Basics of Testing Gold & Silver and Identifying Fake Bullion

In this video, we put the knowledge and principles behind gold and silver testing in your hands. It is essential to understand the material properties of precious metals and the common metals used to counterfeit them.
Learn why tungsten is often used to fake gold bars and coins and how it can be easily detected.
Key chapters in this video:
00:00 Introduction
00:22 Understanding material properties of gold & silver
01:00 Density test (such as the Fisch coin tester)
02:22 Ultrasound test (detecting gold-plated tungsten bars)
04:44 Electrical conductivity measurement test (ECM)
06:51 Magnetic test with rare earth magnets (diamagnetic vs paramagnetic vs ferromagnetic metals)
07:54 X-Ray fluorescence test (surface composition analysis)
09:03 Never rely on a single testing method! Always use 2 or 3 different types of tests for best results
09:48 Limitations of non-destructive testing for gold and silver
13:03 Authenticating bullion is not a common industry practice
15:17 Do not overly rely on certificates and packaging of bullion
Buy & store gold and silver with Silver Bullion: www.silverbullion.com.sg
Silver Bullion Investor Kit: bit.ly/35ujSB1
Silver Bullion Twitter: / silverbullionpl

Пікірлер: 125

  • @viperviperpiro
    @viperviperpiro4 жыл бұрын

    This is by far the best testing of Precious Metals video i ever watched! good job Patrick! thanks!!! liked!

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, I want extend your thanks to Vincent, Jessica, and Gregor as well, they all played a roll in creating this video. Even the guys in the vault helped greatly since they did much the shooting. Total team effort.

  • @RealLifeFinance

    @RealLifeFinance

    4 жыл бұрын

    Brilliant Video!

  • @mohammedmoustafa9289

    @mohammedmoustafa9289

    3 ай бұрын

    Yes, it is

  • @andrewwald6504
    @andrewwald65042 жыл бұрын

    This is by far the most thorough video treatise of the various testing methodologies I have seen, and is the ONLY video that accurately describes the need for combination testing. By far, too many bullion dealers rely only on XRF and density only, which makes one wonder how much gold plated tungsten is out there. Kudos for setting the standard that I can point bullion dealers to!

  • @SilverBullion
    @SilverBullion4 жыл бұрын

    We plan to release the pocket-sized TSH Bullion Tester soon. It tests for genuine gold and silver using the magnetic susceptibility principle mentioned in this video. Email us at TSHBullionTester@TheSafeHouse.sg if you are interested and want to be informed when the TSH Bullion Tester is released. **UPDATE** The TSH Bullion Tester is no longer for sale. Nonetheless we would still like to thank each and every one of you for your support and interest in the project.

  • @ConsciousOne369

    @ConsciousOne369

    4 жыл бұрын

    Silver Bullion TV what’s the price for this device:)?

  • @paddlingfan1

    @paddlingfan1

    4 жыл бұрын

    Please tell us what percentage of gold and silver you receive to be tested turns out to fail testing because it is fake. Thank you

  • @sanpedrosilver

    @sanpedrosilver

    4 жыл бұрын

    Interesting idea! I’m sure I could help you sell them if developed 👍🏼

  • @bootangy

    @bootangy

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@ConsciousOne369 ouch

  • @ConsciousOne369

    @ConsciousOne369

    3 жыл бұрын

    @@bootangy Ouch, as in I never received a response:(?

  • @gblargg
    @gblargg4 жыл бұрын

    Your vault's test-everything approach is interesting and yields so many benefits. You avoid customers who give you fake bullion then hold you responsible when years later you return their fake bullion. It allows random testing of things in the vault, and if they fail, you know that someone in the vault is tampering with items, as you know that when it first came in it was genuine. And for insurance purposes, you also have documentation that anything missing was definitely genuine.

  • @PhilosopherRex
    @PhilosopherRex4 жыл бұрын

    Great video. You guys covered more in one video than I've found anywhere youtube.

  • @bonzo2212
    @bonzo22124 жыл бұрын

    That was a very interesting and educational video. Thanks to all the SB crew for such important information.

  • @markl3346
    @markl33464 жыл бұрын

    Clear and comprehensive information on testing bullions, and pit falls! Much appreciated

  • @johnwade7673
    @johnwade76733 жыл бұрын

    Wow! This is the by far best presentation concerning bullion identification that I have seen. Thank you for sharing this video with us.

  • @ahmadboudhak9369
    @ahmadboudhak93693 жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much, by far the best video on testing PM!

  • @sanpedrosilver
    @sanpedrosilver4 жыл бұрын

    Sigma verifier usually does the trick but you guys have all the great toys. Good vid 👌🏼

  • @independentthinker9113
    @independentthinker91134 жыл бұрын

    SUPERB information. Thank you so much.

  • @jpeterson9087
    @jpeterson90877 ай бұрын

    Super informative. Appreciate the clear and detailed breakdown of testing!

  • @islandaerial3414
    @islandaerial34144 жыл бұрын

    Great video. Trusting dealers up till now has been positive.

  • @martinchoi4954
    @martinchoi49544 жыл бұрын

    Great video, very educational. Thanks!

  • @sureshkumarmadevan3011
    @sureshkumarmadevan30114 жыл бұрын

    Excellent video and extremely informative. I've been a buyer at Silver Bullion Malaysia.

  • @ronaldchew4147
    @ronaldchew41472 ай бұрын

    Absolutely! The video provides exceptional guidance on authenticating precious metals, offering comprehensive methods for verifying their genuineness.

  • @randyblanton1197
    @randyblanton11974 жыл бұрын

    Thank you for such an exceptional and informative video!

  • @tulasideviful
    @tulasideviful Жыл бұрын

    Most helpful video I have seen yet!! 😊😊

  • @SAJ_2021
    @SAJ_20217 ай бұрын

    Best video on KZread about precious metal testing far none!

  • @parzival1176
    @parzival11764 жыл бұрын

    Water displacement test is quite accurate and fairly easy to do

  • @svenp6504
    @svenp65044 жыл бұрын

    Super cool! This one is going to get a lot of views...

  • @cschaka1
    @cschaka1 Жыл бұрын

    WOW ! GREAT info ! Thank you so much for this video !!

  • @romeisfallingagain
    @romeisfallingagain4 жыл бұрын

    extremely informative. thank you for the video. I was wondering about this

  • @damrunner1
    @damrunner14 жыл бұрын

    Well Done! Thank you Patrick!

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    4 жыл бұрын

    Thanks, I want extend your thanks to Vincent, Jessica, and Gregor as well, they all played a roll in creating this video. Even the guys in the vault helped greatly since they did much the shooting. Total team effort.

  • @karencai4177
    @karencai41774 жыл бұрын

    thanks very much for the video Patrick, very useful.

  • @not_nostradamus683
    @not_nostradamus6834 жыл бұрын

    Excellent job. This was my biggest question mark.

  • @REALJABER
    @REALJABER10 ай бұрын

    VERY USEFUL AND PROFESSIONAL VIDEO.

  • @poiluparadis
    @poiluparadis4 жыл бұрын

    Wow. Thanks for this.

  • @mmmddd4366
    @mmmddd43663 жыл бұрын

    Well Patrick passed the test in; Providing valuable content.

  • @stormforge68
    @stormforge683 жыл бұрын

    Great video, learned a lot. 👍

  • @marcswanson7066
    @marcswanson70664 жыл бұрын

    Excellent!

  • @darrenstewart1568
    @darrenstewart15689 ай бұрын

    Very informative, good content 😊

  • @nafismridha997
    @nafismridha997 Жыл бұрын

    This is an excellent video

  • @williamgras5598
    @williamgras5598 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent video

  • @thegoldenloot3023
    @thegoldenloot30234 жыл бұрын

    thank you so much for a very informative video.

  • @trailbossx2
    @trailbossx22 жыл бұрын

    Most excellent,,,totally useful vid,,,,thanks so much!!!!😎

  • @4play699
    @4play6994 жыл бұрын

    Very useful information. Thank you.

  • @RedShiftedDollar
    @RedShiftedDollar4 жыл бұрын

    A quick rough test of silver purity is to rapidly pass a strong magnet across the metal’s surface. Since silver has the highest electrical conductivity, the eddy current induced will produce a strong magnetic drag effect. You can train yourself to build an intuitive feel for how strong this effect should be. Silver will be the strongest out of all metals. The test doesn’t require physical contact with the metal either.

