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Hickok's Trading Company sells only
"Natural" Gold-in-Quartz and "Natural" Gold Nugget
Jewelry. We do not offer man-made imitations as are often found in other
stores. Our exclusive 10-year warranty guarantees the highest quality
"Natural" Gold-in-Quartz and "Natural" Gold Nugget
products. Each piece comes with a "Natural" Gold Certificate
of Authenticity. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BEFORE
YOU BUY!!
 Natural
Gold Bearing Quartz
is
one of the world’s rarest forms of natural gold. It is found
underground by hard rock miners in only a few locations in the world.
The natural veins of gold were formed by hydrothermal pressure deep within
the earth millions of years ago. Quartz comes in various colors and
sometimes contains other minerals. Pearl white is considered the most
desirable and is used in our jewelry. When the quartz contains a rare
gold dispersion, an exquisite piece of jewelry can be created. The
quartz rocks are cut into slabs to expose the veins. These slabs are
then hand cut and polished into stones. The stones are then set into
specific 14kt designs to uniquely display the natural flow of the gold and enhance
their beauty. Each quartz gemstone is truly one-of-a-kind.
 Natural Gold Nuggets
are
created when gold is formed in quartz deposits in the earth. As erosion takes
place, exposed veins of gold break off and wash into rivers and streams. The
natural movement of the water tumbles the gold against sand and rocks, forming
the natural hold nugget . This gives each nugget its texture, shape and
character. Natural gold is found by miners, then left in its natural form,
unaltered by man. The sand and rocks dull the nuggets and a slight cleaning is
desired to bring out the brilliant color of gold which averages 22kt (90%) pure.
This compares with 10kt (41%) or 14kt (58.5%) gold. Natural Gold Nuggets of fine
quality are unique and gold purity varies. Gold Nuggets can be found from 70% to
95% pure, depending on the mix of other minerals with the gold. This high purity
accounts for the rich luster and color of natural gold. Nuggets are weighed by
the troy ounce, 20 pennyweight (dwt) equaling one ounce of gold. They are sold
at a premium price based on their rarity, shape, and size. Higher gold content
and character have more value. This is similar to the grading of a fine quality
diamond. The larger the Gold Nugget the more rare it is. A one-ounce nugget is
now considered as rare as a five-carat diamond.
Man-Made Gold On Quartz is an
imitation stone made from common white quartz topped with gold leaf during a
process which is very similar to "hot stamping" on a business
card. Identifying this kind of unnatural stone requires simply noticing
that the gold only appears on the topside of the stone. Unlike Natural
stones, there will be no gold on the bottom, on the sides, or running throughout
the stone. The cost to mass produce these types of stones is minimal and
they can be made in unlimited quantities. The gold leaf quickly wears off
the top of the stone and all that remains is common quartz.
Man-Made Gold In Quartz is
made in a trade shop in as little as a few weeks prior to being sold. It
is created by cracking common quartz and casting gold into the cracks.
This gives it a similar look of "Natural" Gold-in-Quartz but the
resulting product can crack and the gold may actually fall out. This
man-made gold in quartz is more difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish
from the real thing. One way to detect this type of imitation is noticing
that the cracking of the quartz gives the gold veins a smooth or geometric
shaped line. The cost to mass produce this type of stone is minimal and
can also be made in unlimited quantities.
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