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Acid Tests
Acid tests for Gold are always divided by karats (K). But how do they work? Well, karats are units of measurement that detail the purity of a particular element in a piece of jewelry. Therefore, when working with Gold, the karats will indicate the percentage of pure gold present in the analyzed object in relation to other elements that may be mixed in the object's composition.
As the test is specific for each karat, this method will only indicate whether the jewelry in question has more or less gold in relation to a given unit of measurement. For example, the 18K Gold Acid Test will only indicate whether the jewelry is composed of more or less than 75% gold, which is the percentage of this element represented by the unit 18 karats (K).
Another important factor worth mentioning about this method is the fact that it is made from a liquid composed of a mixture of acids, and therefore must always be handled in accordance with safety protocols by a qualified professional. Despite these aforementioned factors, the acid test process itself is not that complicated. For the test, a touchstone will be used, on which the object to be analyzed will be lightly scraped, in order to leave a small trace. Then, a small amount of the acid will be dripped onto the trail left by the jewelry. In the places where there is contact between the test and the trace of the jewelry, a chemical reaction will occur that will present two possibilities of results. If nothing happens, this means that the percentage of Gold in the jewelry is greater than or equal to the number of karats in the test. If the opposite occurs and the trace reacts to the mixture by fading or disappearing, we can conclude that the percentage of Gold is lower than the amount predicted by the test.
In order to verify the efficiency of this method, it is also recommended to use a “Gold testing needle” during the procedure, which is nothing more than an object made of Gold whose karat number is already known, thus serving as a parameter and comparison .
In addition to the 20ml version, the 18K and the 22K Gold Acid Tests, as well as the Platinum Acid Test, are also available in 10mL.
