Assays are an important part of being a jeweler or metal refiner. An assay is a test used to analyze the purity of a metal object. There are several types of assays that can be performed and used to determine the value of all kinds of metal objects – from jewelry to bullion bars. Types of assays include:

Stone assay (hand test) – This is the simplest assay to perform and has been in use since ancient times. The central tool in a stone assay is a touchstone (hence the name), which is usually a dark, hard stone with a finely grained surface. When soft metals like gold are drawn across it, they leave a visible line. The color of the line varies with the purity of the gold. The touchstone is also typically treated with chemicals that will only react with certain purities of gold. By observing the color of the line and whether or not a chemical reaction occurs, you can tell the purity the gold.

X-ray fluorescence – Also known as XRF, this type of assay is much more complex than a stone assay. XRF assays are known for being fast and accurate tests that do not damage the metal being tested. Essentially, a metal sample is bathed in X-rays. The metal then emits light (fluorescence) at an energy level specific to its atomic structure. This energy level is measured by the XRF machine and purity of the metal is determined. An XRF is so thorough it can also measure the percentage of impurities at the same time.

Fire Assay – This complex assay is widely considered to be the most accurate way to test for gold purity. However, it’s usually reserved for large lots or bullion because of how destructive it is. First, the sample is mixed with lead oxide and a few control substances are melted together at about 1650 F. The lead in the mixture binds with the gold in the sample. This mixture is poured into a mold and cooled. Because the lead is so dense, it sinks to the bottom of the mold, where it is chipped off and placed into a cupel (a small container made of bone ash) and reheated. The cupel absorbs the lead, leaving only precious metal behind. This is measured against the size of the rest of the sample being to tested to determine its purity.

Manhattan Gold & Silver commonly uses hand testing, XRF, and fire assays to test precious metals. These precision assays are what allow us to make such quick and accurate payouts for our customers.

A pawnbroker and a dentist each walk into Manhattan Gold & Silver… Sound like the beginning of a joke?  Well it’s not. It’s a fact of doing work that results in scrap metals. The only value such metals have to most businesses is through refining them for cash. Otherwise, the precious metals will remain useless, sitting around collecting dust.

At Manhattan Gold & Silver we help our clients recover the value of the scrap precious metals that accumulate as a result of their trades—whether they are pawnbrokers, dentists or in other professions.

While those two fields couldn’t seem to be more dissimilar, they, along with jewelers, make up a large portion of our overall client base. Every day, since 1985, we have serviced clients with lots big and small and payouts based on the London Daily Fixing.

Although it may not appear so on the surface, the business process and needs of pawnbrokers and dentists really aren’t that disparate and the two do share some overlaps. Here at Manhattan Gold & Silver, we’re happy to work with both and turn their industrial residue into cash for their businesses.

Alluvial is a term that refers to soil sediments and the various sand, silt, gravel, clay or other deposited matter left behind by flowing water. "Alluvial gold" refers to the type of gold dust found in that kind of soil. When the beds of rivers or streams are scooped and panned for gold dust, the product is referred to as alluvial gold.

Panning for gold is one of the oldest ways to produce gold. There are recorded instances of mining such deposits in ancient Rome, where gold and other precious metals were extracted from streams and mountainsides using panning devices known as sluices.

It's a simple process, to be sure. The would-be miner simply scoops up an amount of sediment in a flat, shallow pan-like device. The device is agitated in water (which is why panning in rivers and streams is so convenient), allowing less weighty materials to spill out of the pan. If there is a concentration of gold or gemstones in the sediment, those sink to the bottom and are examined and collected by the panner.

Manhattan Gold & Silver doesn't handle alluvial gold. We're a B2B company that specializes in refining scrap precious metals and returning the value of the scrap to our customers who bring them in for service. We think gold panning is a fascinating way to acquire gold, but we're better equipped to service the dentists, jewelers, pawnbrokers, and other various businesses that use gold and other precious metals in the course of their business.

We're ready to do our best for your business when you're ready to recycle your precious metals. If you've got scrap gold, we'll help you turn it back into an asset your business can use.