Gold-testing kits are available at Amazon.com and other retailers. Most of the kits come with a testing stone and different acid solutions that you can use to determine the karat rating of gold items that you would like to test. Many kits contain solutions for testing platinum and silver items too.

Here’s a video, courtesy of A&A Jewelry Supply, that shows how these kits work . . .

Can You Accurately Test Gold Items at Home?

Acid testing kits like the one shown in that video can be useful in making a “first pass” assessment about whether small metal items contain karat gold – or whether they are made of base metal, silver or platinum. That explains why acid test kits are used in gold-buying stores to test rings and other small jewelry items that sellers want to dispose of quickly in over-the-counter transactions.

Although those kits are useful, they cannot take the place of the thorough testing and analysis that is offered by a qualified gold refinery like Specialty Metals Smelters and Refiners, the parent company of GoldRefiners.com. Acid-testing kits can only determine the gold content of small individual items like rings or earrings. They can’t determine the gold content in materials like these, which we regularly test for our customers . . .

Batches of electronic scrap like printed circuit boards, cellphones, and remote-control devices or used aerospace components.
Piles of ore, black sand and other deposits. Several tons of these materials can contain gold that is worth recycling, but you will never find it with a small acid-testing kit you buy online.
Gold scrap that has resulted from plating processes. This kind of scrap can include gold-bearing sludge and gold that has adhered to the inside of plating tanks and drains.
Gold-filled items like old eyeglass frames or cufflinks. An acid-testing kit cannot determine whether they are made of solid gold, gold alloys or are gold-filled.

We Are Here to Test Your Gold-Bearing Items Professionally and Economically

If you have gold items you would like to test – or items that could contain gold, but you are not sure – give us a call at 800-426-2344. We’re here to explain how we can test your gold-bearing items and issue you a report on their content and value. Please mention this blog post when you call and ask about reduced-cost or free shipping when you send your items to us for testing.

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Can You Accurately Test Gold at Home?

Can You Accurately Test Gold Items at Home?

We Are Here to Test Your Gold-Bearing Items Professionally and Economically

America's Best Gold Refiners