gold testing solution

[azdave35]

i have a gold - silver -diamond test kit that i bought about 20 yrs ago..it was sold by the carol company.....the gold test solution is nice because it doesnt contain nitric acid and it produces no reaction on gold that is 10 karats or better..but i have run out of the gold test solution and the company is no longer in business...does anyone have any ideas on what they were using and how to make it ?..thanks in advance

 

[butcher]

Maybe you could try and find the MSDS for this solution, or ask them to provide it, this will usually tell you what it is, but sometimes they find a loophole and call it a proprietary company secret, and do not have to state the chemical on MSDS.

Could it be something like manganese oxide and HCL,or ammonium nitrate and ammonium chloride, to dissolve gold. do you use heat?

or some other substances that would dissolve either the gold or just the copper, is this test using karat needles or are you just looking for the reaction like they do just using nitric without a comparator marking? If you give more details about how this test is performed and what reaction occurs it may help someone come up with maybe's.

 

[azdave35]

hi butcher..i cant get the msds..i cant find the company online..i think they are out of business..it is just a simple liquid solution...it comes with a glass rod that you dip into the solution and then drop it onto the jewelry in question...if it turns black...it is not gold or is under 10 karat..if no reaction it is gold above 10 karat...it was a popular test kit 20 yrs ago

 

[butcher]

azdave35, sorry I can not help more, maybe some of our more knowledgeable members can.

 

[Geo]

honestly i dont know that a solution that gives such a general range would be effective given the test kits you can get from Ebay for less than twenty dollars.sure you can say "its gold" or "its not gold" and maybe thats good enough for some but looks like a waste of time to me.