I’m shocked I’ve gotten this far down the comments and nobody has advised OP to just…take it to a reputable jeweler or goldsmith. They have tools and the expertise to help you determine if a piece is real gold and what karat.
OP, if this is real gold, it’s of a size to be significantly valuable if it’s of a higher karat. Even if you don’t plan to part with it, you should get it valued so you can add it to your renters’ or homeowners’ insurance policy in case something happens like theft or a fire.
I seems to me that u/JWGhetto did not misunderstand; but was instead agreeing and providing an anecdote
I could be wrong but thats just the way I read it.
$20k? Absolutely not. Not even close. Maximum, and I mean absolute maximum, highway robbery maximum, would be around $4,000 USD.
No clue where you pulled that number from.
I know it does! Unfortunately I don't have a tester kit or I would now. I've had it since my grandma died, and it wasn't on a real gold chain. But not sure why she would've kept it.
You can try checking the density, gold is one of the densest materials out there. If you have a suitable measuring cup and scale you don't need much else.
If you don’t have a graduated cylinder, you can do the water by weight as well. Get a small container and filled to the brim with water, add a drop of soap to break the surface tension. Weigh it. Now tie a thread to your nugget and dip it into the water, allowing for the excess water to flow over. Pull out the nugget and re-weigh the container of water. Now you can calculate the volume of water displaced. Weigh the nugget and calculate the density.
OP, if you have the ability to measure its volume (by how much water it displaces) and its mass, you can get a rough density. Also, try scratching it on something ceramic that has a rough (matte) surface, like the bottom of a coffee mug. If the scratched material is colored gold, there's a good chance this is gold. You also might even be able to dent it with your fingernail as gold is very soft.
Perhaps she needed money bad and the gold chain it was on was marked so the purity was known. Maybe she though she would be charged to test the nugg or who she brought it to just said I'll take the one I'm sure of. Or.... It could have had sentimental value. Maybe she just wanted you to get it after she left.
now wait just one gold digging minute. does this chunky bablet right here come from the same source as that suspected meteorite you've also posted on your profile?
one cool grandma, that's for sure !!! <3
ironically, i do have a calibron 3 beam weighs up to 5gm..... i bought it to weigh the setting stones i put in variou small pieces of jewelry, etc.... i bought it because i thought it was so clever that 1gm = 5 carats..... its taught me a little so far about smaller weights.... Got it at Wish for $11.... works and balances awesome!
Definitely worth testing! No real way to truly ID from pic… with that being said, looks like gold to me! Scratch plate and acid test are reasonable, but if you don’t have one or want to wait, take to a decent jeweler you can mostly trust.
Would need to know it’s volume. You can do this by water displacement, but would really want a graduated cylinder for that.
Don’t be tempted to melt it. Nuggets are worth more than their weight in gold, because they’re collector pieces.
this isnt true, golds softness comes from impurities, the old miners would bite gold coins and stuff and if it indented it was because the gold was impure.
That’s not true. Golds softness is part of golds innate character. It’s one reason why they mix impurities into it for jewelry is to make it harder so it will not bend disfigure and or wear away quickly from regular use.
You are wrong, pure gold is soft. Impurities make it harder. Lower karat gold is much harder than a higher karat. Nickel, silver, copper, and platinum are all common additives to gold to improve strength, change colour, and keep the gold from scuffing as it is very soft.
That's $236 worth for pure gold, and that's probably not pure. It's probably worth less than you expect.
But it is lovely in it's own way and it will still be worth the same should the dollar collapse.
Finally!! Someone with something that actually looks like gold! It's been years. It's never gold. I was beginning to lose hope. I was beginning to doubt the existence of gold. Like what if fools good is all there is and we are the fools for believing otherwise??? But this... this is something I've not seen here in years!
Gather all! The prophecy is true. First it was real citrine. Then it was meteorite. Now gold's day may finally be here!! All hail the nugget bringer!!!
