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Testing for Silver - Conclusion
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As a warning from my experiences dealing with precious metals, assume the (silver, gold) you are buying is fake. Unfortunately, even with 100% verifiable scientific evidence there is a large percentage of the population who has no integrity and/or common sense, thus everything they have will forever be silver or gold. No one likes being wrong especially when it means their worthless silverplated junk can't be sold for the same price as solid silver.

In summary:
  • For the most part, any singular silver test is useless aside from the assay test or refining. In practice, rely on numerous cues which encompass several testing methods.

  • Keep processes in-house if possible because you will lose some of it or the value of it: refinery charges, shipping, processing, handling. Other people know about your activities, too.

  • Know your seller, which can be difficult under the best circumstances. Know what you're buying. Ask questions.

  • A seller either knows what they have and accurately represents it or it's a scam (intentional or not). There is no middle ground.

  • Never buy precious metals with an Asian theme or origin.

  • A bad tester will think everything is silver. The validity of any single result is only as good as the one who uses it.

  • Anytime someone uses the mother or grandmother card, it is fake. That usually holds true when they say it was confirmed by a jeweler, coin store, or pawn shop.

  • Any test that rates below a 5 on the effectiveness scale is nothing more than a novelty.

  • Lastly, ignorance is no longer an excuse in the digital age. If you are reading this then you have the internet at your disposal. Spend a few seconds on a google search and find out what you are selling.


Summary of All Testing Methods

 Test   Destructivity   Difficulty   Accessibility   Equipment   Service   Effective   Value 
Description 1 1 1 n/a n/a 5 10
Inspection 1 1 4 n/a market 7 10
Magnet 1 1 2 $5 n/a 3 9
Heat/Cold 1 3 2 $1 n/a 2 9
Density 1 6 6 $100 tbd 6 8
XRF 2 2 7 $30,000+ $20 2 1
Ultrasound 1 2 4 $200 $20 9 8
Pitch 2 5 3 n/a n/a 3 9
Hardness 6 3 5 $900 $50 3 3
Flame 1 6 2 2 $40 n/a 5 9
Flame 2 7 2 2 $40 n/a 6 9
Acid Drop 4 3 2 $10 $15 7 9
Acid Scratch 7 4 2 $10 $15 7 9
Dissection 9 5 3 $15 $20 5 8
Assay 10 8 7 $2500 $40 10 9
Refining 10 8 8 $3000 $100 10 8
Chemical to 10 9 8 tbd tbd to 10 to 10


Key Definitions and Explanations

Destructivity - How damaging the test is; 1-10 scale: 1 is non-destructive, 10 is annihilation
Difficulty - Difficulty in carrying out the test; 1-10 scale: 1 is easy, 10 is prohibitive
Accessibility - How accessible is the equipment or methods; 1-10 scale: 1 is accessible, 10 requires government clearance
Equipment - Equipment or supplies necessary; this does not pertain to the cost to have a facility do it for you; in dollars
Service - Cost to have a facility or qualified professional do it for you; in dollars
Effective - As a standalone test performed properly, how accurately will the results determine the silver content; 1-10 scale: 1 is unreliable, 10 is foolproof
Value - A nebulous quality, this is only for the cost-to-benefit ratio and has little to do with effectiveness, difficulty, etc; 1-10 scale: 1 is useless, 10 is worth the investment


Posted by M: October 8, 2014


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