How It Works

Just bring us the pieces that you wish to sell and we will do an on-site assessment of the precious metal content, and give you the best prices available based on today’s market rates. 

There are several ways to identify the type and purity of precious metals, as well as any alloys they might be blended with.  We will conduct state of the art, accurate tests, and pay you top dollar according to the type, weight and market prices for your precious metal.

Here is some useful information to help you identify what counts as precious metals in your jewellery, household and other pieces:

Hallmarks

All precious metal pieces are stamped with special markings that identify their nature and purity.  Different metals use different systems; for example, gold purity is marked in ‘karats’, while genuine silver is called ‘sterling’.

The hallmark on a piece identifies it as a genuine precious metal, and tells you how much (percentage) of that metal there is.  Usually, precious metals like gold, silver and platinum must be mixed to some degree with other metals to make them stronger and more durable.

Hallmarks can vary a great deal depending on the country of origin, and how old the piece is.  Sometimes they will be numerical markings, other times symbols or letters.  Often there will be no hallmarks at all.  In these cases, there are a number of chemical tests that can confirm the presence of a precious metal.

There may also be other stamps on the piece, identifying the manufacturer, the year of manufacture, designer, commemorative marks, etc.

Gold

Gold hallmarks are indicated in karats (carats).  24 karat gold is considered pure gold (or at least, 99.99% pure).  In Europe, this hallmark is written in parts per thousand: 999.

Pure gold is very soft and malleable, and in order to create jewellery or other handicrafts that are more durable, it is mixed with other metals, such as nickel, palladium, copper, zinc and silver (known as alloys). 

The ratio of gold to other alloys determines the karats: 22 karat gold (in Europe, marked 916 or 917) means the piece is made with 22 parts gold, 2 parts other metals   This is still considered a very soft metal, easily scratched, dented or scuffed.

18 karat gold (in Europe, marked 750), with 18 parts gold to other metals, is more commonly used to fashion jewellery and other fine items, as it is harder, and less prone to damage, allowing for finer detail and durability.  It is considered the standard for fine jewellery.

The ratio of the alloys themselves will also determine the colour of the gold.  While gold has a natural yellow tone, more copper lends a ruddy or rosy hue to the gold, while more palladium creates what is known as ‘white gold’.

White gold is prized as an affordable alternative to platinum, a more expensive precious metal.  The whiteness is a result of the palladium alloy; sometimes white gold will be plated with rhodium to enhance the ‘whiteness’.

14 karat (European 585) and 10 karat (European 416) gold are also common, often used to create everyday-wear jewellery pieces that will stand up to the rigours of daily life.  While in North America 10 karats is considered the minimum ratio for gold, other countries such as England and Scotland will produce pieces of 9 and 8 karat gold as well (European 375).

Silver

Silver hallmarks are usually indicated either in parts per thousand , 999 being considered pure or ‘fine’ silver. Usually silver is alloyed with copper to strengthen it, as pure silver is quite soft and can be easily dented or nicked.

The standard blend is 925 parts per thousand, also known as ‘sterling’ silver.

Other blends include Brittania silver, which is upward of 958 parts per thousand; Mexican silver, at approximately 950 parts per thousand; US coins (including dimes, quarters, half dollars) at 900 parts per thousand; German silver, which is a standard of 800 parts per thousand; and Canadian coins prior to 1967, with 725 parts per thousand.

Platinum

Platinum is heavier and more expensive than gold, and is greatly prized for its ‘whiteness’.  Its hardness makes it a favoured metal for setting precious stones. Unlike silver, platinum does not tarnish.

Platinum is usually alloyed with iridium, rhodium or palladium.  Platinum hallmarks are also written in parts per thousand preceded or followed by Plat or Pt – for example, 999Pt or Plat 999 is considered pure platinum, mostly used for bullion. 

In some countries, symbols are used, such as the dog’s head in France, or the scepter inside a pentagon in the U.K.

950 parts per thousand is considered the Platinum standard, and some countries will not allow lesser ratios to be marked as platinum, unlike gold which can be diluted to less than half.

It is still common to find pieces marked 900, 850 or even 800 Pt.

Palladium

Palladium is another ‘white’ precious metal, lighter and stronger than platinum.  Palladium is less allergenic than nickel, and until recently, it was mostly used as an alloy to create white gold.  However in the last five years or so, it has gained popularity as the principal metal in fine jewellery.  Its recent entry means there are as yet no established hallmarks.

Testing

While hallmarks are a good initial indicator of the precious metal content of your pieces, they are not infallible.  There is little oversight to ensure jewellery produced actually meets the hallmark’s standard, and in many cases, there may be no hallmark stamp at all.

Some jewellery or household items can also be simply plated with a precious metal, with copper, nickel, brass or other base metals underneath.

We have several tests that we can conduct to verify the presence of precious metals, what they are alloyed with, and the purity.

Magnetic Test

In order to weed out obvious fakes, a simple magnet test will do the trick.  Neither gold, silver, platinum or palladium are magnetic.  When placing a strong magnet on the items, if your pieces are attracted to the magnet, this means they are not made of precious metal.

Some non-precious metals, such as copper, are also not magnetic, so further testing must still be done to rule out any fakes or heavily plated items.

There is also an exception to the rule: when cobalt is alloyed with platinum, even in small amounts, it proves to be very magnetic.  Therefore suspected platinum pieces should be further tested even if they react to the magnet.

Heat/Fire Test

Fire assay, or cupellation, is a highly accurate means of determining the content and fineness of precious metals.  By removing a very tiny sample of the metal and subjecting it to intense heat to vapourize base metals, and using other agents to dissolve out the remaining components, one can determine the ratio of gold, silver and other precious metals based on the weight of the remaining sample.

However this is a destructive method, and not recommended for small or fine items.

Heat tests work well on platinum, because it has such a high melting point.  Indeed, this is what made it difficult to work with until the 20^th century when powerful enough heating could be applied to make intricate jewellery. 

A simple propane torch with a Mapps cylinder will quickly identify any platinum fakes.  If the metal when heated remains unchanged, it is likely platinum; if it melts, bubbles or blackens then it is not platinum.

Acid Test

Acid tests are an accurate way to determine the presence of precious metal as well as the proportions, in most cases. 

In the case of gold, platinum and palladium, the piece is rubbed on a testing stone (also known as a touchstone), and the resulting mark is treated with a few drops of acid.  The rate of colour change and the final colour indicate which metal is present, and at what purity.  In some cases it is helpful to compare the final colour with a test mark made by gold needles of varying karats, to get a more precise result.

In the case of silver, the piece is first scratched deeply, then a few drops of acid are placed on the cut.  The colour of the cut will indicate whether it is sterling silver or better turning creamy or dark.  If the cut turns green, then it is not silver (or is silver-plated).

Acid testing is not recommended for white gold, as the alloys can lead to uncertain results.

There are home acid testing kits available, but these should be used very carefully as the acids involved are dangerous.

X-ray Test

X-ray fluorescence testing can be used for certain pieces, but since it can only give information about the surface of the piece, it is not able to distinguish electro-plated items.