Ask first, post later
Start with a question, not a parcel. Send a photo on WhatsApp or call, and you will get a straight answer on what testing tier suits your item and what the report will cover. None of it commits you to posting anything.
This is a UK-wide postal testing service. There is no shop to visit and no counter. Wherever you live, the process is the same: ask first, then decide.
What this pack is for
One item, one report. The pack suits anyone with a single piece they want a straight answer on — a ring inherited from a grandparent, a chain bought on holiday, a watch case with a worn or missing hallmark, a sovereign or a Krugerrand whose provenance is fuzzy, or a small bar with markings that do not look quite right.
For more than one item, the family pack at £65 (up to 5 items) is the better value. The triage WhatsApp will tell you which one fits.
What is in the report
- Item photo at high resolution, front and back, with a reference scale.
- Item ID (a short reference and a QR code on the back page).
- Multi-point scan trace — three or more scan points, each shown.
- Full elemental table in parts per thousand: gold, silver, copper, palladium, zinc, nickel and any trace elements present.
- Plain-English summary in one paragraph that a non-specialist can read.
- Hallmark cross-check: photo of the mark, interpretation, and how the actual composition compares to it.
- Plating screen result: pass, fail, or "consistent with solid".
- Indicative scrap-equivalent value at the live gold or silver spot price on the test date, clearly labelled as not an offer.
- The not-a-hallmark disclaimer in plain English on the front page.
- QR-verified report link on goldpaid.co.uk so a third party can confirm the report number and content.
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. A written PDF report arrives by email, and your item is dispatched back on the same day, fully insured.
Postal cover and safety
Your parcel is insured up to £2,500 via Royal Mail Special Delivery. For higher cover we can arrange a tracked courier before you post, with the cover level agreed in writing first.
Tracking begins the moment the parcel is scanned at the Post Office counter. You receive the tracking reference straight after we issue the label, and again the moment the parcel arrives with us.
Return policy
Every item is returned by tracked, insured Special Delivery the same day the report is finalised. The return is included in what you have already paid. Nothing else is added at the end.
If we cannot complete a test for any reason — for example, the surface is too contaminated, or the item is a non-metallic composite — you are refunded in full and the item goes back the same day.
Testing is testing
Plenty of gold buyers will offer a "free test" if you send your item in. That is a sales tool, not an independent service. This page is the other way round: you pay for the test and the report stands on its own. Whether you sell anything afterwards is a separate decision, and one we do not get involved in unless you ask.
The full reasoning is on the dedicated independence pledge page.
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.
Built to be trusted, not just believed
- Owner-run, with a named founder accountable for the service
- Every item XRF-assayed, the result shown to you in writing
- Free insured postage both ways, so a valuation is genuinely no-obligation
- Honest about its limits, including when a specialist would suit you better
- No fabricated reviews and no invented numbers, anywhere on the site
Common questions
Will the report value the item for insurance?
Not by default. The £35 single-item report shows an indicative scrap-equivalent value at the live spot price, which is not an insurance reinstatement valuation. If you want a reinstatement-value valuation added, the Insurance Valuation Add-on is +£25 per item.
What if my item turns out to be plated?
The report says so clearly. The multi-point scan picks up the plating signature, the report flags it on the front page, and you still get the full elemental table for the underlying alloy.
How big can the item be?
Up to the limits of Royal Mail Special Delivery (small parcels). For larger items or very high-value single pieces, ask first — we can arrange a tracked courier with cover above the £2,500 default.
Can I add a second item later?
Yes. If you have already paid for the single-item pack and decide to add a second item, the family pack price stands as the new total — we deduct what you have already paid and you settle the difference.