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Techniques for Collectorshow is electroplating of magnetite in jade done

5th May 2009 19:43 UTCMichael Croxell

My first post..Since jade doesnot conduct electricity how do they get gold on the magnetite. I know there are materials that you can "paint" on objects to electroplate but that would plate everything..Thanks Mike

5th May 2009 20:01 UTCMatt Neuzil Expert

wouldnt magnetite conduct something? it is iron oxide

5th May 2009 23:35 UTCMichael Croxell

I agree. But how does one make the jade one of the anodes for current to flow and deposit the gold on the magnetite? Or am I making this to hard.

6th May 2009 02:52 UTCNH

My magnetite (a hunk of lodestone) is decently conductive, so it might work.

You could make electrical contact between each mass of magnetite and the negative electrode (cathode) to reduce gold ions from the surrounding solution. You could use a gold anode that would be oxidized. They could also use those pen plating systems, but the idea is the same - have the negative electrode in contact with the magnetite. As you note, you wouldn't be able to hit all of the magnetite at once with this method as the jade is an insulator.

6th May 2009 03:52 UTCHoward Heitner

It may be done by so called "electroless plating" in which the metal is deposited by chemical rather than electrolytic reduction.

I found one reference which you might want to look at : European Patent Application, Publication No. 0 354 131 A2, by C. F. Schneider et al, entitled "Ferrite Particle Plating System and Electromagnetic Shielding", published on Feb. 7, 1990.

6th May 2009 03:59 UTCRock Currier Expert

I recently found about a 20 pound piece of rough that I am going to slab up and Ill be researching that process. I know the old time lapidary guys have been doing that for years and they make striking stones. Does anyone know exactly what the locality is and if it is still producing?

6th May 2009 05:20 UTCNH

I didn't find any good sources, but several sites claimed that it was electroplated. Chemical plating would seem to make more sense for even moderate amounts of material though. This site sells material from Victorville, California, and Wyoming. I saw a few other ones labeled as just California or Wyoming.

6th May 2009 14:15 UTCMichael Croxell

Thank you everyone. The material I am aware of comes from Wyoming but no more than that. They still find jade when out and about but like most areas the easy pickings are gone. I have a few folks still working on this so if I find more info I will report back here. Mike

8th May 2009 12:58 UTCAlysson Rowan Expert

I have seen a high-frequency inductive plating process at work. I'm not sure of the physics of it, but I gather that it will allow preferential electroplating on grains of suitable materials - I'm not sure if the suitability is conductivity, semi-conductivity or magnetic susceptibility.

14th May 2009 06:20 UTCNT

Alysson Rowan Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I have seen a high-frequency inductive plating

> process at work. I'm not sure of the physics of

> it, but I gather that it will allow preferential

> electroplating on grains of suitable materials -

> I'm not sure if the suitability is conductivity,

> semi-conductivity or magnetic susceptibility.

I am really curios about this inductive plating. Could you please provide more details? Which company? Web links etc?

Thanks,

NT

14th May 2009 17:16 UTCAlysson Rowan Expert

Sorry, it was something I came across in the context of radiological safety support a few years ago.

I really don't have any more information at all, other than the fact that the equipment had been built in-house.

14th May 2009 18:14 UTCMichael Croxell

Info I have recieved from a fellow in San Francisco. He wrapped 18 ga. copper wire around pyrite leaving 4 in. of wire to attach to the negative and a copper anode for positive in a copper solution, it worked. Repeated with quartz with exposed pyrite inclusions, also worked. Floyd said copper wire must contact the mineral to be plated and will not leave excess deposit where contact is made but caution not to leave plating for longer than needed.

13th Nov 2009 13:50 UTCDenman

There was a location for black jade with magnetite in Stoddard Wells CA but I hear that the mine is collapsed now. I still have some of the rough.

Dennis Armbruster

14th Nov 2009 08:33 UTCRay Hill Expert

They might actually be electroforming rather that actually plating,

There are also electroplating brushes that can be used to sort of brush on the electroplated metal to a metallic substance, using its electrical conductivity to make it work.

14th Nov 2009 12:53 UTCMichael Croxell

Without to much digging on the internet it sounds that if you wish you can electroplate anything, such as plastic. By painting with special fluids that, I assume, must conduct electricity and accept the metal.

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