# Electronic gold tester



## mkrichard (Oct 10, 2010)

Im looking for a electronic gold tester, Im in the Uk so will probably end up importing it from the states? 

Can anyone recomened a good one, want it to test from 9-24k gold
Dont want to spend a fortune.

If anyone has a working used one that they dont use, can trade for gold items and silver?


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## Fournines (Oct 10, 2010)

Any particular reason you want an electronic tester? An acid kit with a touchstone will probably cost you 1/10 of what an electronic tester will cost, and will probably give you more reliable results.


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## nickvc (Oct 10, 2010)

I'm with Fournines on this , but if you want a tester I'm sure the jewellery supply houses in the UK will have them try Cousins or Walsh,s in Birmingham.


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## mkrichard (Oct 10, 2010)

Literally just started buying scrap gold over the past week, I visit customers in their home, some of them looked horrified when i sugested using an acid stone as it is a destructive test and some people refused to let me test it.
Also i bought a un hallmarked ring which i tested and it came back as 18kt - 24kt gold ( my testing solutions is this one http://www.reagent.co.uk/gold-test-kit/gold-testing-kit-premium.html )
But when i inspected it its actually gold plated silver so i have lost about £60 on that item. Im now going to refuse un hallmarked items until i have an electric tester.
Also the testing sollution with my kit only does 9ct, 14-15ct and 18-24kt so i cant accurately test items.


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## nickvc (Oct 10, 2010)

mkrichard said:


> Literally just started buying scrap gold over the past week, I visit customers in their home, some of them looked horrified when i sugested using an acid stone as it is a destructive test and some people refused to let me test it.
> Also i bought a un hallmarked ring which i tested and it came back as 18kt - 24kt gold ( my testing solutions is this one http://www.reagent.co.uk/gold-test-kit/gold-testing-kit-premium.html )
> But when i inspected it its actually gold plated silver so i have lost about £60 on that item. Im now going to refuse un hallmarked items until i have an electric tester.
> Also the testing sollution with my kit only does 9ct, 14-15ct and 18-24kt so i cant accurately test items.


With the acid tests it's down to experience, test every item you buy with all the acids and note the results,the colour of the stain is usually the same for each carat so learning those is the best start. Always test the items you buy ,a small file used in a descreet location and then test with acids,if the customer refuses pass on the item not everyone is honest and robbing gold buyers seems to be the global sport of the moment.


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## Fournines (Oct 10, 2010)

mkrichard said:


> Literally just started buying scrap gold over the past week, I visit customers in their home, some of them looked horrified when i sugested using an acid stone as it is a destructive test and some people refused to let me test it.
> Also i bought a un hallmarked ring which i tested and it came back as 18kt - 24kt gold ( my testing solutions is this one http://www.reagent.co.uk/gold-test-kit/gold-testing-kit-premium.html )
> But when i inspected it its actually gold plated silver so i have lost about £60 on that item. Im now going to refuse un hallmarked items until i have an electric tester.
> Also the testing sollution with my kit only does 9ct, 14-15ct and 18-24kt so i cant accurately test items.



Describe your testing method.
An acid test does not have to be destructive if done carefully. An electronic tester will still be fooled by plated items.

Read the Pawnbrokers guide to gold testing. (I don't have the link here right now, but it's on the board for downloading).

Here's my thoughts on how you should approach your buying situations:

1) 1st check everything with a magnet with at least a 20lb pull. Anything strongly magnetic can be discarded immediately. Anything slightly magnetic should be put aside for further inspection.

2) Separate everything leftover by hallmark. Put aside anything that does not have a hallmark - this will have to be tested.

3) Weigh everything by karat and give the customer an estimate - subject to scratch testing.

4) You do not need to file into everything - in fact I wouldn't unless it is a very thick or heavy piece - and I don't mean 10 or 15dwt. I'm talking about 50-60 dwt heavy chains that someone might have. Rings, chains, and earrings can be easily scratched on the stone without leaving a noticeable mark on the piece. If the seller decides to keep the piece, that can be polished out. If the piece is plated, the area where you scratched it on the stone will be a different color as the plating has been taken off.

5) Apply the acid to the stone and not directly to the jewelry. Watch the reactions. Experience will eventually help you a lot in this area.

6) Follow the steps 4-5 for the unhallmarked jewelry.

7) Sometimes, you will have to make several scratches in a row from the exact same point on the jewelry. If there is a heavy plating, it will come off in the subsequent scratches and the lines will change when you apply the acid.

This is how I used to deal with people when I was buying "over the counter".

In the time it takes you to test 5 pieces with an electronic tester, you can test 20+ pieces using a touchstone - IMHO.


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## mkrichard (Oct 10, 2010)

Thankyou so much for that detailed response !
Can you advise me where i can get testing sollution for each level of K as in the uk all i can find is 9 14-15 and 18+ and its verry expensive.

The plated ring i got was plated in a very very thick layer of gold, i had to file it for a while to get through it. So i could not of done that before purchasing, im going to refuse to buy un hallmarked gold from now on.

Richard


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## jimdoc (Oct 10, 2010)

mkrichard said:


> Thankyou so much for that detailed response !
> Can you advise me where i can get testing sollution for each level of K as in the uk all i can find is 9 14-15 and 18+ and its verry expensive.
> 
> Richard




Those acids should be all you need to give you a good idea of gold content.
With a little practice,and some items of known karat to compare results to,or a test needle set.
Also some sample items of plated and gold filled to compare results would be a good idea.

Jim


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## Fournines (Oct 10, 2010)

mkrichard said:


> Thankyou so much for that detailed response !
> Can you advise me where i can get testing sollution for each level of K as in the uk all i can find is 9 14-15 and 18+ and its verry expensive.
> 
> The plated ring i got was plated in a very very thick layer of gold, i had to file it for a while to get through it. So i could not of done that before purchasing, im going to refuse to buy un hallmarked gold from now on.
> ...



All you need is 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, and PT

http://www.goldtestsolutions.com/in...roducts_id=2&zenid=b09d7vnsiu8l5i6ndv5ia9me66

I know that this is a US based company, but perhaps they will ship internationally.

You don't even need Silver acid - as you can get the results you need using 18k on silver.


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## qst42know (Oct 10, 2010)

mkrichard said:


> Can you advise me where i can get testing sollution for each level of K as in the uk all i can find is 9 14-15 and 18+ and its verry expensive.




Perhaps nowhere near as expensive as buying a dud. 

I don't turn away plated or filled items but pay accordingly.


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## mkrichard (Oct 10, 2010)

Thankyou for the advice guys, sent them an email about int shipping.


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## HAuCl4 (Oct 22, 2010)

Fournines said:


> mkrichard said:
> 
> 
> > Thankyou so much for that detailed response !
> ...



Nice link!. I was going to order one of these pocket scales, but they are sold out.  

http://www.goldtestsolutions.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=64&zenid=b09d7vnsiu8l5i6ndv5ia9me66

edit: ordered one of these from a link to a related website.

http://www.scales-n-tools.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=35&products_id=547&zenid=vsv2lqf8aggr6oq0pdfrfi3r74


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