What is electroplated gold?

A. Hi Raul. I hate being unkind or dismissive, but we've already said we don't attempt valuations here. But a picture gives no real data, like the gold plating thickness; and, despite posting hundreds of pictures of such items, not a single reader in the 18 years we've been online has ever offered a single comment on the value of another person's items -- it's just a waste of bandwidth. Apologies.

Please look on eBay for similar items (I did, and sadly it looks like $7-$15), and take it to a local antique shop, and take it to one of the "We buy gold" shops on every other city street corner. Between those three strategies you'll have a very good idea. Best of luck with it!

Regards,

A. Hi Marci. When the gold plating wears off it must be plated again. After it's plated you could consider a UV cured clearcoat (same as clear nail polish that is cured in a UV tray).

Regards,

A. Hi Angie. Sorry, but not long. Rings are very very heavy wear items, and the plating is probably very thin.

Regards,

A. Hi Alexa. What is a "10m"? Christian Bernard made watches, rings, pendants, etc.

I suggest you look on eBay for similar items to what you have.

Regards,

A. Hi Garry. I'm not sure what you mean by "electroplated stamps". Do you mean some sort of commemorative issue of gold plated postage stamps by the Franklin Mint or something like that? If so, see eBay where some sellers seem to be trying strategies like selling groups of 5 or 10 on given themes for $10; with that approach and patience you might make a few bucks. But as we speak one guy is offering 81 gold plated stamps in an album for $24.99 and has no bidders yet, so it's not a seller's market. If you can find a copy of the original ad that implied they might be worth a small fortune some day, it might help sell them :-)

Sorry, but the intrinsic value is probably nothing.

Regards,

A. At a $1333 gold market, you can figure about $0.05 per square inch of gold coated area. That is based on the average thickness of gold leaf being about 3.5 - 4.0 microinches.

A. Hi. It probably has no intrinsic value. But it would be a great thing to leave to your grandchildren.

Regards,

A. Hi Stan. You obviously have either 6 ounces of real 24 kt gold at a value of a little over $1300 per ounce today, or you have a prop, or a forgery. The markings prove little because, if they did, forgeries would simply use those markings. For a quick disqualification test you could do the Archimedes thing of putting it in water, seeing how much water it displaces, then weighing whether it's 19.3 times as heavy as the water it displaces. Few things are as heavy as gold -- lead is nowhere close.

Many jewelers and all of the "We buy gold" stores, which are on seemingly every other corner these days, can tell you which one you have in a flash. Hope for the best!

Regards,

It looks like what is stamped on it - 24K GE - 24K Gold Electroplate.

Thanks Chris. I had read on some other sites that this "GE" on these ingots stood for "gold electroplate", and you are probably right that it does.

But I think it is no longer legal to stamp something with a carat designation that applies to the plating rather than the bulk of the object because it could be deceptive -- especially when combined with the other markings like "6 ounces troy" (who weighs lead and non-precious metals in troy ounces?). Everyone in the world knows what 24kt means whereas virtually nobody would know that "GE" meant gold electroplate. For demonstration, Google "24 kt" and then try to google "GE" :-)

Intentions probably were pure, just to sell it as an amusing novelty.

Regards,

A. I have the identical gold bar from Southwest Mining Co. It's a paper weight. I acquired mine in the early 80s.

Thanks for the clarification, JE! Now that makes sense :-)

Regards,

A. Hi Charles. A magnet only sticks to ferromagnetic materials -- basically, iron and steel. If gold is electroplated onto iron or steel, a magnet would stick to it, but jewelry is almost never made of iron or steel because it is too rust-prone. Your cross is probably nickel-silver or brass. If it were gold it would probably have a karat mark, and if it were silver it would probably be labelled "EP Sterling".

While it may be vaguely possible to stumble upon unlabeled gold, it's also possible to stumble upon a discarded lottery ticket that is a big winner which the buyer didn't realize -- but neither is likely :-)

Gold is VERY heavy, 70% heavier than lead, and would immediately attract the attention of a lot of people; it doesn't just kick around from person to person unrecognized :-(

Luck and Regards,

A. Hi Connie. You may have heard that gold-colored titanium nitride is very hard and lasts a long time, but engagement rings eventually wear all the way through, which is to say that nothing lasts forever. Titanium nitride can't practically be added to rings on a onesy-twosy basis, but heavy gold plating can last a long time. Cheaper and easier would be a UV hardened clear coating, or an automotive two-component clear coat. Good luck.

Regards,

A. Hi Bev. Probably practically none. Unless advertised otherwise, gold plating these days probably tends to be 10 - 20 millionths of an inch thick, maybe even less. "Micron gold", which is high quality costume jewelry, is 40 millionths of an inch thick. Office paper (20 lb.) is .004", which is 100X as thick as the micron gold.

Regards,

Well it certainly seems to be a gold colored watch band Richard. But I really think you'll make faster progress by just taking it for testing to one of the "We Buy Gold" stores that are on every other street corner than by trying to figure it out by the markings on its watchband. Good luck.

Regards,