Would you stir your tea with this?

[Richard1]

Apologies if I am in the wrong place.
My Father brought home some samples from an entrepreneur who was seeking finance for a project to cash in on the, then, impending coronation of H.M. Queen Elizabeth II. The samples were a set of six, imitation gold tea spoons bearing the official "Queens Head" engraving. Bearing in mind I was only four years old at the time, there might have been misunderstanding. The project was abandoned when it became known that the imitation gold was an alloy containing beryllium. I am now left with these spoons, not knowing how to dispose of them or indeed, knowing whether they truly contain this element. If you have access to a spark test analyzer, if that would be an appropriate method, I will send a spoon to you, in the UK. As I understand it, B is a cumulative poison not ideally suited for tea stirring impliments. Thanks in anticipation

 

[mfb]

Which costs do you expect to test them?
Which costs do you expect from buying 6 other spoons, and keeping the golden (color) stuff somewhere without using it?
I would expect that the latter one is smaller.

Beryllium is a bad thing.

 

[Borek]

B is a cumulative poison

You mean Be, not B.

 

[Richard1]

Borek, yes, i was being lazy. Be
Mfb. I don't want to have to pay for a test. I want to dispose of them without having a conscience nagging that i have poisoned people further down the time line. I.e. if I flush them down the lav some sewer worker will find them and take them home and use them. This must be a well trodden path. How do you dispose of dodgy stuff!
Rick

 

[phinds]

Borek, yes, i was being lazy. Be
Mfb. I don't want to have to pay for a test. I want to dispose of them without having a conscience nagging that i have poisoned people further down the time line. I.e. if I flush them down the lav some sewer worker will find them and take them home and use them. This must be a well trodden path. How do you dispose of dodgy stuff!
Rick

Smash into worthlessness, wrap inside consecutive multiple plastic bags & toss in garbage to go in landfill

 

[Borek]

Sell on eBay, clearly stating the whole story. With some luck you will gain money and get rid of problem.

 

[RocketSci5KN]

Be in a metallic form is not a concern for health. Now if you decide to sand or grind it into a fine powder and then sniff said powder, then you should worry...

 

[mfb]

Be in a metallic form is not a concern for health. Now if you decide to sand or grind it into a fine powder and then sniff said powder, then you should worry...

Beryllium is frequently used for beam pipes at particle detectors (air outside, vacuum inside) because it has small atoms and does not have the issues Lithium has. However, this includes strict rules like "do not use any tools which could fall down if you are above the beam pipe" to protect it from damages. Why? The mechanical contact could make some powder, which would give serious issues for the working conditions there.

 

[256bits]

The project was abandoned when it became known that the imitation gold was an alloy containing beryllium. I am now left with these spoons, not knowing how to dispose of them or indeed, knowing whether they truly contain this element.

Dispose of them - Queen's Coronation 2 June 1953. Not a match.
Check the value of what you have before destruction and mental angusih afterwards.
when was the last time you read a newspaper?
You should have them accessed for their value, historically and financially.
Next year is the 60th anniversary and several countries are putting on celebrations.
Who would not want 6 historical Coronation spoons on display.

Actually, send them to me and i will pay you 1 US$ ( or CAD if you prefer ) no questions asked and your disposal problem is solved and you will feel great the next day.