We have a joke here at MGS that we always tell customers when they buy something gold filled: “Your file is your best friend.” Whenever a customer makes a fraudulent purchase, we always ask, “did you file into it and put acid on it?”
Honestly, 9 times out of 10, that small step would have prevented them from buying a fake gold item. Most counterfeiters don’t have the time or resources to plate a counterfeit thicker than what a file can uncover. But… there are some rare cases where even your trusty file isn’t enough.
If you want to confirm what you’re buying is gold through and through, an ultrasonic assay can’t be beat. This test sends an ultrasonic pulse through the item in question and shows whether or not an object is really made of solid gold, or layered metals.
The ultrasound test is a quick and easy way to authenticate an item. But if you want to confirm karat rating, X-ray fluorescence (X-RF) is better. A drill-sample is taken from the item, then placed in the X-RF machine – which analyzes the gold and impurities in the sample with great accuracy – within five parts-per-thousand.
These precision assays are what allow us to make such quick and accurate payouts for our customers. And with almost 30 years of experience – we’ve gotten REALLY good at catching forgeries.
