Provident sent me these...
- ag-testing-solution-small.jpg (93.97 KiB) Viewed 5092 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.
