Some months ago, we wrote a blog post about several counterfeit gold bars that were discovered in the Diamond District. These bars were gold on the outside with official stamps and serial numbers, but filled with tungsten. The outer gold coating allowed the fake bars to pass several common assays including the scratch test and x-ray test.
In the interest of protecting our loyal customers, Manhattan Gold & Silver now offers ultrasonic testing, which can detect complex counterfeits like tungsten-filled gold bars. Our new machine (pictured) sends an ultrasonic pulse through the gold bar. If there are changes in the consistency of the metal (i.e. changing from pure gold into tungsten), the frequency of the ultrasonic pulse also changes. The ultrasound machine detects any changes in the ultrasonic pulse and shows whether or not a bar is really made of solid gold.
An ultrasound test is a much quicker and convenient alternative to melting or drilling. No matter what kind of precious metal you bring in, we can still deliver the super-fast turnaround time that we’ve become famous for. Walk-in to our storefront location or contact us to learn more about our ultrasound assay.
