bizarre magnetic silver ring found

[lab rat]

Anybody else ever encounter anything like this?

I found this ring last week.? It is marked '.925 Thailand'.? I did a density test on it and it falls in at 10.37, definitely in the range for solid sterling silver.

It appears to have been plated; some of the plating is wearing off.? Silver is often plated with rhodium to prevent tarnish.

The wierd thing about this ring is that a strong magnet will pick it up.

Silver is most often alloyed with copper (92.5% Ag : 7.5% Cu) to make Sterling.? I am wondering if nickel might have been substituted for copper in making this ring.? (Pure nickel is magnetic, as are iron and cobalt.)? ? But a U.S. Nickel is 25% nickel and 75% copper-- and my magnet won't pick it up.

Anybody know anything about alloys?

 

[Gold_pinger]

I checked all the .925 rings marked Thailand I have and none of them stick to a magnet.
Maybe it came from the same place as that 14K brass ring in your other post. You can always try one of these:
http://www.goldtester.com/

 

[MDnoob]

Obviously an alien artifact.

 

[Marc]

That's pretty weird!?

 

[ctalmadg]

Maybe someone wanted people to think is was silver when in fact it is a fake!!

 

[Ocean7]

I'd say it's counterfeit or black market sterling silver. Bet most of it is nickel. Silver will not be picked up by a magnet.

 

[lab rat]

Thanks for your posts! My question remains, however: Pure silver has a density of 10.5, and nickel only has a density of 8.9. Even iron only has a density of about 7.5. So I am trying to figure out how a magnetic alloy can have the density of a heavier metal.

 

[MDnoob]

Why ask why? Because aliens made it! Why else?

 

[coinshooter]

We can cut it in half and see what's inside of it. I have a hacksaw.
Nickel isn't magnetic is it? You can't pick up a 5 cent piece with a magnet.
8)

 

[lab rat]

Coinshooter- A modern American 'nickel' (5-cent piece) is 75% copper and 25% nickel. That's why you can't pick it up with a magnet. A Canadian 'nickel' (5-cent piece), on the other hand, is almost pure nickel. Try picking that up with a magnet, and you'll have no problem. Maybe some of our Canadian friends can confirm that Canadian dimes and quarters are also pure nickel.

I think I figured out this ring: Yes, everyone is right. It is an alien artifact manufactured with mostly nickel but alloyed with a little osmium or spent uranium to bring the density up into the silver range, to sell as silver in order to acquire Earth money so they look less suspicious when they buy stuff on Ebay.

 

[Ocean7]

see how the silver coating has flaked off? Proves it's not sterling silver and that certain countries cannot be trusted to have proper stated amounts of precious metals in their jewelry. Wonder what their coins are like??

 

[Gold_pinger]

lab rat : "Silver is often plated with rhodium to prevent tarnish"? Rhodium is kinda expensive for that.
Perhaps a pure nickle plate? take some filings from an unplated area and test with the magnet
Ocean7 : "certain countries cannot be trusted" That's true and anyone can buy a die stamp and anvil to mark jewerly, from the internet. I think Lab rat posted a brass ring marked 14K awhile back.

PS I like the alien theory best, money for e-bay shopping?

 

[lab rat]

Rhodium is indeed expensive in quantity, but plating can be very thin. I have found other silver rings that were rhodium plated, with the plating coming off. I remember it was a big thing in the late 1960's (am I dating myself?) to plate silver jewelry with rhodium. Not sure if it is still done.

As for what the plating is on this ring, I don't know what it is yet. Maybe I'll do an XRF or EDXA test on it, if I can sneak it into the lab someday. Or just sell it as silver on Ebay!

 

[coinshooter]

Is that an X-tra Terrestial Ring Found test (XRF) or an Extra Detailed X-ray Analysis (EDXA)?

Sounds like in Canada all you'd have to do is drive along the ground with a giant magnet and you'd pick up alot of loose nickels! Who needs a detector!

 

[MDnoob]

Those damn aliens are into everything now. They practically own south america!*
It was a joke in college whenever there was something slightly mysterious or unexplained in history/archaeology, we would attribute it to either Friendly Aliens (building the pyramids) or Unfriendly Aliens (Destruction of Crete). Just trying to add some humor to this forum...

P.S. I really do think it is an alien artifact.

And this guy's amulet is a map to the Holy Grail/Ark of the Covenant:
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,3085.0.html

*Quote from "The Thing" (Kurt Russel 1984)

 

[Lasivian]

How did you do a density test?

 

[freeav8r]

I found your post because I just bought a necklace with the same properties. I went to K-mart and bought my wife a sterling silver necklace. It was made in Italy and is stamped 925. I was shopping at Wal-Mart and found what looked like the exact same neckace, but for half the price. It is also made in Italy and stamped 925.

When I got both of them home under normal lighting, I noticed that the cheaper one from Wal-Mart is a whiter color and can be picked up with a magnet. The more expensive one from K-mart is the standard sterling silver color and is not magnetic.

 

[lab rat]

Hi, freeav8r. Uh, oh... I think I'd go back to the store manager at Wal-Mart, show them the magnetic silver, and ask for a refund, or at least an explanation. See what their opinion is, and how they work around it. Do they offer any kind of guarantee? Did you do a density test?

I have found silver-plated iron jewelry before, but it usually is obvious because the plating is peeling off the rusty spots. This ring is different, however-- no rust, even though it is obvious that plating is wearing off.

 

[Chris in BC]

MDnoob builds a strong case, I'm with him! Possibly from the Planet Zanzabar12 or even Nukegermanynow, known across the milky way for conflicting marks and strange magnetism, and if you get a chance to interview someone from either planet, dont fall for the old, "It's the density of our planet compared to yours" trick.
Well done Noob! I will let them know your onto them!
Chris

 

[MDnoob]

I am leaning towards Planet Zanzabar 12, or possibly -13. I think we need to put our foot down NOW and be like: "Hey! This is our damn planet and we are sick of your junk jewelry!" ...or something like that. Watch your backs people.