Need a chart of Metals

[RingDancer]

I'm not very good at figuring out what an item could be made of. This is pertaining to my rings in general.

Would be nice if someone could make a chart that lists Different metals and What is Ferrous and non ferrous and if it sticks to a magnet or what wouldn't.

For instance...I have a ring I found came up as screw cap-Didn't stick to a magnet...Just wondering if it is not white gold what other type of material it could be made of? Could it be nickel?

Would be great if someone could come up with some sort of chart that would help explain this!
Thanks for any help!

Pat

[Kenneth Huddleston]

Hi Pat !!! I purchased a book ( Taking a Closer Look at Medal Detector Discrimination ) !!! It is an EXCELLENT book when it comes to where medals are EXCEPTED & REJECTED on a medal detector !!! By Robert C. Brockett . The book goes into great detail of different alloys in medals and where they read on a medal detectors meter . I have learn ALOT from this book and have done a little less digging of trash targets because of it !!! HAPPY HUNTING PAT !!! KENNETH

[RingDancer]

Kenneth thanks for that information! I will look it up!

If anyone still wants to add a chart...Please feel free to comment! I was really interested in what metals will stick to a magnet and what will not!
If all else fails I will get a magnet! lol!

Just a thought here!

Pat

[bill(de)]

Hi Pat,
Think of metals as a conductivity wheel ,the same as you increase or decrease discrimination with a knob adjustment. Here is a chart from another forum that someone took the time to make up and is very nice example in my opinion. http://www.findmall.com/read.php?55,...788#msg-248788

HH Bill

[earthsearch]

thanks for the link Bill I'm always lookin for info ( how to )(how not to ) I'll check it out better later... H H Jim

[RingDancer]

Nice chart, thanks for posting the link! I have a few more questions but have to go for now will post, when I get more time! Got to run!

Pat

[RingDancer]

OK I am back... By the chart all the metals to the left would be ferrous and all the metals to the right would be non ferrous.

Is foil considered ferrous?

What I am trying to ask is what are all the metals that will not stick to a magnet.

Gold would be one.
I am assuming lead and nickel will not stick to a magnet?
Please correct me if I am wrong.
What other metals will not stick to a magnet?

My inquiring mind was asking!

Pat

[Toadie]

It all depends on how you look at it. Without getting in great detail about the basic magnetic elements, they are Iron, Cobalt and Nickel and their alloys.

Brass, aluminum, copper, and most stainless steels, however, are non ferrous ie. not magnetic. Also zinc.. I have seen some 304 Stainless steel stick and some that didn't. Depended on quality of the steel.

Silver is even attracted to a magnet but so it is so slight it is almost nonexistant. Silver dust, well.. That was how I found out silver was somewhat magnetic. This was about seven years ago in college. In chemistry we were bead blasting an electromagnet for a project and noticed some metals discharged sparks when in contact with the magnet. We tried everything we had on hand. Silver dust was one of the metals we tried and some smaller particals did attach to the magnet. We doubled checked to make sure we did indeed have silver and we found that we did.

[RingDancer]

Toadie thanks for that input...
One of the rings I found... I really don't think it is white gold...I posted it here! It came in at 53 and bounced to 55...which is screwcap on my detector. I was wondering what other make up it could be if not gold. Screwcap...if I have this right would be made of some type of aluminum alloy. What I was wondering if some rings could be made of a type of aluminum alloy. Brass and pulltab on my detector says it would read between 40 and 50. If it is made of brass with some other coating...The larger the item does this mean it could come in at a larger vdi # Like mine read 53 to 55?

Thanks again for the chart and the input everyone!
Thanks for any help here!
Pat

[bill(de)]

Hi Pat,

Metal alloys can play havoc with VDI readings and can vary depending on shape ,size,density and any other variable you wanna throw in. Probably to find out for sure would be to have a Jeweler check it. But here is an additional website that may help with what jewelry is made of . HH Bill

http://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelrymetals/