Analysis of precious metals searching for forgeries in coins and bullion – with SIGMASCOPE® GOLD SIGMASCOPE® GOLD for analysing coins, ingots and bullion In recent years the price of gold and other precious metals has skyrocketed, making the purity of these valuable components the most important attribute of any precious metal product. Adulterated or fraudulent alloys of highvalue coins or bullion can lead to considerable monetary losses. The only way to rule out such risks is to test the items using trusted analytical methods. For this purpose, many traditional analytical methods are unacceptable since they cause damage to both material and value: Only non-destructive methods should be used for material testing valuables made of precious metals. In addition to being reliable and reproducible, these methods must: • Identify the alloy and the precious metal content • Detect ignoble inclusions and forgeries Coating Thickness Material Analysis FISCHER offers two complementary product lines of nondestructiv testing methods, SIGMASCOPE® GOLD and FISCHERSCOPE® X-RAY XAN ®. Precious metal alloys and fine gold all differ in their electrical conductivity, making this physical dimension ideal for material analysis of bullion and coins. In just a few seconds the SIGMASCOPE GOLD can determine the conductivity of a sample with heretofore unmatched precision. While the conductivity value is an ideal characteristic for detecting fraudulent inclusions, it cannot determine all the elements. The exact composition of jewellery, coins and ingots can be determined fast and precisely by the FISCHERSCOPE X-RAY XAN product line.

Authenticity Testing Using Electrical Conductivity Conductivity measurement using FISCHER instruments With the SIGMASCOPE GOLD product line, FISCHER offers instruments that are ideally suited for determining the conductivity from precious metal coins up to large gold bullion. The instruments work non-destructively and utilise the eddy current method according to ASTM E 1004. The phase sensitive measurement signal evaluation allows for contact-free determination of the electrical conductivity even under non-conducting top layers such as plastic packaging. The penetration depth of the eddy currents...

SIGMASCOPE GOLD B for testing bullion (approx. 1 oz to 1 kg) The SIGMASCOPE GOLD B can determine the electrical conductivity of thicker gold bars up to approx. 1 kg in weight. As measurements are taken from both sides, the bars can be analysed in their full depth so the authenticity of the alloy or fine gold can be verified. Even concealed inclusions of ignoble materials with matching density (e.g. tungsten) can be detected clearly with SIGMASCOPE GOLD – and identified as fraudulent. Testing of a fine gold bullion – even under a plastic cover Schematic drawing of counterfeit gold bar with a core...

Exact Determination of the Alloy Composition FISCHERSCOPE® X-RAY XAN® 220 for high-precision analysis of gold and jewellery While the conductivity value is an ideal characteristic for detecting fraudulent inclusions buried inside an object, it cannot determine all the elements contained in an alloy. This is exactly where the x-ray fluorescence (XRF) method picks up: It has been established as an extremely precise, reliable and – above all – nondestructive method for material testing and measuring coating thickness of gold and jewellery items. But other valuables like coins and ingots can also...