A tester is a device, chemical, or anything used to determine the identity of a particular substance. There are different types of testers, depending on what you want to identify. For this case, this article will discuss Gold Tester, Silver Tester, Diamond Tester, and Platinum Tester. Testers are very important when it comes to identifying fake or counterfeit items.
How Do Gold Testers Work?
This gold testing is the best because it provides crucial information. It involves testing gold items based on their electrical conductivity. This is possible by passing an item through a medium electrical charge.
The sophisticated sensor is used to measure the level of the item’s resistance. Then the output of the sensor goes through a computerized system. The result will be displayed digitally on the computer screen for you to read.
More so, the electronic gold tester can determine whether an alloy has other components like silver, white gold, and copper. You may also test for gold using different method like;
Apply vinegar on the surface of the item then observe the color change. If vinegar drops change the metal color, it is clean gold, and if the color remains constant, then the metal is gold.
How Do Diamond Testers Work?
Diamond tester is a light tool that can fit in your pocket. This tester has a small tip to be put on your testing stone. The metal tip will heat up, making the device detect if the rock contains a diamond substance.
Transportation of heat in a synthetic material differs significantly from the way it goes through a diamond. The device will then indicate on its display screen or by signaling. For amateurs, using the diamond tester might be a tough task but below are tips to help you;
- Make sure your testing stone is cold before using the device- stop holding or wearing the stone for some hours because the human body temperature can warm the stone.
If the diamond tested is warm, inaccurate results may be obtained. However, you can cool the diamond using compressed air with a sprayer or using cold water, but remember to dry it before testing.
- Don’t test the adjacent diamond immediately- it not advisable to check adjacent stones because electrical current transfers warmth through the uncut stone.
This will result in unreliable results. To prevent this from happening, you have to give the stone time to cool before testing.
- It is not good to retest stones right away- this is because the stone still will be hot from the previous testing.
- Battery should be well charged- if the battery is not fully charged, you might end up getting an inaccurate reading.
How Do Silver Testers Work?
You may differentiate between pure silver and a plated one by use of the following; Using Nitric Acid Test, here, scratch a small part of your item then applies few nitric acid drops. If the part turns creamy white, the question is pure silver, but if it turns green, maybe it is silver plated or fake.
Bleaching, when you apply bleaching substance to the silver item, changing its color quickly shows the issue is pure silver and vice versa. Ice test; freeze the ice cube until the time you want to use them for the test.
This is helpful because silver and ice look alike, but the thermal conductivity of silver is high compared to any other metal. Place a piece of ice on the silver then observe. Ice cubes will start to melt right away.
How Do Platinum Testers Work?
Platinum is a valuable metal that resembles white gold or silver for amateurs. But it has many distinguishing characteristics that make it unique from other metals.
Firstly, it is harder compared to other metals, so you cannot scratch it. Also, it does not tarnish and is substantial than other metals. To determine if a substance is a platinum or not, use the following methods;
When you use a scratch test kit, scratch the item against the stone severally until you see a visible mark on the jewelry. Wear gloves then apply testing acid to the stone.
Here, wearing gloves protects your skin from harmful acids. If that metal dissolves right away, then it is not platinum. Platinum will always retain its color.
Gold Tester Vs. Diamond Tester Vs. Platinum Tester Vs. Silver Tester
Gold, diamond, platinum, and silver testers all are reliable, but the accurate results will depend on how you carefully or carelessly carry on the test. Despite differences in prices, the testers are of different quality, genuine, affordable, and available in the market.
However, you should know that there are testers that depend on thermal conductivity. Some metal has similar features. For example, diamond and moissanite behave the same when in conducting heat.
Therefore, this issue is solved using an electrical device to measure conductivity. Here, the way moissanite and diamond conduct electricity is different.
FAQs
Question – 1: How do you clean Electronic Gold Testers?
Answer: It advisable to leave your testing kit cleans after using it. Therefore, you can carry this task by using a gray eraser to clean your electronic gold tester’s testing tip. Doing this clears oxidization.
Question – 2: How to test gold with an electric tester?
Answer: This is achieved by passing an item through a medium electrical charge. The sophisticated sensor is used to measure the level of the item’s resistance.
Then the output of the sensor goes through a computerized system. The result will be displayed digitally on the computer screen for you to read.
Question – 3: How much does a gold and silver tester cost?
Answer: The best electronic gold and silver tester costs about 349.00 pounds
Question – 4: Which gold tester do jewelers prefer?
Answer: Worldwide jewelers and gold assayers prefer AuRACLE gold tester because of its innovative solutions used to mobile gold testing.
Conclusion
No one would wish to buy fake items, personally no, for this case, gold, diamond, platinum, and silver testers are available in the market to prevent this problem from happening. Therefore, you should not be worried as a jewelry buyer because these testers are available for you.
Sometimes it is not easy to distinguish certain metals from other metals of the same caliber. But by the use of the testers named above, unique characteristics possessed by the metals will come out clearly.
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