Looking at jewelry trying to figure out how to tell if its real gold or silver?

[Skippy SH13]

Looking at jewelry trying to figure out how to tell if it's real gold or silver?

EDIT: No longer maintaining post.

 

[cyberdan]

I guess those ways will work, never heard of any of them before, but your explanitions sound plausable. I do it the old fashioned way. Over the last two years I have purchased over 500 pounds of jewelry. My last buy was over 300 lbs, see photo. I checked every single suspected piece with my GT 3000 gold/silver tester. It can tell within a half karat.

 

[cazisme]

It test for silver also? If so I am getting one.

 

[ARC]

I guess those ways will work, never heard of any of them before, but your explanitions sound plausable. I do it the old fashioned way. Over the last two years I have purchased over 500 pounds of jewelry. My last buy was over 300 lbs, see photo. I checked every single suspected piece with my GT 3000 gold/silver tester. It can tell within a half karat.

So out of the 500 lbs... how much did you find ? Gold etc that is.

 

[cyberdan]

It test for silver also? If so I am getting one.

Yes, I called the company that makes them. I just had a normal question. The receptionist gave my call to the owner/inventor. We talked a while and said he had a "secret" he does not advertise because every machine is slightly different on silver (but exact on gold) Here is what he explained. Take several items that I know is silver and test them. Record the digital readout numbers. Pick the high and low numbers, that will be your silver range. So on my machine 230 is iffy and 250 on up to 310 is silver.

I had a lot of "white" junk jewelry that might be silver so I tested all of it and sent in what tested as silver. The check I got back almost paid for the GT 3000

 

[cyberdan]

So out of the 500 lbs... how much did you find ? Gold etc that is.

I really can't say on the internet. But it was fruitful. What isn't in my safe deposit box at the bank got melted and paid for a lot of my daughters last years at college.

 

[kali_is_my_copilot]

Cyberdan does that type require a conduction gel?

 

[cyberdan]

Cyberdan does that type require a conduction gel?

yes, it slides into the black tube that touches the jewelry. it is a bout $15.00 ea on ebay. it will do a few hundred tests. I squeeze out about half a drop for each test. the instructions reccommends a full drop. this is how I do it.

put jewelry onto alligator clip on test board
twist top cap of test "pen" (half a drop)
do test and blot used gel off onto paper napkin (you can not use gel a 2nd time, the reading will be higher)
repeat
repeat

the gel is not an acid so if you touch it no problem