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Brass or Gold? Part of a pocket watch!

68MUDSTUD

Junior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2010
Messages
59
Location
Southeastern MT
Hey everyone, just got back from possibly my most profitable hunt. Is it brass or gold? How can I tell? No jewelers for 100 miles in any direction.

oops, forgot to add pics. :laughing:
TOO EXCITED!

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Brass corrodes greenish, doesn't it?
 
Brass will get a brown/green patina. The gold marking is usually on the case which yours is missing :(. Wish I could help. Best bet is to get it tested next time you are near a jeweler.
 
I don't know what color gold would be on the inside if you cut it but brass is always yellow. I hope it's gold.
 
Heavy better here says brass. Gold would polish up very easy. Brass,, not so much. Hit it lightly with some "Bar keepers friend" or something of the like.
 
Thats a real old one...Key wind it looks like...usually silver or gold....sometimes gold filled. circa 1860''s or earlier.
 
nitric acid....will tell you gold....if fizzles green..NG...leaves brown stan...or no change...good......PS you can order test bottles for gols, 10K, 14K, 18k online...not too expensive per glass vial...will need bottles to store the solution in. Retired jeweler here....
 
Did you clean it? Brass would not be that gold color after coming out of the ground unless you used a scrubby pad or something on it...

Here is a test, if you have or know someone with an oxygen acetylene welder. shave a piece off of it, burn it with brazing torch, if it is brass you can burn the zinc out of it and turn it to copper/rose color. Gold will be the same color... Use a well vented area, burning zinc off creates toxic fumes..

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