I need some help with that class ring I found.

[cwilk]

I found a class ring and posted about it a week ago. It is marked Bale and Astralite. It is white in color. I was testing some gold today and for a laugh I tested it. It tested as 10k. I think if it was 10k it would be marked 10k but it could be a funny alloy that is confusing my gold tester. Maybe Palladium. Maybe Silver. Maybe Platinum. Maybe Gold.

If anybody has any information about the Bale Company who made or makes class rings, the alloy astralite, which is trademarked, or alloys that give false positives on a Mizar gold tester, please help me out. I have exhausted most of my search engine skills. It has developed into quite a mystery for me.

Thanks Gang.

Chris

 

[Gene]

I did a search Chris and saw a Bale that does school awards and on an off chance I called them.
They did and still do class rings. I mentioned astralite and they said the ring was one of theirs.
Your ring is stainless steel they told me. Just like you originally said I believe when you found it.
No record of St, Annes School but they had a St. Annes Academy in Minnesota. Their records
only go back 5 years.
The website is www.bale.com with a phone number of 800-822-5350.
Hope this helps some. Good hunting to you ! Gene

 

[cwilk]

I contacted them by email too, Gene. Basically, got the same response. The alloy might have some Palladium in it giving the false positive. It registers for about 5 seconds as 10k on my Mizar then indicates not gold. If you clean it up and do it again same thing. Other stainless rings I've tested immediately indicate not gold. I was hoping but I wasn't hopeful. It is my Gene ring that hit on foil, FYI. Thanks for doing all that legwork. You're a good guy!

Chris

Here is their email:

Hi Chris,

Your first instinct was correct

 

[Gene]

Yeah, it's kind of a strange one for sure Chris. You know I was just thinking the
other day when I said a lot of my gold rings found are in the foil range. Air tested 30
gold rings from the past 2 seasons and 28 of them read 3.5 on the meter of
my CXIII. Just looked at a GTI2500 meter on the Garrett website and I may
have mislead you a little. Would you consider 3.5 a foil reading ?
On my CZ the 3.5 readings will register as foil on it. Guess that's the problem
with using different detectors. Have to remember which one you are using.
Had a real time switching between a CZ and a DFX.
Let me know what you consider a 3.5 reading to be Chris. I am curious.
HH Gene

 

[cwilk]

I'd call 3.5 low nickel on my 2500, with 4 being high nickel. 2.5 and 3 are on either side of the foil icon. I've found gold on notch 3.5 at least 3 times. Never below, yet. I've found nickels all over the place. Probably anywhere from 3-5 or 5.5 depending on how deep they are, how they're tilted in the ground, what type of soil etc. 95%, possibly more, of my nickels hit on 3.5 or 4 though.

Hope I answered your question.

Chris

 

[Uncle Willy]

Sounds like stainless steel. I have several that are.

Bill

 

[Gene]

Yeah, you have answered my question for sure Chris.
As far as a Garrett detector reading, most of the gold
rings I have dug are low nickel, as you say. Shows as
foil on the CZ. So, I have been telling you wrong all along
Chris. Most of my gold rings are low nickel readings.
Couldn't figure it out why you weren't finding gold rings
that read as foil as I was.. Now I know. Guess I had the
CZ readings locked in my brain. Thanks for answering
me on this. Couldn't figure out what was going on.
HH Gene

 

[paulev99@yahoo.com]

I lost my St. Annes class ring in NJ. I did replace it with the same one, was just looking at it today and wondered if Bale still made these. Google brought me to this post. If it says class 87 let me know. These were pretty inexpensive at the time, I believe about 30 bucks.