0
Finest Known
Order Today: 888-900-9948 Login
  • Coins For Sale
    • Small Denomination
      • Copper Type Coins
      • Nickel Type Coins
      • Three Cent Silver
    • Early Coinage
      • Early American Silver
      • Early American Gold
      • American Colonials
      • Ancient Greek Coins
      • Ancient Roman Coins
    • Silver Coinage
      • Seated Liberty Silver
      • Silver Barber Coins
      • 1916 Silver Liberties
      • Morgan Silver Dollars
      • Peace Dollars
    • Gold Coinage
      • Liberty Head Gold
      • Indian Princess Gold
      • Indian Gold Coins
      • Gold Double Eagles
    • Other
      • Territorials Items
      • Commemoratives
      • Treasure
      • Utah Goldbacks
      • Nevada Goldbacks
      • Other
  • Shop By Category
    • Blank
      • $20 Double Eagle
      • $10 Gold Eagle
      • $5 Half Eagle
      • $1, $2.50 & $3 Gold
      • Silver Dollars
      • Other Silver
      • Cents-Nickels
    • Blank
      • Colonial
      • Territorial
      • Commemoratives
      • Ship Of Gold
      • Rare Ingots
      • Treasure
      • Civil War Money
    • Blank
      • Key Date Rarities
      • Finest Known
      • Top-100 Greatest
      • Proof Grade
      • Proof-Like
      • CAC Sticker
      • VAM Dollars
    • Blank
      • Best Values
      • Featured Items
      • Internet Specials
  • Top-10 to Buy Now
    • Blank
      • Buy Key Date Rare Coins
      • Buy Type I $20 Liberties
      • Buy Carson City Silver Dollars
      • Buy GSA Holder Silver Dollars
      • Buy SS Central America Coins
    • Blank
      • Buy Finest Known Specimens
      • Buy $2.50 Quarter Eagle Indians
      • Buy Private and Territorial Issues
      • Buy Walking Liberty Half Dollars
      • Buy Rare Gold Monetary Ingots
  • How To Purchase Best
    • Blank
      • 14 Reasons to Put Money in Money
      • Why Quality Coins over Quantity
      • Why Collect Morgan Silver Dollar
      • Why Purchase Indian Head Gold
      • 3 Most Beautiful Silver Liberties
    • Blank
      • Buy Early U.S. Gold Coinage
      • Why Purchase Proof Coins
      • Buy Top-100 Greatest US Rare Coins
      • Civil War Money Introductory Sets
      • Books, Catalogs and Literature
  • TV Specials
    • $49 Morgan Silver Dollar Offer
    • Special 20+1 Silver Dollars
    • Special 50+1 Silver Dollars
  • Latest News
  • 0
Order Today: 888-900-9948
Close
  • Coins For Sale
    • Small Denomination
      • Copper Type Coins
      • Nickel Type Coins
      • Three Cent Silver
    • Early Coinage
      • Early American Silver
      • Early American Gold
      • American Colonials
      • Ancient Greek Coins
      • Ancient Roman Coins
    • Silver Coinage
      • Seated Liberty Silver
      • Silver Barber Coins
      • 1916 Silver Liberties
      • Morgan Silver Dollars
      • Peace Dollars
    • Gold Coinage
      • Liberty Head Gold
      • Indian Princess Gold
      • Indian Gold Coins
      • Gold Double Eagles
    • Other
      • Territorials Items
      • Commemoratives
      • Treasure
      • Utah Goldbacks
      • Nevada Goldbacks
      • Other
  • Shop By Category
    • Blank
      • $20 Double Eagle
      • $10 Gold Eagle
      • $5 Half Eagle
      • $1, $2.50 & $3 Gold
      • Silver Dollars
      • Other Silver
      • Cents-Nickels
    • Blank
      • Colonial
      • Territorial
      • Commemoratives
      • Ship Of Gold
      • Rare Ingots
      • Treasure
      • Civil War Money
    • Blank
      • Key Date Rarities
      • Finest Known
      • Top-100 Greatest
      • Proof Grade
      • Proof-Like
      • CAC Sticker
      • VAM Dollars
    • Blank
      • Best Values
      • Featured Items
      • Internet Specials
  • Top-10 to Buy Now
    • Blank
      • Buy Key Date Rare Coins
      • Buy Type I $20 Liberties
      • Buy Carson City Silver Dollars
      • Buy GSA Holder Silver Dollars
      • Buy SS Central America Coins
    • Blank
      • Buy Finest Known Specimens
      • Buy $2.50 Quarter Eagle Indians
      • Buy Private and Territorial Issues
      • Buy Walking Liberty Half Dollars
      • Buy Rare Gold Monetary Ingots
  • How To Purchase Best
    • Blank
      • 14 Reasons to Put Money in Money
      • Why Quality Coins over Quantity
      • Why Collect Morgan Silver Dollar
      • Why Purchase Indian Head Gold
      • 3 Most Beautiful Silver Liberties
    • Blank
      • Buy Early U.S. Gold Coinage
      • Why Purchase Proof Coins
      • Buy Top-100 Greatest US Rare Coins
      • Civil War Money Introductory Sets
      • Books, Catalogs and Literature
  • TV Specials
    • $49 Morgan Silver Dollar Offer
    • Special 20+1 Silver Dollars
    • Special 50+1 Silver Dollars
  • Latest News
  • Account Login

