Passing through Security at Brisbane Airport

Hi there

As I was passing through Brisbane Airport, Australia, on the way to the United States last month, the lady on the Security counter pulled me over:

"Take your bangle off please."

"Huh?"

"I want to see your bangle."

It was a Gucci silver bangle that I'd picked up at a second hand shop for a song.(No, the song was not "Baubles, Bangles, & Beads").  I peeled it off my wrist, handed it over.

After a quick glance at the inside of the bangle, the woman relaxed.  "You can go," she said, with a dismissive wave.

I was intrigued.  I asked why my bangle had been singled out for examination.

"If it had been gold colour on the inside instead of silver,  you would have been in trouble..."

I have been intrigued ever since.  Why would it matter if the inside of my silver bangle had been a gold colour?. Did a 'gold' coating have something to do with drugs? 

Only recently, I watched one of those border security tv programmes (a lot of countries seem to have such a programme).  A woman had silver plated her pure gold jewellery before she entered Australia so as she wouldnt have to pay some sort of duty on the gold which would have been thousands upon thousands of dollars.

Was this why my bangle had been singled out?  Had the Brisbane security folk thought I'd been a gold smuggler?  How exciting.   I maybe missed being on 'Border Secruity Australia' by ..... this much!