Buying old gold
Test before you pay
A benchtop XRF reads the gold and the other metals in the alloy; the portable tester gives a karat while the seller is still at the counter.
For showrooms · old gold buyers · gold loan desks
Equipment for jewellery showrooms and gold buyers
Know what you are buying, show customers what they are getting.
For jewellery retailers and gold buyers, Semsons Tech supplies benchtop XRF gold analyzers (karat meters) such as the Signet FSDD, a portable electronic karat tester and a gold coin tester; diamond, lab-grown and moissanite testers; laser marking for logos and inside-ring text; laser welders for chain repair; jewellery photography light boxes; and note counting machines for the cash counter.
By job
What a showroom needs, job by job
Coins and bullion
Check below the surface
A plated or filled coin can pass a surface test. The gold coin tester screens coins and bars for a hidden core.
Diamonds
Natural, lab-grown or moissanite
A thermal tester reads lab-grown diamond as diamond and can pass moissanite. Screeners and conductivity testers separate them.
- Presidium testers
- CVD / HPHT screeners
- J-Certain, G-Certain, SmartPro
Personalisation
Engraving and name pendants
Mark your logo, a lot code or a message inside a ring, and cut name pendants, in the shop.
Repairs
Chain and clasp repair
A laser welder joins a link without heating the stones or the links beside it.
Online catalogue
Product photography
Light boxes, light tents, turntables and the Smart 360 Dome for even, shadow-controlled photos of every piece.
At the cash counter
Counting and checking cash
Note counting machines
Note counting machines from the Smart X Pro and Sentro Mix to the ST-100 UV/MG and a desktop bundle counter, plus weighing scales and packaging.
Fake notes at the counter
Why fake notes reach the cash counter, and how a note counting machine helps stop them.
Talk to someone who knows the machines
Tell us what you produce. We reply within one working day with a recommendation, a demonstration or a written quotation.
Guides for retailers
Read before you buy
- How to check gold purity Hallmark, HUID, karat meters and XRF
- Gold testing machine price in India Karat meter vs XRF vs electronic tester
- Buying old gold Test it at the counter before you pay
- XRF gold testing explained How it works and how accurate it is
- Diamond testers explained Lab-grown, CVD and moissanite
- Repairing a broken gold chain With a laser welder
Before you choose
Questions that decide the tester
- Do your readings need to stand up on paper, or guide a decision at the counter?
- Do you test only jewellery, or coins and bars too?
- Does the tester stay at one counter, or travel to branches and customers?
- Do you buy diamond-set pieces or loose stones from customers?
- How many pieces do you test on a busy day?
- Is there space for a 40 kg benchtop unit and its computer?
Enquiry
Ask which equipment suits your shop
Tell us what you buy and sell, and how many pieces you test a day. We recommend in writing.
What happens next
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A reply within one working day
With the tester we would choose for your counter, and why.
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A demonstration if you want one
On the pieces you buy every day.
Equipment for my shop
What you buy and sell, and how many pieces you test a day.
Questions
Questions from jewellers
Which gold testing machine should a jewellery shop buy?
For a counter where readings must stand up, a benchtop XRF analyzer, often called a karat meter, such as the Signet FSDD (±0.10% on gold) or the Signet-PC with its built-in computer. For quick checks anywhere in the shop or on a visit, the portable electronic karat tester. For coins and bars, the gold coin tester, which screens below the surface.
Is a portable gold tester enough for an old-gold counter?
For a quick karat reading while the seller waits, often yes. When a piece looks plated or filled, or the result must be recorded, add a second check: a benchtop XRF analyzer reads the whole alloy, and the gold coin tester checks coins and bars below the surface.
Can a diamond tester tell lab-grown diamonds from natural ones?
A standard thermal tester cannot: lab-grown diamond is diamond, so it reads as diamond. Screening for lab-grown stones needs a CVD/HPHT screener, and separating moissanite needs a tester that also measures electrical conductivity.
Can a shop repair broken chains with a laser?
Yes. A jewellery laser welder joins a chain link or clasp with a small, precise weld instead of a torch, so stones and nearby links are not heated. Our chain repair guide walks through it.
Does a laser marking machine hallmark jewellery?
No. A laser marks your logo, a lot code or a message inside a ring. The BIS hallmark itself is applied only by a recognised assaying and hallmarking centre.