You stay in control
A photo on WhatsApp is enough for us to tell you which testing pack fits, what the report can and cannot tell you, and what it will cost. Only when you are comfortable do you order the pack.
No part of this involves a shop visit. The testing service is postal-only, anywhere in the UK, with the phone and WhatsApp answered 8am to 9pm, seven days a week.
What the sample report shows that no other page does
The sample report page is the only one on the site that reproduces an actual written test document — the layout, the metal shares to one decimal place, the item IDs, the sponsor and standard marks noted beside each piece, and the signature block. The pack pages describe what the report contains in prose; this page shows the artefact itself, which is what an executor, solicitor or auction cataloguer needs before relying on it for an estate. No pricing, no offer, no commercial routing on this page — the report is the point.
The layout of a single-item report
- Page 1: Front summary. Item ID, customer reference, testing date, plain-English headline ("This item is consistent with solid 9ct gold (375 ppt)"), the not-a-hallmark disclaimer, and the unique report number.
- Page 2: Photographs. Front, back, and a close-up of any hallmark, with a reference scale.
- Page 3: Multi-point scan trace. Each scan position numbered with the result for that position. Edge / centre / hallmark-area readings shown side by side.
- Page 4: Full elemental table. Every element identified, in parts per thousand. Gold, silver, copper, palladium, zinc, nickel, plus any trace elements.
- Page 5: Hallmark cross-check. The hallmark interpreted in plain English, with how the actual composition compares to the legal minimum standard the hallmark guarantees.
- Page 6: Plating screen result. Pass / fail / consistent-with-solid, with the multi-point evidence summarised.
- Page 7: Fine-metal content. The weight of pure gold, silver or platinum the composition works out to, read from the measured purity and weight. The report carries no price and no offer.
- Page 8: Disclaimer and escalation routes. The full Hallmarking Act 1973 disclaimer, the UK Assay Office fire-assay escalation route for disputed high-value items, and the route to a reinstatement-value insurance valuation.
What a probate report adds
A probate report follows the same format with a few additions: an executor cover letter on the front page, a numbered group photograph, ranked summary by fine gold content, and the recommendation block for items individually likely to be worth £1,500 or more.
Ask on WhatsApp or by email for an example probate report as a PDF, so a solicitor or executor can review the format before commissioning a pack.
The process, step by step
- Start with a photo. A clear WhatsApp photo of the item is enough for us to tell you which pack fits, what the report will show, and what the price will be.
- Pay and get your label. Once you order, a free Royal Mail Special Delivery label and a QR code for the counter are emailed straight back.
- Send it in your own time. Use any padded envelope. The label stays valid until used. There is no time pressure on you.
- Tested by handheld XRF. Each item is scanned at multiple points with a Thermo Scientific Niton XL2 precious-metal analyser. The full elemental table goes into the report.
- Report inside 24 to 48 hours, or 48 to 72 hours for the probate pack. A written PDF report arrives by email, and your item is dispatched back on the same day by tracked Royal Mail Special Delivery, with cover that may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used.
How items travel
Your parcel travels on Royal Mail Special Delivery, and Royal Mail cover may be available up to £2,500 depending on the postal method and cover level used, and if a parcel may be worth more than that we split it across more than one prepaid label at no charge, each with its own tracking number and cover.
Special Delivery is signed for at every handover. We send a confirmation by WhatsApp when the parcel reaches us, and the same again on the return leg once the report has been issued.
What you get back, and when
Your item is returned by Royal Mail Special Delivery on the same working day the report is issued. Return postage and its cover are included in the testing fee. There is no separate return charge.
If, for any reason, an item cannot be tested (badly damaged surface, non-metallic core, equipment misalignment), we tell you straight, refund the testing fee, and return the item the same day.
A test, not a sales pitch
The XRF testing service is paid-for and stands on its own. The report is what you bought. Nothing inside it is an offer, an invitation to sell, or a hidden valuation. Nobody running the test has a commission tied to whether you become a selling customer afterwards.
If you separately want a no-obligation offer for the item, you can ask. If you do not ask, nobody chases.
What this report is, and what it is not
The report identifies the elemental composition of an item to the accuracy of the analyser. It does not replace a UK hallmark, an Assay Office fire assay, or a written valuation from a qualified valuer for insurance reinstatement purposes. We say so in plain English on the front page of every report.
If a report leaves any doubt, we will tell you what the next step would be, typically a UK Assay Office fire assay (destructive but definitive) for high-value disputes, or a written insurance valuation from a qualified independent valuer for reinstatement cover.
Why sell to GoldPaid
GoldPaid is a small, owner-run UK business built on one promise: show the working. Every item is weighed and XRF-assayed, and every offer is itemised in writing. Postage is free and tracked both ways, and there is never a countdown or a hard sell. If something is worth more to a specialist than to us, we say so.
What decides your offer
Every parcel is opened at our Bristol office and each piece is handled on its own. Nothing is averaged across the parcel.
- Weight. Each item is weighed on calibrated scales. Stones, steel springs, non-gold clasps and cores are separated first, so you are paid on metal, not on what the piece looks like on the scales.
- Purity. Each item is tested with an XRF analyser, which reads the alloy without marking or damaging it. The hallmark tells us what the maker claimed; the XRF tells us what is actually there. We pay on the test.
- The market on the day. Gold and silver are priced against the live precious-metal market at the time your parcel is assessed, not at the time you posted.
- Condition and intact value. Broken is fine and does not reduce a metal offer. Where a piece is worth more intact (a named maker, a collectable coin, a locket with provenance) we tell you before testing, so you can choose.
- Anything that is not gold or silver. Plated, rolled-gold and base-metal items are listed on the offer at nothing and returned to you free. We never quietly keep them.
Why we do not publish a per-gram price list. A single printed rate hides the things that change the figure: hollow versus solid, stones, mixed carats in one bag, a mark that does not match the metal. We would rather show you the weight, the tested purity and the figure for each item, in writing, and let you decide. Final offers depend on inspection, item weight, purity, hallmarks, stones, non-gold components, condition and the live precious-metal market.
What you see before you decide. A written, itemised offer by WhatsApp or email: every item, its weight, its tested purity, and its figure. Accept and we aim to pay by bank transfer within one working hour. Decline and the whole parcel comes back by Royal Mail Special Delivery at our cost. No fee, no deduction, no questions.
Common questions
Is the format the same on every pack?
The single-item, family, estate and probate packs share the same anatomy. The probate pack adds the executor cover letter and the ranked summary. The plating check is a shorter report focused on the binary plating result.
Will my report follow this layout?
Yes, same structure, same headings. The parts unique to you are your item photos, your scan readings, your hallmark cross-check and your own composition figures.
Not the question you had? The full GoldPaid FAQ covers the rest, from postal cover and ID checks to what happens if you decline the offer.
Request a prepaid Royal Mail label for your XRF test
Tell us which pack you want in the note on the first step and we will confirm the price and how to pay before anything is charged. The label is prepaid and costs you nothing, and your items are returned to you free once the report is issued. Here to sell rather than to have items tested? Testing is free as part of selling, and how it works is the page you want.
Rather ask a question or send a photo first? Message us on WhatsApp.
GOLDPAID LTD · 07944 014111