I need to buy a metal tester!

Could anyone please recommend where, what kind and how much I should spend on this? This is new territory for me so I'm flying blind.

Thanks! Linda

 

what is a metal tester....?

 

https://www.antiquers.com/threads/testing-gold.77921/

 

ahhh, precious metal tester..............got it !!

 

I went all out and got a complete boxed set on amazon a few years ago. Seems to work fine.
https://www.amazon.com/GTE-Precious...73232&sprefix=gold+testing+kit,aps,173&sr=8-9

 

I've used such...but a caution: they age poorly, even if only infrequently used. They're acids, an' degrade with time.

 

Thanks everyone! Read through the whole other thread, very educational. I might not get the big set but at least I know what to look for now. All this for 1 chain!

Linda

 

If you have a jeweler you trust, such folk will usually be happy to test items for you.

 

Yep, I know it's long overdue to replace the acids. I only used the kit for about a couple months after I got it... I was on a testing spree!

 

I have ordered my kit. I have only one piece to test but I'm certain I can come up with others once I get started. If this one turns out to be gold it will be well worth it!

Linda

 

Well, I tested this lovely rope chain that I was hopeful was gold but not this time. I'm glad I got the test kit and will check some other things as I come across them. Thanks for the help!

Linda

 

Linda, what did you buy? A kit of acids or an electronic tester?

 

I bought a kit. It seemed the most accurate according to the opinions I read here.

Linda

 

I don't do enough with jewelry to want to spend a lot of money

 

The acid kits are relatively inexpensive.

 

I would love to befriend someone with an xrf machine! I find my acids go bad relatively quickly for some reason. It's frustrating when I can't totally rely on my acid test results. The silver seems to be the worst at not working. I will test things that I know are silver and the acid comes back negative for all of it when it was positive previously

 

Does sound like your acids have gone bad, Elen. I've had my acids last fairly well, at least a couple of years. Make sure not stored in a hot or too cold location. I purchased mine on Ebay and they were around $10, not expensive.

When testing, one thing I always do though is make a test scratch with something I KNOW is gold or silver as a sample example of a result. And have that on the same stone so I can compare.

I wish there was a simpler way of doing this. I hate dragging out the acids, you have to be careful with them, but it is one inexpensive way of checking.