Recommendations for testing kits, please?

This is the test kit I wound up buying. I'll definitely not scratch stuff up! I'm intrigued by the weight analysis...

I also ordered a few more books. I'm a bit of an information junkie

 

I'm impressed, you don't do things by halves.

 

@Melissa Brown -
Please let us know whether you are satisfied with the kit you ordered. I'm considering getting one, and it is always nice to get input.

TX.

 

Will do, @LIbraryLady!

 

...down the rabbit hole I go @Any Jewelry !!!

 

Well if you must, then start with things that are already damaged to see what happens.

 

I'm mostly interested in testing the stones. Someone here mentioned that if the stones are good, the settings will be. I won't need to go farther than that. I won't be damaging anything, I promise.

 

Update...just receive the test kit, ripped open the package, put the battery in the diamond tester, and it works like a charm, at least on diamonds! Man oh man. It lights up like a Christmas tree and beeps when you get a real diamond ! It also leaves no doubt when you find paste .

Haven't used the other kits yet.... thanks @Any Jewelry!

 

Glad to hear it!
Have you accidentally touched metal with it yet? It gets really upset if you do. Oh, you can have such fun with those gadgets.

 

Gadgets are like puppies and babies; it sounds so cute now I want one ... of the testers anyway.(LOL)

 

I inherited some jewelry. One ring came from Long's. A yellow stone set in 18K. I brought it directly to their store and their gemologist couldn't figure out what the stone was. She brought out all sorts of equipment and couldn't come up with an answer. Don't you think it's odd that a certified gemologist couldn't figure it out?

 

Not really, if it was one of the more obscure stones. Dravite, schleeite, titanite, vesuvianite, chrysoberyl..... You get the idea. Even I had to look up some of the names. The first ones are softer, but the last is in the same family as emerald and morganite. There are also yellow zircons, tourmaline, apatite, etc. I know some of them on sight, but the rest...phhht. No idea.

 

Okay, I just tried the metals acid testing kit on some broken gold jewelry. It's pretty amazing! Tested true to what the pieces were marked. Also, although I will certainly not scratch anything of any suspected great value, the rubbing stone that came with the kit left no mark on 14k or 22k (or higher) that I tested.

This kit is making me verrry happy!

 

So today, had someone selling odd pieces of sterling flatware. Obviously marked sterling.

S. Kirk and Son Sterling
Front of the nicest piece, a casserole spoon. Not one scratch, like they were toddlers scribbling all over the bowl of the spoon. I asked why, they said they wanted to make sure it was sterling.

Other pieces also marred, but not as bad as the spoon.

 

Why didn't they just take a dremel and write Melt Me all over it and get things over with?

 

That's horrible! (And more than a little crazy!)

 

So now they know it is sterling and worth only scrap value

 

What an idjit!

 

I used the scale today and it's a great little scale!

So, I've used almost everything in this kit now and it seems like a great deal. I'm very satisfied @LIbraryLady

 

Looks like I'll be taking the plunge, then.
TX.