  • @patrickchong2668
    @patrickchong2668 Жыл бұрын

    Such a informative video

  • @HeritageStacking
    @HeritageStacking4 жыл бұрын

    Great video thanks.

  • @mmaz8829
    @mmaz88293 жыл бұрын

    Very informative video.

  • @davidgarratt8879
    @davidgarratt88794 жыл бұрын

    Very helpful video thankyou.

  • @MetroidMan90
    @MetroidMan904 жыл бұрын

    Amazing video.

  • @cometier
    @cometier4 жыл бұрын

    Very useful video

  • @ingevankeirsbilck9601
    @ingevankeirsbilck96014 жыл бұрын

    Great video! I have a question about case study 1: could the original result be due to the customer having touched the coins with his bare hands?

  • @dameanvil
    @dameanvil24 күн бұрын

    0:00 🪙 Introduction to testing gold and silver and identifying fake bullion. 0:08 🏦 Emphasize buying from reputable dealers. 0:24 📚 Understanding material properties for testing gold and silver. 1:00 ⚖ Density test: Common but not very reliable alone. 2:22 🔊 Ultrasound test: Effective for detecting gold-plated tungsten bars. 4:44 ⚡ ECM test: Measures electrical conductivity; highly effective for silver. 6:51 🧲 Magnetic test: Gold and silver are repelled by magnets; useful for detecting fakes. 7:56 🔬 X-Ray fluorescence test: Surface composition analysis; limited to surface layers. 9:03 🔄 Always use multiple testing methods for best results. 9:48 🚫 Limitations of non-destructive testing. 10:01 🔍 Case study: Surface contamination affecting X-ray test results. 11:02 🧊 Case study: Porous old silver bars challenging for ultrasound testing. 12:12 🕳 Case study: Tiny pores causing ultrasound test failure in gold bars. 13:03 🏢 Industry practice: Most vaults do not extensively test stored bullion. 15:17 📜 Certificates: Easily faked and not reliable. 16:22 📦 Packaging: Straps on boxes can be easily applied; not a seal of authenticity. 17:12 🛡 Recap: Buy from trusted sources, use multiple testing methods, and don't overly rely on certificates or packaging.

  • @russsherwood5978
    @russsherwood59784 жыл бұрын

    thank you for the video,, i,m always wondering if the metals i,m buying are real or fake. evan though i buy from dealers, i still get the feeling that fakes can still be sold,,,, when will that pocket tester be on the market for sale to the public?? subbed and thumbs - up

  • @tanchi6856
    @tanchi68564 жыл бұрын

    Great video and is very informative. I would be interested in the pocket tester and have sent an emailed. Thanks.

  • @AnonomusKity
    @AnonomusKity4 жыл бұрын

    Invaluable content!!! I was wondering if you knew the name of the device at 7:43 that measures the magnetism of the coins. I want to purchase one.

  • @tlason1001

    @tlason1001

    4 жыл бұрын

    That is a magnetic tester.

  • @akashagarwal2404
    @akashagarwal24043 жыл бұрын

    I think u did mistake by staying ECM are bypassed by fake copper coin as gold beacuse they have significant differnce in conductivity (44 &59 respectively) . It should be more like copper coin used to fake as silver as they have 59 &61 respectively

  • @k98killer
    @k98killer4 жыл бұрын

    I always do weight, density, and magnetic tests, though with constitutional silver, I do an acoustic test instead of density (I flip the coin with my thumb and listen for the ringing sound).

  • @dolwangga

    @dolwangga

    3 жыл бұрын

    Do you usually get heads or tails?

  • @kiwus87
    @kiwus874 жыл бұрын

    Problem is that testing is prohibitively expensive for your everyday investor, with those tools costing hundreds of dollars. Very good video though, greatly appreciated.

  • @gblargg

    @gblargg

    4 жыл бұрын

    With coins, one can check weight, dimensions, and do a ping test with a smartphone app at very little cost. The ping test verifies the speed of sound (celerity). Coins are far better than bars for ease of verification.

