Karatmeter
Encyclopedia
The Karatmeter is a scientific device launched by India based TATA Group which uses X-rays to give an exact reading of the purity of
gold
. Due to its very high precision, X-ray analysis has been adopted by international agencies in India
as part of the certification process used to hallmark
gold. It is an accurate, non-destructive means of testing the purity
of gold and other related elements.
Using this technique, the precise percentage by weight (of karat
) in a solid piece of jewellery can be determined in just a few minutes. It also accurately determines the element composition of all types of gold, white gold
, platinum
, silver
, palladium
, rhodium
and related alloy
s.
Energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence technology (ED-XRF) is a simple, most accurate and most economic analytical methods for the determination of the chemical composition of many types of materials. It is non-destructive and reliable, requires very little sample preparation and is suitable for solid, liquid and powdered samples. It can be used for a wide range of elements, from Chlorine (17) to Uranium (92), and provides detection limits at the sub-ppm level.
There are many models of Gold Purity Testing machines available - from portable (light weight) to industrial grade machines.
Apart from X-ray spectrometer technique, other older traditional methods are using the TouchStone and Acid to test the gold purity. But TouchStone and Acid are destructive testing - a tiny sample of gold is cut and then tested. The sample is rubbed on TouchStone and a drop of acid is put on it and the goldsmith observes the residue using a magnifying lens. Based on experience, gold smith can determine purity of sample.
Sample photo of Gold Purity Testing Machine
Colored gold
While pure gold is yellow in color, colored gold can be developed into various colors. These colors are generally obtained by alloying gold with other elements in various proportions....
gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
. Due to its very high precision, X-ray analysis has been adopted by international agencies in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as part of the certification process used to hallmark
Hallmark
A hallmark is an official mark or series of marks struck on items made of precious metals — platinum, gold, silver and in some nations, palladium...
gold. It is an accurate, non-destructive means of testing the purity
Assay
An assay is a procedure in molecular biology for testing or measuring the activity of a drug or biochemical in an organism or organic sample. A quantitative assay may also measure the amount of a substance in a sample. Bioassays and immunoassays are among the many varieties of specialized...
of gold and other related elements.
Using this technique, the precise percentage by weight (of karat
Carat (purity)
The karat or carat is a unit of purity for gold alloys.- Measure :Karat purity is measured as 24 times the purity by mass:where...
) in a solid piece of jewellery can be determined in just a few minutes. It also accurately determines the element composition of all types of gold, white gold
White Gold
White Gold is a 2003 Russian action film directed by Viktor Ivanov from a screenplay by John Jopson and Viktor Ivanov. The story begins with the actual events of 1919 when a White Army train carrying the bulk of Czar Nicholas' gold reserves arrives empty at Siberia's Irkutsk station...
, platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, palladium
Palladium
Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...
, rhodium
Rhodium
Rhodium is a chemical element that is a rare, silvery-white, hard and chemically inert transition metal and a member of the platinum group. It has the chemical symbol Rh and atomic number 45. It is composed of only one isotope, 103Rh. Naturally occurring rhodium is found as the free metal, alloyed...
and related alloy
Alloy
An alloy is a mixture or metallic solid solution composed of two or more elements. Complete solid solution alloys give single solid phase microstructure, while partial solutions give two or more phases that may or may not be homogeneous in distribution, depending on thermal history...
s.
Energy dispersive X-Ray fluorescence technology (ED-XRF) is a simple, most accurate and most economic analytical methods for the determination of the chemical composition of many types of materials. It is non-destructive and reliable, requires very little sample preparation and is suitable for solid, liquid and powdered samples. It can be used for a wide range of elements, from Chlorine (17) to Uranium (92), and provides detection limits at the sub-ppm level.
There are many models of Gold Purity Testing machines available - from portable (light weight) to industrial grade machines.
Apart from X-ray spectrometer technique, other older traditional methods are using the TouchStone and Acid to test the gold purity. But TouchStone and Acid are destructive testing - a tiny sample of gold is cut and then tested. The sample is rubbed on TouchStone and a drop of acid is put on it and the goldsmith observes the residue using a magnifying lens. Based on experience, gold smith can determine purity of sample.
Sample photo of Gold Purity Testing Machine