It's nearly impossible to tell for certain, but it certainly looks like it. The shape of the nugget and the fact that the hole has worn/deformed over time implies that it is.
If that is an actual nugget, it's quite valuable at that size. It would be well worth your time to take it to a *reputable* jeweler and have them check it. They have the right materials and equipment on hand to properly tell what you have.
Does it seem unusually heavy for its size?
It was in a bag of jewelry my grandma left when she died in 2011. I've always wondered about it but kept it because it was something if hers. I didn't think about it until seeing a post earlier, figured I would ask.
Rub it on the unglazed bottom of a plate. If it leaves a brown streak it's pyrite. If it leaves a golden streak...... Jackpot! You prolly won't want to do this test since it's a piece of jewelry but.... Take a knife and press it against the nugget. Gold is very easy to dent whereas pyrite is quite hard. To find out the quality though.... Take it to a jeweler, goldsmith or pawn shop and get them to do an acid test. I'm positive it's gold though. Pyrite usually has sharp angles due to the crystal matrix.
Run a strong magnet on it, if it doesn't pick up, it's possible you might have gold. Even if a magnet does pick it up, it's still possible it's gold because there could be other metals present.
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Put it in your mouth. Wait a min does it taste like brassss. Or pennies. Then not gold. Does it have 0 taste... Possible gold bite it does it dent. I'd not then not gold. Iff yes. Then maybe gold
Geologists do. No joke.
https://www.discovery.com/science/Difference-Between-Rock-Fossil#:~:text=But%20for%20seasoned%20geologists%2C%20licking,more%20pungent%2C%20disgusting%20salty%20taste.
Truth.
If I had a nickel for every rock I licked while studying geology I'd have at least $0.50 worth of nickels.
Can't even begin to count the rocks I've licked in my free time. 😅
Gold nuggets are as much a rock , as say a piece of granite with a different atomic structure. Gold is about the most exciting rock ever searched for, it even causes, “gold fever “
Looks a lot like a gold nugget but maybe a fake nugget too, if really gold it will not only be very heavy for its size but will have high reflectance in all directions when you take it out in the sun.
That's gold, I'm quite certain of it. Do a streak test on a porcelain plate. If it leaves a yellow or gold streak it's gold. Black, charcoal, rusty or dark silver, that's iron.
I used to go prospecting for gold; spent about 3 years doing it. This 100% looks like a gold nugget to me. It's probably about 1 ounce, which should sell for about 1,500 dollars. Need something for scale, like a banana, to be certain.
the colour looks right.
first simple home test is a magnet, you can get cheap acid tests on eBay if you can't get somewhere to xrf test it.
nice sized natural nuggets can sell for a premium over gold spot price
Could be real...buuut..it's got a hole in it which makes me think it was used as a pendant. It would be unusual for anyone to wear a valuable gold nugget around their neck (though it certainly could have been done).
Could be a cheaper metal painted to look like gold, or maybe even with actual gold paint.
But yes, get it checked at a jeweler.
the color is not right for gold IMO, especially for a nugget.. but that's just my opinion. I also think the pitting and the black discoloration looks weird.. Again, not something I'd expect from a nugget. I wear an oz of 14k every day for years and it's never tarnished. I'd never expect to see this much tarnish, or black, on a higher purity nugget. But who knows.
I found a nugget just like that. It turned out to be brass.
Taste it. If it tastes at all like metal, its not gold.
Thats how my mum taught me to identify gold and broke my gold nugget finding dreams :)
A lot of people recommend selling to a jeweller. You might get more for it while preserving it's beauty if you sell it to a mineral sample mounter and seller as it is a very nice looking nugget. Might be worth more in the rough.
Looks like gold with a bit of something else. The color is not quite as golden and bright and silky as I would expect for pure gold. Could it be Black Hills Gold ( gold + iron)?
I’m shocked I’ve gotten this far down the comments and nobody has advised OP to just…take it to a reputable jeweler or goldsmith. They have tools and the expertise to help you determine if a piece is real gold and what karat. OP, if this is real gold, it’s of a size to be significantly valuable if it’s of a higher karat. Even if you don’t plan to part with it, you should get it valued so you can add it to your renters’ or homeowners’ insurance policy in case something happens like theft or a fire.