  • @kiwus87

    @kiwus87

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@gblargg Didn't know about the app. Good tip!

  • @jmccormick1490

    @jmccormick1490

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@gblargg what is the app called that you use

  • @gblargg

    @gblargg

    4 жыл бұрын

    Bullion Test for Android. If you're a cheap-skate like me (irony, eh?) you can find the full version on apk archive sites, just be careful of malware.

  • @geoffrey.geoffrey
    @geoffrey.geoffrey3 жыл бұрын

    ultrasound test no.1

  • @sergiojaramillo8448
    @sergiojaramillo84483 жыл бұрын

    Very informative but in this date and time probabl wiser to store it at home

  • @anonymous071985
    @anonymous071985 Жыл бұрын

    So a DIY magnet test is to zero a magnet on a home scale, then place metal above magnet. And if weight changes the metal is lightly pulling the magnet up?

  • @user-st8bk4sk9i
    @user-st8bk4sk9i6 ай бұрын

    Informative video! However, if - and I say: if! - a fake tungsten 1 oz "krugerrand" can fool the Fisch tester, the tungsten fake will fail a ping test anyways. So I continue to rely on my Fisch tester for my preferred choices of coins 🙂

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    6 ай бұрын

    Swewt. Yes coins are easier to test because of specific dimensions and won't fit in the tester as you mentioned. However there is no standard dimensions for bars to which counterfeits exploit this. Great point you made! Tanks for sharing.

  • @MrMilanoLau
    @MrMilanoLau4 жыл бұрын

    Is it possible to use a multimeter to do a conductivity test?

  • @andrewchia1996
    @andrewchia19963 жыл бұрын

    Does ultrasound test work on sealed gold bars (5 gram Pamp Suisse for example)? I'm planning to get a cheap ultrasound tester for simple testing purposes.

  • @ly8370

    @ly8370

    9 ай бұрын

    No, ultrasound can't penetrate the plastic blister. For blistered gold bars, only conductivity and magnetic tests are realistic. But gold has a unique conductivity that no other metals come close.

  • @jondoe9718
    @jondoe97184 жыл бұрын

    Copper will test positive as silver on the ECM test.

  • @gblargg

    @gblargg

    4 жыл бұрын

    ECM just measures resistivity. Only a combination of measurements constitute a proper metal verification test.

  • @petebusch9069
    @petebusch9069 Жыл бұрын

    When buying gold or silver at a dealer is it common for buyers to bring in their own testing equipment or do most just trust the dealers word?

  • @nickandyou1470
    @nickandyou1470 Жыл бұрын

    Is there a list of trusted sources ?

  • @chrisabrams7136
    @chrisabrams71363 жыл бұрын

    Do electromagnetic tests/ X-ray tests/ ultrasonic tests affect the precious metal that is being tested at all? Do they do any damage to the properties of the metal? I’m on the fence with buying a sigma PMV PRO but I don’t know enough about the science of metals and if those types of tests will do any underlying damage to the gold or silver.

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    3 жыл бұрын

    These are known as nondestructive testing. They do not affect the metal being tested.

  • @isra9862
    @isra98622 ай бұрын

    Can these tests be performed on jewelry as well?

  • @periperihustle4561
    @periperihustle45614 жыл бұрын

    nice video! as a new gold/silver buyer, i'm thinking to invest in the precious metal verifier by sigma. has anyone else used this or found a cheaper way to check your gold/silver?

  • @RealLifeFinance

    @RealLifeFinance

    4 жыл бұрын

    Recently bought the sigma. Amazing machine! Had some fakes that were 70-80% gold and silver fakes. It easily caught them. Even picked up bullion which was thick coated with legit .999 gold. Its already paid fir itself in two weeks

  • @periperihustle4561

    @periperihustle4561

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@RealLifeFinance awesome, thanks jason

  • @petebusch9069
    @petebusch9069 Жыл бұрын

    What is the purpose of the serial number? do people look that number up for some type of verification?

  • @przybyla420
    @przybyla4204 жыл бұрын

    Just take it to a good jeweler and offer it to them at a really low price. If they look it over and aren't interested, you’re in trouble.

