How we test
XRF testing explained: how we test gold and silver on camera
XRF, X-ray fluorescence, reads the elements in a piece of metal in about thirty seconds without scratching, filing or acid, and reports the carat of gold or the fineness of silver or platinum whether the piece is hallmarked or not. It is the same technology assay offices and refineries use. Every item we buy is weighed on a calibrated scale and XRF tested on camera before an offer is made, and the seller gets the video.
What the analyser does
- It fires a low-energy X-ray pulse. The handheld unit is held against the surface of the piece for a short pulse. Nothing is cut, filed or scratched; the item comes back exactly as it went in.
- The metal fluoresces. The X-rays excite the atoms in the metal, which respond by emitting their own secondary X-rays. That is the fluorescence in the name.
- Each element has a fingerprint. Gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel, platinum and the rest each emit at characteristic energies. The analyser reads which are present and in what proportion.
- You get a composition. 37.5 percent gold with copper, silver and zinc is 9ct. 75 percent is 18ct. 92.5 percent silver is sterling. The reading is given in writing.
Why it beats the acid test and the hallmark
The traditional acid test scratches the piece on a touchstone and applies acids of rising strength until the streak dissolves, giving a rough carat and a mark on the piece. XRF gives the actual gold percentage, and the alloy with it, without touching the metal. It also works on pieces an acid test handles badly: white gold, heavily worn pieces, platinum, odd foreign alloys, and anything too small or too awkward to scratch.
A hallmark is a claim about the metal, stamped when the piece was made. It is usually right, and our hallmarks guide explains how to read one, but marks are occasionally faked, moved from one piece to another, or outlived by a repair or a resizing in a different carat. Testing the metal itself means the mark speeds things up but never sets the price, and it means an unmarked piece is paid for what it is rather than guessed at the lowest carat.
Where XRF needs a second check
XRF reads the surface, to a depth of tens of microns. For solid metal that is the whole story. For two kinds of piece it is not, and we say so rather than pretend otherwise:
- Heavy plating. Ordinary plate reads low because the base metal shows through, so it is caught at once. A very thick layer of gold over base metal can read high on the surface. When a reading does not fit the weight, the mark or the sound of the piece, a small surface test in an inconspicuous place settles it. We never melt, cut or alter a piece before you accept an offer.
- Hollow and filled items. A hollow bangle or a knife handle filled with pitch reads as gold or silver on the surface but weighs very differently from solid metal. These are weighed, checked and priced on the metal actually present; silver knives, for instance, are priced at half the rate of the parent grade because the blade is steel and the handle is filled. Why silver knives are worth less goes through it.
On camera, every time
Every parcel we receive is opened, weighed and tested on camera. The seller gets their video within 24 hours. The camera covers the parcel being opened, each piece on the scale and each reading on the analyser, so every line of the itemised offer (carat, weight, rate) has the footage behind it. The clips are published on The Opening and on YouTube. In Dublin you can bring items in by appointment and watch the same process in person.
What the reading means for your price
The reading sets the grade, and the grade sets the published price per gram. 9ct pays the 9ct rate, 18ct the 18ct rate, with no “yellow gold” averaging and no deduction for testing. Each line of the offer shows the grade the analyser reported, the weight and the rate applied, so the reading and the price can be checked against each other.
| Grade | Hallmark | We pay per gram |
|---|---|---|
| 9ct gold | 375 | €34.20$38.28£28.63 |
| 14ct gold | 585 | €55.38$61.99£46.37 |
| 18ct gold | 750 | €73.60$82.38£61.62 |
| 22ct gold | 916 | €89.89$100.61£75.26 |
| Sterling silver (925) | 925 | €0.93$1.04£0.78 |
Shown in USD for reference at €1 = $1.1193 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Shown in GBP for reference at €1 = £0.8373 (ECB reference rate, 23 Oct 2026, 15:00). We pay in euro by bank transfer.
Free testing for businesses
Jewellers, goldsmiths, pawnbrokers, auction houses and solicitors handling estates can have unhallmarked, mixed or doubtful pieces tested free, with the reading in writing and no obligation to sell. Sessions are listed on the testing page, or request a visit to your premises; questions on WhatsApp at +353 87 326 9923.
Questions people ask
What is XRF testing?
X-ray fluorescence. A handheld analyser fires a short, low-energy X-ray pulse at the metal; the atoms respond by emitting X-rays at energies characteristic of each element, and the unit reads those to report the composition, so the carat of gold or the fineness of silver or platinum, in about thirty seconds. Nothing is cut, filed or scratched.
Is XRF testing accurate for gold?
For solid gold it is accurate to well within a carat and is the same technology assay offices and refineries use for routine verification. Its limit is depth: it reads the surface layer, so a thick plating over base metal can read high until the surface is checked, which is why an unclear reading gets a small surface test in an inconspicuous place.
Does XRF damage jewellery?
No. It is non-destructive. The piece is held against the analyser window and comes back exactly as it went in. The acid test, by contrast, needs a scratch on a touchstone or a drop of acid on the piece.
Can XRF tell gold plate from solid gold?
Usually, because a plated piece reads with the base metal showing through and the gold reading is far below any legal carat. A very heavy plating can fool a surface reading, so an item whose reading does not match its weight, its mark or its sound is checked by a small surface test, and hollow items are weighed and checked for filling.
Why test if the piece is hallmarked?
Because a stamp is a claim and the metal is the fact. Hallmarks are occasionally faked, applied to the wrong piece, or outlived by a repair in a different carat. Testing every piece regardless of its marks protects every seller equally, and it means unmarked pieces are paid properly rather than guessed at.
Is XRF testing free?
Testing is always free for anything we are buying; it is how the offer is made. For jewellers, pawnbrokers, auction houses and other businesses we also run free, no-obligation testing sessions with the reading given in writing. See the testing page.
Can I watch my items being tested?
Yes. Every parcel is opened, weighed and tested on camera and the seller gets their own video within 24 hours of arrival, so the weight and the reading behind each line of the offer are on film. In Dublin you can also bring items in by appointment and watch in person.
Ready to sell?
Check the net price per gram for your grade first, then request a free insured postal pack. Every item is tested on camera, the offer is itemised, and anything you decline comes back free.