**STUDIO GUIDELINE 04**

# Gold Assay Methods

An assay measures how much gold is in the sample. It does not measure lawful ground or a Free Miner Certificate.

Stamp only what has been assayed or kept as known purchased stock.

## Methods
- Touchstone / acid — karat band only
- Density — stones and hollow work lie
- Electronic pen — screening only
- XRF — skin of the object; plating can fool it
- Fire assay — can support a quality mark if the sample is representative
- ICP / wet lab — full recipe

## Studio ladder
1. No stamp, mixed origin stated — no assay required.
2. Karat band for notes — acid or XRF.
3. A quality mark — fire assay or equivalent lab method.