  • @massimilianoilardi3571
    @massimilianoilardi35713 жыл бұрын

    Salve il test vorrei vedere oro 24k e oeo 18carati che differenza fa

  • @user-fh3ey3ku3g
    @user-fh3ey3ku3g4 ай бұрын

    what is the magnet tester mechine name ?

  • @bikiniluvnguy1
    @bikiniluvnguy1 Жыл бұрын

    so did the tsting device ever come to be. i'm here 2 years after the vid was made

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    Жыл бұрын

    We stopped production.

  • @Arneaud
    @Arneaud3 жыл бұрын

    Where can i sell my gold at spot price

  • @paganphil100
    @paganphil1003 жыл бұрын

    How about the specific gravity test? Its very easy to do, its accurate and it doesn't require very expensive testing equipment, just a set of scales and some water (preferably distilled water).

  • @tigerlilly3727

    @tigerlilly3727

    3 жыл бұрын

    combine that with ultrasonic (like with the TM8812), magnet slide, and youre laughing all the way to the bank :)

  • @Freddy-Da-Freeloadah
    @Freddy-Da-Freeloadah3 жыл бұрын

    Great Video! Now I just need to get rich... IMHO

  • @markrahman1381
    @markrahman13813 жыл бұрын

    A Highly Professional Video 5 Star Service by Johor Bahru Branch

  • @guloguloguy
    @guloguloguy4 жыл бұрын

    WOW!!! THANK YOU, FOR THIS VERY INFORMATIVE, AND HELPFUL VIDEO!! ["SHARED" ON GAB.AI, and Xephula.com]

  • @Dave-id3gw
    @Dave-id3gw4 жыл бұрын

    When input "silverbullion.com" into my browser, it opens "ccsilver.com/" .... I realize this is not your page, but it's very misleading & dangerous for a potential buyer

  • @VerifyVeracity
    @VerifyVeracity3 жыл бұрын

    So far (2020-12-01) 12 counterfeiters have given this video a thumbs down.

  • @sjs928
    @sjs9284 жыл бұрын

    Good to know...but PRECISELY why I stay with U.S. constitutional silver and pre-33 gold coins...some ARE counterfeit , but the incidence is very low.

  • @escapefelicity2913
    @escapefelicity29134 жыл бұрын

    Get rid of the background noise

  • @ConsciousOne369

    @ConsciousOne369

    4 жыл бұрын

    Escape Felicity what background noise?

  • @escapefelicity2913

    @escapefelicity2913

    4 жыл бұрын

    @@ConsciousOne369 preferably ALL

  • @marth6271

    @marth6271

    5 ай бұрын

    Amen, brother sister carbon based life form or whatever..

  • @GillAgainsIsland12
    @GillAgainsIsland126 ай бұрын

    The Chinese counterfeit everything. So, this video provides very useful information.

  • @joelgordon604
    @joelgordon6043 жыл бұрын

    Can’t believe you melted those antique Soviet bars, some cool history destroyed

  • @chrisbudesa9355

    @chrisbudesa9355

    2 жыл бұрын

    Undoubtedly several were saved by either the owner or refiner.

  • @GuildF40
    @GuildF404 жыл бұрын

    Tried to message you twice and twice " The response from the remote server was: 550 5.4.1 Recipient address rejected: Access denied. AS(201806281) [PU1APC01FT022.eop-APC01.prod.protection.outlook.com]"

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    4 жыл бұрын

    By phone?

  • @serdgeedgerunner
    @serdgeedgerunner2 ай бұрын

    Go back to school and study science. Then you will be smart enough not to "invest" your blue collar money to silver, but payoff your credit card debts :)

  • @ducthiennguyen1020
    @ducthiennguyen1020 Жыл бұрын

    My shop really need it, how can i contact with you? im from vietnam, ho chi minh city. Tks

  • @SilverBullion

    @SilverBullion

    Жыл бұрын

    We had to reconsider development as there were inconsistencies in readings due to magnetic and electronic fields interacting with each other. We do have another tester for sale if interested.

  • @1royalwolf
    @1royalwolf3 жыл бұрын

    Here’s me running a magnet down my silver thinking I’m a pro😂😂😂

  • @NathansHVAC

    @NathansHVAC

    3 жыл бұрын

    All kinds of pro