Featured Is this gold solder on this nugget? Why?

Bought this at a nice estate sale. I collect these old gold nugget jewelry items. I noticed something interesting on this piece however. It is about 16-18k gold depending on the area but right in the middle of the nugget seems to be gold solder. Why would someone do this to a perfectly nice nugget? I thought perhaps they meant to put some type of decoration on it? Any thoughts? Maybe I am wrong and it isn't solder?? The reason why I think it is is because of the shape and the fact it's so rough and unfinished compared to the rest of the nugget...

 

solder on the back is smooth...the front piece is just rough...or maybe added.

 

Oh yes I am talking about the blob on the front... why would they add that in?

 

That bit does not look to me to be inconsistent in form or texture with other parts of the nugget. I vote not solder.

 

maybe underneath..is an open space.....or to make the piece heavier.....it's not solder..

 

Seems consistent with the inconsistent formation of nuggets
http://www.geologyin.com/2015/09/how-do-gold-nugget-form.html?m=1
Maybe @Hollyblue knows more about it.

 

There's a nice little piece of quartz in it,but it's also just a photo.It could be real or something a person made..................

 

A little more info............. https://www.goldrushnuggets.com/howtoidfagon.html

https://www.northernnevadagold.com/en/about-gold-nuggets

 

I wonder if whoever installed the pin into the nugget might have overheated the pin and caused some melting on the other side? The pin insertion point on the backside and the melting on the front side seem to match. Nice nugget regardless.

 

Why wouldn't it test higher if it is was real nugget with nothing mixed in it? Is the pin marked or does the pin test as gold as well? What is the grey area in the last pic on the right?

 

See bottom link above.....

A piece of quartz.

 

As to purity, nuggets seldom test 24K. Copper, silver, etc. usually are present in varying amounts. After more study of the photos I stand by my original statement. I think that the person that crafted the item just got the pin too hot and it melted some of the nugget. For the purist this may have ruined the piece but in my book it's still a nice nugget. Oh, and I might mention that different gold combinations most of the time have different melting temperatures.