Gold has always been a highly valued commodity. It has been the most valuable and sought after precious metal in history. It has been prized above all other metals for centuries and will likely always hold value. But, with that value comes common frauds and forgeries. Testing the purity and value of any precious metal is crucial to verify the true value of any item. Some gold buyers and dealers test gold to protect themselves from any loss or mistake, and often factor the risk associated with their less-reliable testing methods into their payouts.

At Ottawa Gold, we test your items with the industry’s most advanced equipment and procedures so that you can feel comfortable with the content and purity of your items and make an informed decision on whether to sell your items or not.

The one drawback with gold’s use in industry is that it is relatively soft. To combat its weakness, gold is usually alloyed with other metals such as silver, copper, platinum or nickel. Gold alloys are measured by karats. A karat is a unit equal to 1/24 part of pure gold in an alloy. In other words, 24 karat gold is pure gold, while 18 karat gold is 18 parts gold to 6 parts other metal, or 75% pure gold.