Testing Acid: Be Careful Where You Buy It

[natsb88]

I ordered a few little things from Provident at the beginning of February. I was out of silver testing solution and figured I would just add two bottles to my Provident order instead of placing a bulk wholesale order.

Provident sent me these...

ag-testing-solution-small.jpg (93.97 KiB) Viewed 3293 times

...which are quite degraded.

Fresh solution is bright red.



So I contacted them.

2/8/18

Hello,

I received this order today. The silver testing solution is old and degraded.

Please take a look at the bottom of this page for a comparison of fresh solution (bright red and transparent) versus degraded solution (dark red and more opaque):

https://www.fakebullion.com/index.php/r ... id-testing

Also see the attached photo of the solution I received.

Testing solution in this degraded condition should be disposed of. It is not reliable. Silver testing solution only has a shelf life of a couple months and should be stored in a cool, dark environment.

Thanks,
Nate

2/13/18

Dear Nate,

Thank you for contacting Provident Metals. We appreciate the opportunity to serve you.

We apologize for our delayed response. It does look like the silver testing solution has started to degrade, but we have tested our inventory and the solution is still accurate when testing silver. We recommend testing the solution to make sure it works for you as well.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Kind Regards,
Melissa

2/15/18

Hi Melissa,

This silver testing solution has reached the end of its shelf life and is not suited for retail sale, particularly to customers who may be inexperienced with testing silver. The acid becomes less effective as it ages and the dark color makes it more difficult to see the important color changes that occur when the acid hits base metals that lie under common plated counterfeit silver items. It really shouldn't be held in inventory longer than 4-6 weeks and it needs to be stored in a cool, dark place. Exposing it to light and warm temperatures accelerates the degradation. I encourage you to replace any remaining inventory that has turned dark red like this and to store new bottles inside a box to keep out the light, and on the bottom shelf where it may be a little cooler. Inventory should be dated when it comes in and disposed of if not sold after 4-6 weeks.

Thanks,
Nate

There was no further response from Provident and no offer to replace the old, degraded solution they sent me.

Provident is not alone in mishandling testing solutions. They are a slow moving, low profit, afterthought item for most dealers and tend to collect dust on a shelf for a long time. That's really not a problem for scales, magnets, testing stones, or calipers (check the batteries though), but it is a problem for acid solutions that have a shelf life. Be careful where you buy testing solutions.

[Robarons]

Thanks for the informative article Nate!

Was expecting this to go the other way when I saw the pics thinking do not buy the stuff off ebay however a big name did this- real shame too.

Will keep my eyes open

[Recyclersteve]

Good to know- thanks Nate.

At least I didn't see a Youtube video of you putting "the obsolete stuff" on your tongue to "prove" that it isn't good anymore.

[johnbrickner]

I tested two batches of acid a while back. The first was made with blotter. It was of superior quality and tested with fantastic results. The colors were bright and sharp.

The 2nd a version of Orange Sunshine (tasted like it was cut with Tang) It must have been old or processed poorly as it tested with no results. It was colored orange so maybe it was just Tang.

Conclusion: Nate is right, be very careful where and who you buy it from.

Disclaimer: LSD is a potentially illegal substance, and we do not encourage or condone the use of this substance where it is against the law. The above advice is strictly for your entertainment and educational enjoyment.

[hobo finds]

I would contact the CEO Joe Merrick and let him know that his company dose not seem to care what they are selling or if there customer is happy with there product and service! If this was your company you would want to know when there are problems...

[Thogey]

And don't put it next to your eyedrops.

A guy I know recently accidentally dropped his eye with some. Can you imagine the moment you realized what you did.

Needless to say the dude's eye is very messed up. True.

[mflugher]

Thanks for clarifying what the bad stuff looks like. I've had this issue often in my store with the silver acid losing effectiveness.

Having said that I've never had any real issue with the Karat acids going bad.