Gold Ingot Purity Testing: Reliable Methods & Tools

Question
Hi Thomas;

I'm very impress on the qualities of your answers. I would like to know are there any tools to verify the quality for a Ingot of Gold. A machine or a tool that's best reliable for the work?

Answer
Dear Cyrus, the best method more available to everyday folks is an x-ray spectrometer but that is an expensive instrument. Metal scrap yards often have these hand held "testing gun" tools since they work in metals every day and have to know what they really have.  Some metal scrap yards have also gotten into the business of buying gold, at least in the USA. This testing method leaves the ingot without any damage from testing and is quite accurate.

Without that, a basic electronic or acid test by a jeweler is the way to go. For the best results, testing should be done on the metal "twists" removed when a small drill bid is run into the ingot, sampling metal from inside and across the ingot. If the ingot is not yours, to drill the metal will likely be not allowed.

I do hope this helps you.  God Bless and Peace.  Thomas.