold, make it off a sausage finger.

 

[metaldiggr]

Very nice!

 

[Digger RJ]

Very Nice!!!!! Congrats!!!!! I'm still hoping for My first 18kt!!

 

[billb]

Congratulations on your awesome recovery..thanks for sharing your happiness with us..Stay safe out there

 

[Jose The Goon]

Nice hunk of 18K Mike !! Under difficult conditions, I'm sure it was a "tad" uncomfortable out there !! I can see why
you thought it was 10K considering the degree of tarnish. You said it was a scratchy signal deep in a "black muck". I'm sure it was buried a long time & maybe that, plus the soil conditions combined with the salt water & maybe near some sort of iron
debris, created some kind of electrolysis action that created that dark brown patina. In the past I have found old 10K & 14K with that degree of tarnish in salt water but the soil was nice sand. One old 18k I found had a light brown tarnish but not any where near the darkness of yours. CONGRATS !! Keep them great finds coming ! I hope the nice warm weather coming up make your searching more comfortable, enjoyable & fruitful. Keep an eye out for rogue waves !! CHEERS !!

 

[ARC]

Well done... AND.........

Your pics are a PRIME TEXTBOOK EXAMPLE... OF...

YES...

gold DOES tarnish /discolor.

To all those "naysayers" of the past. heh

 

[against the wind]

Always nice to come home with Gold,,
Congratulations