For centuries, the primary method for evaluating gold in Indian bazaars was the black touchstone (kasauti) paired with nitric acid. While traditional, this archaic method has significant drawbacks that consistently penalize the seller.
The Hidden Flaws of Acid Touchstone Testing
- Destructive Surface Abrasion: Rubbing jewelry across a touchstone physically removes milligrams of precious gold each time. Over multiple appraisals, you lose tangible weight.
- Superficial Analysis Only: Acid testing only reacts with the outer few microns of metal. It cannot detect thick gold plating over brass or hollow ornaments filled with sealing wax (lac).
- Subjective Human Guesswork: Evaluating the acid streak's shade is purely subjective, giving unscrupulous buyers room to claim your 22K ornament is only 20K or 18K.
The Scientific Superiority of German XRF Spectrometry
At VN Gold, we invested in German X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) Karatmeters. High-energy X-rays excite the gold atoms, generating an exact spectroscopic signature that identifies gold, silver, copper, platinum, and zinc down to 0.01% precision in 45 seconds—with zero physical or chemical contact.
Learn more about VN Gold's transparent testing protocols and why our scientific process eliminates melting cuts. You can also read the scientific truth behind melting loss to understand your rights as a seller. Check your ornament's payout on our live gold payout calculator or book a free in-person XRF test at our Vanasthalipuram branch.
