Gold acid test -- wasn't sure about result... help needed.

I have an acid testing kit for gold but don't tend to use it too often.

Trying to test a necklace which appears to possibly be gold with a replaced jump ring. It is a light weight necklace chain, so I am just gently rubbing the chain part softly, repeatedly on the stone.

It came on that Victorian Onyx cross I got which does test positively for 14K.

Necklace may not be original to the cross of course, but looks like it could be gold and seems to have some delicate quality. Here is what happens when I do the test.

Usually I've had the acid either not affect the gold (positive) or completely dissolve it (negative).

In this case somewhere in between. The 10K acid dissolves it, but not entirely. Two things happen. There are small gold specks in the acid, and around the edges it looks like gold (?) or gold color is pooling up in the very thin line surrounding the puddle of acid.

Thoughts?

 

how old is your kit...?
Don't folks say they don't last that long..? ... the liquid can turn..

 

Good thing to check, in this case not terribly old. Less than a year. And seems to be working perfectly for other things I've tested.

Just never had this exact result -- partial dissolution leaving gold specks, gold (or whatever it is) pooling up in a thin line circling part of the puddle of 10K acid on the stone.

Wondered if that maybe meant 8K or 9K or something different all together.

 

Maybe 10k rolled gold?

 

Could you post a close up of the chain with ends?

 

Thanks. Here are two close ups. It is late in the day here, had a bit of trouble getting a perfect picture. As you can see the spring clasp (clearly not gold) does not match the coloring of the chain, the loop on the other end does. The chain shows zero tarnish. Photo because of low light makes it look a bit darker in one section, but that is just from the low light.

What do you think?

 

I’d guess gold filled. I often have residual gold floating in acid when testing gold filled...

 

doesn't strike me as a solid gold chain either...

 

Why do you think the clasp color would be the same color as the chain? The only way to have the same color is to be plated in the same tank at the same time. All refineries have their own specific formulas for their gold alloys.

 

Rolled plate at best. Don't waste time rubbing chains on stones. Make a nick in the surface and test if there's something that turns green underneath with a drop directly on the spot.

 

Sounds like gold filled then, thanks.

 

Thanks for the pics!
Think gold filled or good quality thick plated, the clasp may be an old replacement.

 

I agree, some kind of plating.
Acid for silver testing doesn't keep long, but gold testing acid lasts much longer.

 

Sounds gold plated to me also. Take a magnet to it and if it grabs the item then don't even bother to test further.

 

No reaction to a magnet.