Guides · Gold testing
Gold testing in Mirpur: what the machine actually shows
Many jewellers in Mirpur now check gold on a gold testing machine, often called the “computer test” (XRF). It is quick, it doesn’t cut or damage the jewellery, and it gives you numbers instead of opinions. This guide explains what the machine test shows, what it can’t tell you, and how to keep a record you can check later.
What the gold testing machine (computer test) is
The machine shines a small, focused X-ray beam at the jewellery. Each metal in the gold answers with its own signal, and the machine works out how much of each metal is there, as a percentage. That is what XRF (X-ray fluorescence) means.
- It is generally non-destructive. The jewellery is not normally cut, scraped or put in acid: a suitable spot is simply placed in the machine.
- You can watch it. The reading appears on the machine’s screen and can be printed.
- It reads metals, not karat directly. The karat comes from the gold percentage the machine measures.
What happens in the shop
- The piece is weighed. The gross weight is the whole piece. If it has stones, beads or lac, the net gold weight is worked out separately: ask how those parts are taken off.
- The piece is tested on the machine, in front of you, and the reading is shown on the screen or printout.
- The readings are written down. Gold, silver and copper percentages, any other metals found, the weights and the karat the reading points to.
- Expensive pieces get a second check. On KompasMove shops, a second member of staff confirms the test before the report is issued, for pieces above a value the shop sets.
Reading the result: gold, silver and copper
Pure gold is too soft for everyday jewellery, so it is mixed with other metals. The gold percentage is the number that matters most:
Silver and copper are the usual mixing metals: they make the gold harder and change its colour. More copper gives a redder shade. The machine may also list very small amounts of other metals. The main metals together come to about 100%.
Example reading: a 22K bangle tested in October 2026
91.69% gold points to 22K. This is one reading of one spot; your own piece will have its own figures.
What the machine can’t tell you
- It reads the surface. The machine measures the outside of the spot it tests. A thick plating over a different metal, or a hollow piece filled with something else, may not show up in the reading. Weight, a careful look at the piece, and a shop willing to put the result in writing all help.
- It isn’t a hallmark. The report is a record of the shop’s test on that day, not a government certificate.
- Small differences are normal. Two machines, or two spots on the same piece, can give slightly different figures. A reading that is far from the karat you are paying for is worth asking about.
The purity report and its QR code
On KompasMove shops the readings are saved as a Gold Purity Test Report with the weights, the karat, a photo of the piece and the customer’s name. The report has a QR code: scan it and the original record opens on verify.kompasmove.com.
- Reports can’t be edited. If something was entered wrongly, the shop issues a replacement report, and the old one says it has been replaced.
- You can check it any time, in the shop or later from home, including from the UK. How to check a report.
Before you pay: quick checklist
- 1Watch the piece being weighed: gross and net gold weight.
- 2Watch the machine test and look at the screen or printout.
- 3Check the karat on the report matches the karat you are paying for.
- 4Scan the QR code: the page must open on verify.kompasmove.com.
- 5Keep the receipt (how the price is worked out) and the report together.
Aksar pooche jane wale sawal
Kya machine test se zewar ko nuqsan hota hai?
Aam tor par nahin. Machine sirf upar se reading leti hai: zewar ko na kaata jata hai, na ghisa jata hai, na tezaab lagaya jata hai.
22 karat mein kitna sona hota hai?
Takreeban 91.6 percent. Report par machine ki asal reading aur us se banne wala karat dono likhe hote hain.
Report asli hai ya nahin, kaise pata karein?
QR code scan karein. Page verify.kompasmove.com par khulna chahiye, aur us par readings, wazan aur photo aap ki report se match karne chahiye.
More guides
Next: How Mirpur jewellers set the price. Visiting from the UK? Read Buying gold in Mirpur from the UK.