AG PURITY CHECKER KITS

I was looking in ebay for AG (as you do) and there are heaps of listings for a Silver Purity Checker Kits with mystery 1/2 ounce bottle of Silver test acid along with a testing stone for the low price of one ounce of silver 29.95!

I wonder how effective they are or they selling us cheap minerals we can pick up at the hardware store?

Does anyone own one?

How reliable are they?

Stories on modern and ancient purity checkers welcome.

Very curious.

 

me too

 

Tried to buy one from ebay many years ago - customs wouldn't allow the product into the country (due to the acid I assume).

 

Acid test kits using Nitric Acid will tell you that silver is present but not the purity.
The easiest and quickest way to test for the metal composition and purity is by x-ray fluorescence analyser, but they cost from $35,000 plus for a good one.
We use the USA made Thermo Scientific Niton x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysers for our testing.
For any Melbourne based Silver Stacker Members who would like to test two or three items we would be happy to do that for no cost at our offices.
Peter Davis

 

According to wiki "A X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is the emission of characteristic "secondary" (or fluorescent) X-rays from a material that has been excited by bombarding with high-energy X-rays or gamma rays. The phenomenon is widely used for elemental analysis and chemical analysis, particularly in the investigation of metals, glass, ceramics and building materials, and for research in geochemistry, forensic science and archaeology"

Now has something the average silver stacker has access to- at least in Melbourne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-ray_fluorescence

 

Hi Peter,

Do you have a Perth office? Melbourne stackers seem to have all the fun.......Sniffle.

 

Silver Soul, are you kidding me? You have the Perth Mint in your backyard!

Peter, come up to Brisbane

 

+1 Or do you know who in Brisbane has an XRF analyser?

 

Good on you Peter well done,
but i have got to say that a "Thermo Scientific Niton x-ray fluorescence (XRF) analyser " Just sounds very cool.

 

They won't test anything though, even for a charge I struggled to find anyone who would/could ?

 

AgOx Friend of mine posted a UT vid on this here:http://www.youtube.com/user/tozak1#p/u/16/LNLm5X9-laI

Problem is this is a destructive test - would you let someone test your 1Kg Kook before buying using this method?

I've been working on a non destructive Ag tester for the last 6 months - purity check OK (approx 2.5% accuracy) but can't pick plate to solid yet.Basically useless without being able to pick the difference.

Only really two non destructive tests available to us all is specific gravity and 'Ping'.

Specific Gravity example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYdSEAm-7uI Problem: It's not hard to mix cheap base metals to make 10.49g/cm3 to make a false positive.

Ping: Tap item to test with larger weighted metal - listen to the ring... Problem: Open to interpretation and takes a bit of practice but simple and semi accurate.

W Davis & Son - very kind offer to Stackers

Ag

 

To W Davis & Son,


You have the best Gold coin online store front and a professional price sheet in Australia that i have come across,
pity my cashflow only allows silver coin purchases.

 

How much does this gun cost?

 

Ah, well that may become acceptable pretty soon.