How Gold Purity Is Tested

Have you ever looked at a piece of jewelry in a store and wondered to yourself, “How do I know this is really 14 karat gold?”

Although the jewelry is stamped to indicate its gold content, what steps are taken to make sure this is accurate? What can you do to verify that it is correct? Even though most gold jewelry is marked with a number indicating the number of karats or purity level, it is nearly impossible for the average consumer to verify that number as fact. With the gold marking laws differing from country to country, it is difficult to be entirely confident that your gold is stamped correctly.

Most countries, such as the United States, do have laws in place that require all gold jewelry to have the amount of karats stamped directly onto said piece, but these laws are often not enforced. Are the penalties large enough that a jeweler will think twice about mislabeling a piece of jewelry? Is there someone out there that goes around shop to shop enforcing these laws and double-checking the karat level of different pieces of gold jewelry? When engraving or stamping a piece of jewelry is there a law enforcement representative there to verify the stamp is accurate?

So how are you supposed to know whether or not your jewelry has been marked correctly? After all, the last thing you want to do is to sell a piece of jewelry that has been mislabeled. Cash4Gold actually puts all jewelry that they receive through a number of different tests to accurately determine the karat level before they send you an offer for your gold.

Here are the three tests that Cash4Gold runs to determine the purity level of your gold jewelry. Keep in mind that all of these take place in Cash4Gold’s headquarters with the latest state-of-the-art equipment.

Acid/Scratch Testing
This is the most common form of gold purity testing. The acid/scratch test is done by taking a needle that has been verified as having a certain level of gold and scratching both the needle and your piece of jewelry against a touchstone.

After the first step has been completed, a low level acid is then dripped into each scratch. There are a number of different acids, each corresponding to the karat levels being tested. Once placed into the scratch, the acid causes a reaction in which the metal and the scratches will change colors. If the two colors match, the karat level of your gold and the karat level of the needle used are the same. However if the colors do NOT match then the tester will begin the test again using a new needle with a different karat level. This test is run again and again until the karat level of your jewelry has been identified.

Electronic Gold Tester
The electronic gold test is a much easier and quicker method that Cash4Gold uses. Rather than using acids and needles, this test requires the use of a portable electronic device which is attached to your gold by using an alligator clip. The tester then adds a couple of drops of testing solution to the test area and the electronic device will then digitally display the gold karat level of your jewelry.

X-Ray Fluorescence
Last but not least is the X-Ray fluorescence test. If, after the first two tests, Cash4Gold still is unable to accurately verify your gold’s purity level, they will turn to the X-Ray Fluorescence test. This test requires the use of an X-Ray machine and takes only approximately three minutes to complete. Obviously, with the use of such high-tech equipment, this test is much more expensive than the above mentioned tests but is definitely the most accurate method available. During the X-Ray, the intensity level of your gold will be measured by something called wavelength dispersion analysis. Once the scan has been completed a report is provided that details both the karat level and content of your gold jewelry.

So go ahead and send your unwanted or broken jewelry into Cash4Gold and you can feel good knowing that they will accurately determine the purity level of your gold. Request your Free Refiner’s Kit today!