Gold filled jewelry doesn’t need to be melted first, the nitric will find it’s way under leaving the gold content as foils. It is easier to work with as foils than it is as dust on the bottom. Be sure to check the used nitric for silver. I have found many items that are silver under the gold.
Will 14k gold filled tarnish?
Other people might tell you “gold-filled will never tarnish, and it lasts forever,” and while that’s certainly feasible in theory, in reality it’s rather optimistic. Our 14k gold-filled jewelry can absolutely last you a lifetime (after all, we only use the best quality 14k GF)…but can and will are different things. The fact is, there are a variety of things that can affect your jewelry-and who you are and your lifestyle have a massive effect on the longevity of 14k gold-filled pieces.
Is your jewelry gold filled or solid gold?
Gold-filled jewelry. Gold-filled jewelry is jewelry composed of a solid layer of gold (typically constituting at least 5% of the item’s total weight) mechanically bonded to a base of either sterling silver or some base metal.
Gold Refining Gold Filled Scrap Complete Process