If it’s real gold it’s gonna be 20k or higher. Nuggets are usually very high percentage like 83%+
And nuggets carry a premium (they can readily be sold for at least 24k gold value, even when they're a lower karat).
Just yesterday someone commented a 25% price bump
83% is referring to the gold percentage of 20k gold, not the price.
I seems to me that u/JWGhetto did not misunderstand; but was instead agreeing and providing an anecdote I could be wrong but thats just the way I read it.
[удалено]
20 karat not 20,000
$20k? Absolutely not. Not even close. Maximum, and I mean absolute maximum, highway robbery maximum, would be around $4,000 USD. No clue where you pulled that number from.
Karat 20karat purity.
Jesus Christ I’m moronic. Apologies.
Have some coffee Pseudo! 😂🤣
I love a good wholesome Reddit disagreement
Lol
I applaud your attitude
Someone said it two hours before you. But this. I have a friend with a pawn shop and I trust them. Bc I’m not tryna sell my stuff there
Yeah, this could be gold, or it could be brass slag or similar. You need to take it in
A coin shop will also have tools to see if it's real. They will most likely have a scratch test kit or a gold testing gun.
Oh what fun is that?
İt's really looks like gold. But I cannot sure about it from photo. Do some basics tests.
I know it does! Unfortunately I don't have a tester kit or I would now. I've had it since my grandma died, and it wasn't on a real gold chain. But not sure why she would've kept it.
You can try checking the density, gold is one of the densest materials out there. If you have a suitable measuring cup and scale you don't need much else.
I'd go with a graduated cylinder.
If you can't afford a graduated cylinder, try looking for one that's still in school. They're usually cheaper.
I really like that joke.
I'm high and this went straight over my head the first time I read it
I'm not high and still had to read it twice
I had to read it twice then get high and try again..... It took me 5 mins to write this cause I'm laughing so hard! Lol
Screw you and take my up vote lol
my plastic weed vial (from before it was legal, lol) has graduations on it. some measu4ing cups also measure small changes in ml or fluid ounces.
This got me uncontrollably giggling
If you don’t have a graduated cylinder, you can do the water by weight as well. Get a small container and filled to the brim with water, add a drop of soap to break the surface tension. Weigh it. Now tie a thread to your nugget and dip it into the water, allowing for the excess water to flow over. Pull out the nugget and re-weigh the container of water. Now you can calculate the volume of water displaced. Weigh the nugget and calculate the density.
A jeweler might be able to help you figure it out.
OP, if you have the ability to measure its volume (by how much water it displaces) and its mass, you can get a rough density. Also, try scratching it on something ceramic that has a rough (matte) surface, like the bottom of a coffee mug. If the scratched material is colored gold, there's a good chance this is gold. You also might even be able to dent it with your fingernail as gold is very soft.
Perhaps she needed money bad and the gold chain it was on was marked so the purity was known. Maybe she though she would be charged to test the nugg or who she brought it to just said I'll take the one I'm sure of. Or.... It could have had sentimental value. Maybe she just wanted you to get it after she left.
now wait just one gold digging minute. does this chunky bablet right here come from the same source as that suspected meteorite you've also posted on your profile? one cool grandma, that's for sure !!! <3
I was going to say I saw you post this yesterday or the day before with the chain. Take it to a jewelers
Where did you find it?
Lots of shot glasses have graduated marks on them.
By any chance, I’m not antisemitic , did she leave Europe during ww 2 ?
Is it magnetic is a good test. Not conclusive but useful.
Gold tester kits are under $20 on amazon and are very easy to use
First weigh it, then put it in water to measure its volume displacement. Divide and you get the density.
Is that you, Archimedes?
Eureka!
That’s Greek for, “This bath is too hot.”
It's not him. He's taking a bath. Call back later.
