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Melting gold coins to make jewelry (not sure if right board or not)

Posted on 12/19/23 at 2:25 pm
Posted by PenguinPubes
Frozen Tundra
Member since Jan 2018
10805 posts
Posted on 12/19/23 at 2:25 pm
Long story short, a relative of mine received a gold coin that’s worth ~6-7 hundred dollars. Instead of selling it for cash, want to make a necklace or something like that as a remembrance to her recently deceased family member.

Anybody have any advice or has anybody done this before?
Posted by bbvdd
Memphis, TN
Member since Jun 2009
25004 posts
Posted on 12/19/23 at 2:27 pm to
not much jewelry is made out of 24 ct gold.
Posted by BilbeauTBaggins
probably stuck in traffic
Member since May 2021
4429 posts
Posted on 12/19/23 at 3:17 pm to
I think most jewelry in gold is 18k and a coin is well past that k amount. Haven't tried it and do not know anyone that us but maybe google can help.
Posted by PJinAtl
Atlanta
Member since Nov 2007
12752 posts
Posted on 12/19/23 at 3:20 pm to
I would think it would take more than one coin to make a necklace.

Maybe have the coin turned into a pendant and then put that on a necklace? May also be some way to preserve the coin (not having to puncture it) so that it could be returned to a coin in the future if the owner wanted to.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
67488 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 8:10 am to
quote:

not much jewelry is made out of 24 ct gold.

Bc it's too soft....get it to 22 ct
Posted by Tree_Fall
Member since Mar 2021
489 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 10:00 am to
Fist check at a gold or coin shop to see if the coin has a collector value greater than the gold value. That same shop can sell you a mounting to make the coin a pendant.

If you still want to melt it down, then find a jeweler in your area who casts pendants, rings, etc. using lost wax method. They can either carve a custom item in wax or let you pick something from a catalog. If hardness of the gold is an issue, a lower carat weight gold alloy can be added when the coin is melted.
Posted by PenguinPubes
Frozen Tundra
Member since Jan 2018
10805 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 1:45 pm to
quote:

not much jewelry is made out of 24 ct gold.


I don’t know anything about gold or jewelry or coins etc, so forgive my ignorance, but wouldn’t 24k gold be more valuable?

The coin is common and not collectible or rare, coin shop told me it is worth 6-7 hundred dollars strictly bc of the weight of the gold
Posted by keakar
Member since Jan 2017
30031 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 2:11 pm to
quote:

The coin is common and not collectible or rare, coin shop told me it is worth 6-7 hundred dollars strictly bc of the weight of the gold



just be aware, you are breaking federal law by melting it, its illegal to melt coins down since they are legal currency
Posted by PenguinPubes
Frozen Tundra
Member since Jan 2018
10805 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 2:27 pm to
quote:

just be aware, you are breaking federal law by melting it, its illegal to melt coins down since they are legal currency


I’ve read that if you melt the gold to sell it then it’s illegal.. but if you melt it for jewelry then no?
Posted by keakar
Member since Jan 2017
30031 posts
Posted on 12/20/23 at 7:27 pm to
quote:

I’ve read that if you melt the gold to sell it then it’s illegal.. but if you melt it for jewelry then no?



no, its destruction of government currency, the crime is melting it, not what you do with it after melting it.


but that may be a separate crime as well
This post was edited on 12/20/23 at 7:45 pm
Posted by bluedragon
Birmingham
Member since May 2020
6514 posts
Posted on 12/21/23 at 6:56 pm to
Check with the Alaska Mint. Not only do they make gold coins, They also make gold jewelry.
Posted by agilitydawg
Member since Aug 2022
91 posts
Posted on 12/22/23 at 10:00 am to
I think one of the challenges is 24K is pretty malleable. I personally do not like 14k vs. 18K. You see some beautiful pieces that are 22k from India, Iran, etc.

If you are going to try to make something with 24K I would suggest it would have to be something not subject to wear and tear such as earrings vs. a bracelt.
Posted by saintsfan1977
West Monroe, from Cajun country
Member since Jun 2010
7710 posts
Posted on 12/25/23 at 7:50 am to
quote:

just be aware, you are breaking federal law by melting it, its illegal to melt coins down since they are legal currency


And just how the frick will anyone know it used to be a coin once it's melted? Gtfo with that BS.
Posted by Tigers4Lyfe
Member since Nov 2010
4499 posts
Posted on 12/27/23 at 11:21 am to
quote:

And just how the frick will anyone know it used to be a coin once it's melted? Gtfo with that BS.
They won't. But it was still a worthy comment.

You foul mouthed fricker!
This post was edited on 12/27/23 at 11:23 am
Posted by jpm0926
Baton Rouge
Member since Oct 2015
78 posts
Posted on 12/28/23 at 9:09 pm to
quote:

no, its destruction of government currency, the crime is melting it, not what you do with it after melting i


This is not true. The crime is melting coins to profiteer off the metal value being more than the face value of the affected coin. Melting coins for artistic or personal use is allowed.
Posted by LSU Tiger Bob
South
Member since Sep 2011
3002 posts
Posted on 12/31/23 at 12:19 pm to
quote:

Maybe have the coin turned into a pendant and then put that on a necklace?




I did this sometime back with a 1oz gold eagle. Gold mount, gold chain. Very striking!!!
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