Analysis of Silver and Gold Samples from the Borodino Treasure by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry

Abstract

One of the main requirements for the methods of elemental analysis of unique archaeological samples is to minimize the damage they cause. Two new procedures for analyzing silver and gold samples, weighing several milligrams, obtained by drilling from the inner surface of silver and gold artifacts of the Borodino treasure, stored in the State Historical Museum, are described. The procedures are based on the autoclave decomposition of samples and subsequent analysis of the obtained solutions by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry(ICP–MS) and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP–AES). They enable the determination of more than 60 impurity elements in each sample with a determination limits from 1 × 10^–2 to n × 10^–3 wt % for common elements (Na, Mg, Al, K, Ca, Ti, and Fe) and to n × 10^–7 wt % for REEs, Ir, Tl, and U. The correctness of the developed procedures is confirmed by the analysis of standard samples and by comparison with the ICP–MS results obtained with laser sampling, which allows direct analysis of samples without their dissolution.