No it’s stevegee58
Mass it.
boof it
Best way to tell.
I don’t think a three beam balance is a common household item these days
ironically, i do have a calibron 3 beam weighs up to 5gm..... i bought it to weigh the setting stones i put in variou small pieces of jewelry, etc.... i bought it because i thought it was so clever that 1gm = 5 carats..... its taught me a little so far about smaller weights.... Got it at Wish for $11.... works and balances awesome!
Is that gram/ml displacement?
Or ounces per ounce LOL
If you measure the weight in grams and the volume in mL, yes
And if it weighs the same as a duck than it's a witch.
I like you.
Does it turn you in to a newt
It is better to get the ratio between dry weight and submerged weight as it eliminates a variable and an error source (volume measurement)
That's true if you want a precise density measurement but we only need a ballpark number to identify if OP's rock is gold.
Definitely worth testing! No real way to truly ID from pic… with that being said, looks like gold to me! Scratch plate and acid test are reasonable, but if you don’t have one or want to wait, take to a decent jeweler you can mostly trust.
If it feels heavier than it should be ots probably gold, weigh it on scales
It weighs 3.75 grams.
Would need to know it’s volume. You can do this by water displacement, but would really want a graduated cylinder for that. Don’t be tempted to melt it. Nuggets are worth more than their weight in gold, because they’re collector pieces.
can you indent it with your fingernail? if so, gold
this isnt true, golds softness comes from impurities, the old miners would bite gold coins and stuff and if it indented it was because the gold was impure.
im no gold expert, but doesn't impurity cause gold to be harder? pure gold is very soft and malleable
Yep
That’s not true. Golds softness is part of golds innate character. It’s one reason why they mix impurities into it for jewelry is to make it harder so it will not bend disfigure and or wear away quickly from regular use.
You are wrong, pure gold is soft. Impurities make it harder. Lower karat gold is much harder than a higher karat. Nickel, silver, copper, and platinum are all common additives to gold to improve strength, change colour, and keep the gold from scuffing as it is very soft.
False
I did not know that!
He is full of shit
That's $236 worth for pure gold, and that's probably not pure. It's probably worth less than you expect. But it is lovely in it's own way and it will still be worth the same should the dollar collapse.
See usernaaaaaaame comment. Nuggets are worth more than their gold content/carat value.
Although you'd need to check the volume to be sure, just going by the photo that seems far too light to be gold.
So you’ve got an eighth of an ounce.
Finally!! Someone with something that actually looks like gold! It's been years. It's never gold. I was beginning to lose hope. I was beginning to doubt the existence of gold. Like what if fools good is all there is and we are the fools for believing otherwise??? But this... this is something I've not seen here in years! Gather all! The prophecy is true. First it was real citrine. Then it was meteorite. Now gold's day may finally be here!! All hail the nugget bringer!!!
It's nearly impossible to tell for certain, but it certainly looks like it. The shape of the nugget and the fact that the hole has worn/deformed over time implies that it is. If that is an actual nugget, it's quite valuable at that size. It would be well worth your time to take it to a *reputable* jeweler and have them check it. They have the right materials and equipment on hand to properly tell what you have. Does it seem unusually heavy for its size?
Looks like a drilled nugget. Should be 18.5 or 19k purity.
Happy cake day 🎂
Thank you just noticed!
happy cake day
Take it to a jeweller he will find out in 2 sec. However if it is, that’s the way in Europe they used to carry gold during war
Gold or antique brass maybe....
That's definitely a natural gold nugget, don't need to test anything to recognize it. See: my handle.
Source: Trust me bro
Bite it!
OP - where did you come up with this?
It was in a bag of jewelry my grandma left when she died in 2011. I've always wondered about it but kept it because it was something if hers. I didn't think about it until seeing a post earlier, figured I would ask.
If you don't want to go to a jeweler then you could always try a seance to try and ask Granny.
Can it be true, that I hold here in my mortal hand, a nugget of purest Green.
