Touchstone (assaying tool)


A touchstone is a small tablet of dark stone such as slate or lydite, used for assaying precious metal alloys. It has a finely grained surface on which soft metals leave a visible trace.

History

The touchstone was used during the Harappah period of the Indus Valley Civilization ca. 2600–1900 BC for testing the purity of soft metals. It was also used in Ancient Greece.

Operation

Drawing a line with gold on a touchstone will leave a visible trace. Because different alloys of gold have different colours the unknown sample can be compared to samples of known purity. This method has been used since ancient times. In modern times, additional tests can be done. The trace will react in different ways to specific concentrations of nitric acid or aqua regia, thereby identifying the quality of the gold. Thus, 24 carat gold is not affected but 14 carat gold will show chemical activity.