Click images to enlarge
Description
*Alaska GOLD!*
You are bidding on a natural gold nugget (Placer gold).
Each and every nugget is unique and rare. There are no two alike.
This is from the Fairbanks Mining District, Caribou Creek.
The total weight of this nugget is:
3.593 GRAMS
2.308 DWT (Pennyweight)
Alaskan placer nuggets are generally between 20K and 22K pure gold.
If you are new to buying gold, here are some great tips:
Gold Weight:
Compare the weight in grams or ounces of the nugget to the current spot price of gold. (There are 31.1 grams per troy oz.) Nuggets do fetch more than raw melted gold due to its rarity in nugget form. Remember, gold weight is most often listed in troy and metric values. The weight of gold can be measured in troy ounces, grams, or penny weight. See chart below:
1 oz. (troy) = 31.10 g (31.1 grams)
1 oz. (troy) = 20 dwt (20 pennyweight)
1.55 grams = 1 dwt (1 pennyweight)
1.0 grams = 15.43 gr (15.43 grains)
Be sure you know the difference between a gram and a grain! Some unscrupulous sellers will intentionally mislead you by listing the weights incorrectly with common abbreviations ("g" is for grams and "gr" is for grains). If you see a 10gr nugget selling for $480.00 on eBay, watch out - it should be more like $31.00! 10 GRAINS is equal to just 0.479 GRAMS. Remember it takes 15.43 grains (gr) to make just one gram (g) of gold. And there are 31.1 grams to one troy ounce. A grain is the smallest unit of measurement of gold. eBay now prohibits the use of the word "GRAIN" in the title description line.
Gold nuggets are valued differently than raw gold and gold in coin form. When evaluating natural gold consider several factors. Gold may be valued on: weight, rarity, physical dimensions, shine, brightness or lustre, purity, origin, and whether the nugget is considered collector or specimen grade. Less than 2% of all gold found is in nugget form. Gold nuggets are now rarer than diamonds.
DETERMINING FAIR VALUE: Gold Weight and Color: For an average quality nugget weight and color are your best bets for determining value. Look for bright and shiny gold - if dark it may contain a high amount of copper or other less minerals and metals. Pure gold looks just as you would expect.
TESTING GOLD: The value of gold is based on the karat system, which is a 24 point scale, signifying the percentage of gold a piece of metal contains. So, if jewelry is 14KT, it is 14 out of 24 parts gold, or 58.33 percent gold. Nuggets are usually 20.5 to 22KT purity (81% - 95%). Gold is tested either with acid or electronically. The acid test is the most reliable yet can be dangerous do to the liquids used. The only 100% accurate way of testing for purity is a fire assay, (melting or refining) thus destroying the nugget value by altering them.
SIZING OR CLASSIFYING GOLD: Mesh or screen refers to the openings between the threads of a screen and is measured by the number of openings per inch; that is, 6 mesh equals 6 holes per inch, 8 mesh equals 8 holes per inch, 10 mesh equals 10 holes or openings per inch and so forth.
Good Luck Bidding!
Payment
Please check your state's tax laws as they vary; eBay adds taxes, if applicable, NOT the seller. Rules on bullion, nuggets, etc. are different with each state. Most states have a bullion exemption, but I'm not versed on all 50 state's laws.
I am now placing tracking devices in select high value packages. I will enclose a prepaid addressed package back to me and appreciate that you mail it back right away. This is added insurance for both of us.
Please let me know if you are waiting on other auctions to end so that I don't send out more than one invoice. If your payment will be longer than 2-5 days, just message me so that I know...otherwise the automatic eBay "UNPAID item" will remind you. I'm happy to wait a bit longer as long as you LET ME KNOW.
Shipping
FREE SHIPPING in the USA! I use United States Postal Service (USPS) and I ship within 24 hours of payment received; You will not be refunded if tracking states DELIVERED, by eBay policy. If you request shipping upgrades, such as signature, PLEASE request it PRIOR to paying for your auction. Other than the Christmas holiday season, the shipping is relatively fast.
CANADA: Shipping can be slow an can take up to two weeks. To ensure that your item is safe, Priority FLAT rate International is the most economical and safest way to ship. For CANADA; $29.95 Priority Int'l Flat rate or if your item is under $550, I can ship FIRST CLASS Int'l for $15.95.
Combined shipping: Please wait until the END of the day to pay for all your auctions at once; then you will get a combined rate.
Terms of Sale
PLEASE READ
Before leaving anything other than positive feedback, please give me the courtesy of letting me know if you are not satisfied with your purchase. I have a 100% money back guarantee if you are not happy with your items for any reason, other than "I thought it looked bigger!" Each side of the nuggets, silver and jewelry will be photographed, as I do not hide anything, and it will be shown in photos. Please remember the nuggets are natural and there will be impurities of some sort. There is no such thing as a 100% pure gold nugget.
I will show each angle of the nugget/s, good, bad or ugly. If you are not satisfied with your gold, I'm happy to offer a full refund upon return, as long as the gold has not been altered. Since 2009, only three nuggets have been returned.
About Us
A bit about me and where the gold is mined..
I lived in Alaska since 1989, and the Interior (Gold Country) since 2006, and this was our home for 34 years. We recently moved to Eastern Washington, but my suppliers stayed loyal to me. And I will always buy any of my gold back from you. Most of my Alaskan placer gold nuggets are from Circle, Fairbanks, FortyMile, Bonnifield, Rampart, Yukon, Valdez, Koyukuk and Ophir mining districts, Alaska. Between 35 and 60 miners supply me throughout the state; some in Canada. I clean the gold by a natural process to knock off the dirt. The color and shine of the gold will vary, depending on the creek, assay, metal content, etc. I don't always know the creek where your gold comes from, but most of the time I do.
I am a one-woman business and I believe in "truth in advertising". From 2009 until now, gold is my full time job after a long career in aviation since 1977. I have gained the trust in hundreds, maybe approaching thousands, of return customers, including other sellers and plan to keep it that way.
I also sell lots of coins and fine jewelry and custom made Alaskan nugget pieces. I have a source for vintage Alaskan jewelry, but often I don't know the history of the item. When I don't know a certain stone, I will state that. I'm not a gemologist, but I do know gold. All diamonds will be tested and stated in the description. You will be buying pieces for about 1/4 of retail price. I can pass the savings along to you because I buy it right.
Keep watching my listings and add me to your "favorite sellers". I will send you automated emails with my newest items, if you click the box. I believe I get the most unique, one of a kind jewelry of any seller on ebay. I've been at it a very long time and selling on ebay since 1999.
If you see errors in my listings, please let me know, QUICKLY!...never any offense taken! If a listing is removed, it's only to correct an error...not for any obscure reason; it's as simple as that. It will always be relisted.
Contact Us
If there is a discrepancy, all I ask is that you contact me first. There is no reason to involve the resolution center as I will be more than happy to resolve any issue you may have and to your satisfaction. I have (almost) a 100% positive feedback and my goal is 100% customer satisfaction. I try to describe everything as precisely as possible and show all angles of the items. Please ask questions if you have any. Returns for any reason besides item was damaged or not as described will result in buyer paying for return shipping and initial shipping charges will not be refunded. Payment is expected within three days of winning or committing to buy an item. If you need a delay in payment, please let me know as I am happy to work with you. Otherwise, an unpaid item case will be opened, and the item will be relisted if unpaid by the end of said time frame. Thank you for shopping.