Assaying Gold

Rare Coin News

May 18, 1998 Rare Coin Articles Monaco Rare Coins

Assaying is how jewelers and goldsmiths determine how pure gold is. It is the process of measuring the fineness of gold and there are various methods of doing so. Although there are many ways to assay gold, some are outdated and very inaccurate to say the least.

The most reliable method of assaying is the fire assay or cupellation method. This method has an accuracy of 2-3 parts per ten thousand (0.02%). During this method a very small fragment of the gold is taken and wrapped in lead foil with some added silver and heated in a furnace at about 1100 C which will remove all of the base metals. What is left is then pure gold, which is then reweighed. Assay laboratories use this technique across the globe for the purpose of gold hallmarking.

Some of the other methods that are used are more of a scientific process than anything else but many still refer to assaying as an art.  Inductively Coupled Plasma Spectrometry or (ICP) is nearly as accurate as fire assay. A very small sample is taken and treated with acids. This is then judged but it is based on the color of the reacted area when compared to that of the reference sample. This method is very inaccurate and not used very often.

There is a newer method of assaying that is becoming rather popular and that is X-ray fluorescence (XRF). This method is non-destructive enough that it can be used not only for assaying gold in manufacturing, but can also be used to certify gold content in retail outlets. The only problem with this method is that the accuracy can be affected by the items being x-rayed; it is most accurate under perfect conditions. On imperfect surfaces the X-rays are often inaccurate or obscured.


  • Newsletter
  • Be Among the First to Know of Breaking News and Special Offers on Amazing Rare Coins.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

For a confidential, personal consultation on buying or selling specific rare coins, call Monaco Rare Coins today: 888-900-9948

Free Civil War Shipwreck Treasure Catalog
Sell Your Coins to Monaco Rare Coins

Archives by Year

  • 2018 (3)
  • 2017 (2)
  • 2016 (9)
  • 2015 (10)
  • 2014 (5)
  • 2013 (4)
  • 2012 (12)
  • 2011 (12)
  • 2010 (7)
  • 2009 (13)
  • 2008 (8)
  • 2007 (3)
  • 2006 (5)
  • 2005 (10)
  • 2004 (8)
  • 2003 (1)
  • 2002 (6)
  • 2001 (6)
  • 2000 (4)
  • 1999 (7)
  • 1998 (259)
  • Back to Blog
  • Prev
  • Next
FOR MORE INFORMATION
888-900-9948
Contact Us
Sell Your Coins
Payment Methods
About Monaco
Terms of Sale
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
© 2021 Monaco Rare Coins
All Rights Reserved.
Facebook