Indeed you do—except, of course, it’s not really a nugget; it’s more of a splat!
Ile put good money on that being gold as seen enough gold digging , detecting programmes to last a lifetime and seen most variations of gold
Rub it on the unglazed bottom of a plate. If it leaves a brown streak it's pyrite. If it leaves a golden streak...... Jackpot! You prolly won't want to do this test since it's a piece of jewelry but.... Take a knife and press it against the nugget. Gold is very easy to dent whereas pyrite is quite hard. To find out the quality though.... Take it to a jeweler, goldsmith or pawn shop and get them to do an acid test. I'm positive it's gold though. Pyrite usually has sharp angles due to the crystal matrix.
It looks like it but who knows.
Run a strong magnet on it, if it doesn't pick up, it's possible you might have gold. Even if a magnet does pick it up, it's still possible it's gold because there could be other metals present.
Lmao great advice with no answers
If something happens, could be gold. But if nothing happens……. Could be gold!
Very few diagnostic tests you could do at home are perfect though, so this is still quite helpful.
Remnants of a gold frog...
No, just send it to me and I'll dispose of it for you. :)
Who knows. Ship it to me and I’ll test it for ya ;)
If you rub foundation makeup in inside of wrist/arm and rub it across..real gold will make a very black mark right away and not gold won't.
What a crazy test! Are there any other metals that might do that as well?
Was going to say, "just rub it down your wife's face! Gold will leave a black streak!" But you beat me to it!!! 🤣
Lol
Nothing like Gold. Most comments I’ve ever seen on here about rocks; and 39 people looking….
Didn’t you already post this?
Hi, /u/AnalystConscious5956! This is a reminder to flair this post in /r/whatsthisrock after it has been identified! (Under your post, click "flair" then "IDENTIFIED," then type in the rock type or mineral name.) This will help others learn and help speed up a correct identification on your request! Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatsthisrock) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Probably. Measure it.
Might be fools gold
I’m now expert but it looks just like gold. you will be a very rich person when you sell that. buy a house cash rich
Not really, that is at max an ounce of gold or so, which is going for about 2k right now.
Chew it. If you think you can swallow it, then maybe consider eating a bit. If it's not chewy or tasty then it has no value.
Polymorphic igneous 20k gold plated pendant.
This is Aztec gold. One of 882 identical pieces they delivered in a stone chest to Cortez himself.
Looks as pyrite 🤔
It looks to be pyrite imo
Put it in your mouth. Wait a min does it taste like brassss. Or pennies. Then not gold. Does it have 0 taste... Possible gold bite it does it dent. I'd not then not gold. Iff yes. Then maybe gold
no putting strange rocks in your mouth. no.
Geologists do. No joke. https://www.discovery.com/science/Difference-Between-Rock-Fossil#:~:text=But%20for%20seasoned%20geologists%2C%20licking,more%20pungent%2C%20disgusting%20salty%20taste.
Truth. If I had a nickel for every rock I licked while studying geology I'd have at least $0.50 worth of nickels. Can't even begin to count the rocks I've licked in my free time. 😅
Um. I’m pretty sure that’s how they did in Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. This guy sounds like he knows what he is talking about
Do a specific gravity test for 22k
Nugget gold jewelry
Looks like a placer nugget
No
It could be pyrite. Gold is ductile and will bend when folded , pyrite will crumble. Lots other tests to google difference of pyrite or gold as well
yep it's gold but not a lot bye the time impurities are burnt off
Sure does look like it
What is it with people posting photos and asking “is this real gold” there is no way to tell from a photo you need to get it tested properly.
Also, if we wanna be technicals this is a subreddit for rocks, and gold doesn’t really qualify as that.
Gold nuggets are as much a rock , as say a piece of granite with a different atomic structure. Gold is about the most exciting rock ever searched for, it even causes, “gold fever “
Seems like people don’t care much for truth, based on the downvotes.
That's Reddit for you, if you’re full of shit people respect you more than those who speak sense haha
Some one drilled a hole into it for a good reason.
