Acid test kit
Graded solutions plus a test stone. Reads surface karat accurately, consumable, and leaves a small mark. The default starting kit.
Buying guide
Which kit catches fake gold?
Most people need two: a cheap chemical kit for karat, and one instrument that reads below the surface to spot plated scams.
- Four kit types
- What each one catches
- What to skip
Electronic tester
Non-marking conductivity reading that sees below plating. The only practical home defence against heavy gold-filled stock.
Density and scale set
Precision scale with displacement measurement. Catches light or off-spec bars and coins before you look at anything else.
Hallmark and magnification tools
A loupe and a reference chart. Slow to master, but it flags altered and counterfeit stamps that testing alone will not explain.
Detection kits available now
Compare current kits across all four categories.
More gold verification resources
Supplies and checklists for buyers, sellers and estate lots.