Orocal The Natural Gold Company
For retail purchase of our Natural Gold Products, please visit our Retailers section.

What Is Natural Gold?

Natural Gold is found by miners and is left unrefined in its natural state. Most jewelry products are made utilizing gold that has been sent to a refinery. It is then melted and alloyed into 18kt, which is 75% gold, 14kt, which is 58.5% gold, or 10kt, which is 40% gold. However, Natural Gold jewelry consists of gold nuggets and gold-bearing quartz stones. The cost of mining this Natural Gold is extremely high, especially in the United States where environmental laws are strict, thus making gold nuggets and gold-bearing quartz two of the rarest formations of gold being found. Gold nuggets are usually found in rivers, streams, or dried ancient river channels. Genuine gold-bearing quartz took shape when gold and quartz were formed together millions of years ago by hydrothermal pressure deep within the earth. It is found underground by hard rock miners. The extremely rare, high-grade white material is found as deep as 3000 feet. Since both gold nuggets and gold-bearing quartz have become increasingly rare and difficult to find, imitations are starting to enter the market. Some retail stores are passing these imitations on to consumers as though they are real. We want to inform you of the imitations you might encounter and the ways they can be identified. With the knowledge we will provide, you can shop with confidence for your own personal keepsake.

Gold on Quartz: This imitation stone is made from common white quartz topped with gold leaf during a process which is very similar to the hot stamping of a business card. There are two ways to identify this unnatural stone. First, notice the gold only shows on the topside of the stone. Unlike natural stones, it will not have gold on the bottom, the sides, or running throughout the stone. Second, have a jeweler use a polishing wheel on the top of the stone, which will cause the gold to disappear. This jewelry is often priced between 60% and 80% less than the genuine product. The reasons why these stones are worth so very little compared to genuine stones are primarily because cost to produce such a stone the size of your fingernail would only be around $3. It can also be made in unlimited quantities. Furthermore, when the gold leaf wears off the top of the stone, the remaining material is a common piece of quartz.

Gold on quartz has only gold foil on the top and may wear off as shown.

Man-made Gold in Quartz: This material is an imitation of gold-bearing quartz. It can be made in a trade shop in as little as a few weeks prior to arriving at retail stores. It is man-made by cracking common quartz and casting gold into the cracks. This gives it a similar look to the natural material, but it also makes it possible for the stone to fall apart or the gold to fall out. The cost of this material is about 50% less than genuine gold-bearing quartz, and the cost to produce it is minuscule compared to the cost of underground mining. Its value is undetermined because it can also be made in unlimited quantities. This man-made gold in quartz is more difficult for the untrained eye to distinguish as imitation. One way you can detect this fake is by observing that the cracking of the quartz gives the gold veins a smooth or geometric shaped line. The best approach is to visit an authorized dealer of Orocal the Natural Gold Co. and see the difference in the genuine stones. Their gold-bearing quartz jewelry is offered with a geologist’s certificate of authenticity, a 110% money-back guarantee, and a warranty against breakage of the stone. Decide for yourself whether you want a genuine keepsake that is more rare than diamonds or an imitation that is as common as a CZ. Don’t let these imitations prevent you from getting a genuine Natural Gold keepsake.

Man-made stones like the ones above may open up along the vein of gold where they’ve been cracked.

*Not all man-made gold quartz is made this way. These are just two of the most common examples of fake gold quartz.

• Click Here to find out how we grade our natural Gold~n~Quartz.