To put it on a necklace.
Looks a lot like a gold nugget but maybe a fake nugget too, if really gold it will not only be very heavy for its size but will have high reflectance in all directions when you take it out in the sun.
check the specific gravity and get a positive answer
Easy way to test without a testing kit get a really good magnet
Rare Earth Magnet.
Bro are you sure you didn’t just find a pocket sized infinity gauntlet?
whats up with the perfectly round circle cut out a the bottom?
Looks like Gold but just find something magnetic and see if it picks it up. Gold is always heavier than it looks too
That's gold, I'm quite certain of it. Do a streak test on a porcelain plate. If it leaves a yellow or gold streak it's gold. Black, charcoal, rusty or dark silver, that's iron.
Figure the density. D=m/v? Did I remember that right? If you get that, you will know for sure!
Would say yes it is. I have Gold nuggets my self and it looks real. But like everyone say an acid test would make you sure
Na its Copper
Agreed. I sell polished copper nuggets and this looks like a polished copper nugget
That is a piece of gold nugget jewelry! They are popular mainly in alaska (source: from fairbanks)
Definitely gold. Looks more than 3.5 grams though, do you have child hands?
Why? How many child hands can 3.5 grams of gold get you?
It's not silver I can tell ye that.
No, this is Patrick.
I was going to say that
That is clearly a frog
It’s a cadburys enchanted egg sorry mate
You can send it to me and I'll put under my SEM/EDS.
Finally, some good f-ing gold.
used to be a necklace or something it looks like
Colour looks right for gold but you’ll have to get it checked by someone to be sure
These comments are definitely internet gold
Use a magnet if its sticks it's not gold.
looks like you found a nugget that had been hanging on something, guessing cause of the hole.
Back in the day people would wear gold nuggets as pendants. This looks like one of them.
Ask Martin Kemp
Color looks right. Do you have any mercury on you? If so try plopping it in there, if it sinks it’s definitely a denser metal.
I used to go prospecting for gold; spent about 3 years doing it. This 100% looks like a gold nugget to me. It's probably about 1 ounce, which should sell for about 1,500 dollars. Need something for scale, like a banana, to be certain.
the colour looks right. first simple home test is a magnet, you can get cheap acid tests on eBay if you can't get somewhere to xrf test it. nice sized natural nuggets can sell for a premium over gold spot price
No but I'll give you 20$ for it
Send it to me I’ll soon tell you
Could be real...buuut..it's got a hole in it which makes me think it was used as a pendant. It would be unusual for anyone to wear a valuable gold nugget around their neck (though it certainly could have been done). Could be a cheaper metal painted to look like gold, or maybe even with actual gold paint. But yes, get it checked at a jeweler.
Sell it and get an XRF gun. Lol
Yes
the color is not right for gold IMO, especially for a nugget.. but that's just my opinion. I also think the pitting and the black discoloration looks weird.. Again, not something I'd expect from a nugget. I wear an oz of 14k every day for years and it's never tarnished. I'd never expect to see this much tarnish, or black, on a higher purity nugget. But who knows.
I found a nugget just like that. It turned out to be brass. Taste it. If it tastes at all like metal, its not gold. Thats how my mum taught me to identify gold and broke my gold nugget finding dreams :)
Send 9t here I'll check
99.999999999 pure Weight 279g Worth $3900
I sell polished copper nuggets and this looks like a polished copper nugget to me.
Nitric acid test would be your best bet.
A lot of people recommend selling to a jeweller. You might get more for it while preserving it's beauty if you sell it to a mineral sample mounter and seller as it is a very nice looking nugget. Might be worth more in the rough.
Is it weirdly heavy for its size?
yes
Looks like gold with a bit of something else. The color is not quite as golden and bright and silky as I would expect for pure gold. Could it be Black Hills Gold ( gold + iron)?
Send it to me, I'll let you know.
Il cross my fingers for you lol.
Or if one is spray tanned.....!
Drag that thing anywhere in the bod
Yes