subject: Gold - The Refined Metal [print this page] I love goldI love gold. I always have. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but when I do, it's almost always gold. I can't really explain why I love that metal so much, or why it has an odd attraction for me, but from my earliest years, I can remember a fascination with gold.
One of the local universities offers a goldsmithing class. Basically, they teach you how to assay, refine, and smelt gold, as well as how to create the wax molds for jewelry and then how to cast the gold using the molds you have made. I had a friend who was in one of those classes, and she was wearing a ring that she had made herself. It was a little rough around the edges, but for a first try, I think it was pretty good. Once things settle down after the holidays, I may look into that class myself.
An important part of the process is precious metal refining. Raw gold contains a lot of impurities. It bubbled up from the earth, pushed through other types of rock and dirt, and tumbled down a river. All sorts of impurities were inculcated in the process, and as such, the gold itself has been compromised. The refining process removes all of those impurities and leaves the clean, beautiful gold behind.
Refining is also important when dealing with scrap gold. Let's say you come across some gold rings in an estate sale, or you've inherited some rings or other jewelry that has no sentimental value for you. That gold has already been through a refining process, but it will all have different karat weights, may not of been refined properly, or may have picked up some impurities along the way, such as being exposed to mercury. The refining process will remove those impurities and bring all of that gold to the same karat weight. It is then ready to be stored as bullion or crafted into something original and unique.
As an amateur gold prospector, I have come to respect the gold refining process. It is that process that makes the gold that I have found take on a real value. Since a lot of what I find is flake gold, that process also reshaped the gold into something usable and suitable for storage. I highly recommend that anyone interested in gold take the time to find an expert gold refiner, especially one that will educate you along the way.
