Gold Content Tests
When it comes to buying and selling gold, purity is an important part of determining the true value of the gold that is being exchanged. Gold jewelry can be sent to an assayer (professional gold tester) to determine its true value, and there are some tests that individuals can conduct to determine the gold content of an item.
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Assayers
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Gold pieces can be appraised by professional assayers who use various methods to determine gold content. According to the World Council of Gold, fire assaying is the most accurate test to determine the gold content of an item. Other assay tests include inductively-coupled plasma spectrometry and x-ray fluorescence.
Touchstone Testing
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Touchstone testing is an old method of determining the value of gold. Gold is rubbed on a touchstone (natural stone or slate) alongside another proven golden sample, and then it's tested with acids. Gold content is determined by the color of the gold mark being compared with the color of the proven sample mark on the touchstone.
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Other Tests
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Electronic gold testing uses the capacitance decay principle which determines gold content by a fixed standard produced by gold when electricity is applied to its surface. Density testing uses the Archimedes principle of buoyancy for determining gold content. The World Council of Gold states that these two methods of testing are not very reliable.
Markings
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By law many countries require gold to be marked with caratage or fineness ratings. There are countries that may require these markings, but they do not impose them. The U.S. doesn't police or enforce this legal requirement, and individuals who buy gold pieces have to trust the integrity of the jeweler and his accuracy in determining the piece's gold content.
Hallmarking
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Accredited third party professional assayers stamp gold with karat ratings, makers' marks and their company's logo. This system of marking gold is called hallmarking. Caratage conformance is ensured through this process, and it allows an individual to possibly take legal action against an assaying company if the stamped gold pieces are not accurate.
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References
- Photo Credit jewelry image by Fata-Morgana from Fotolia.com
