Most of the time when I'm scrapping Sterling silver, I avoid pieces with stones, beads, pearls, etc. Unless I know the non-silver weight, it's a risk I don't like to take. Every once in a while, however, the majority of the lot does not have stones, so I take the risk. That's how I ended up with this piece.
If the stones are real, it'd be a crime to destroy them, throw them out, etc. The question, then, is how do I know if they're worth keeping? A gem tester. They're fairly inexpensive and can identify if I'm dealing with fake gems or the real deal.
(Source: Amazon)
This tester only costs $17. The idea is the pen tip passes heat through it into the item you're testing. It then measures the heat conductivity to determine if it's a diamond, ruby, sapphire, emerald, etc. It won't tell you which stone it is, but it'll tell you if it's a true gemstone.
I first tested it on my wedding ring, which has authentic blue sapphires in it.
I tested the sapphire and sure enough, it registered as authentic. The meter lights all the way up and beeps when it's authentic.
If I accidentally hit metal, the beginning green lights flash and it will beep at me.
So, let's see if I'm dealing with actual gemstones in this broach.
It never went past the fourth green light, so these are not gems. They're likely glass, but they're not even synthetic gemstones. Now that I know they're fake, I don't have to worry about damaging them in the process of prying them out in order to scrap the silver. Don't you just love technology and science?
Buy DUO and stake to receive Hive dividends, tip others, have your posts curated, and grow Hive!
https://tribaldex.com/trade/DUO
https://hive-engine.com/trade/DUO
Do you like stacking gold and silver?
Are you new to Hive, or know someone new to Hive, and want help and support?
Have you been on Hive for a while and want to help new Hive members? Join HOC and help us grow Hive and encourage new members!
Posted Using INLEO
