Auracle ANALYZER and PRO Compared - which is best?
CONTENTS
WHICH TESTER IS BEST FOR YOU?
ANALYZER OR PRO? - by user type
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS COMPARISON
ANALYZER OR PRO? - do they test for everything?
FURTHER INFORMATION
WHICH TESTER IS BEST FOR YOU?
If you are ready to buy now and just need to see the product pages, see the Auracle ANALYZER or the Auracle PRO.
Still not sure? View our deep-dive reviews and technical tips here:
ANALYZER OR PRO? - by user type
The Auracle ANALYZER is best if:
- You are a hobbyist or collector checking items that are unlikely to be gold, but you want to be sure; you are an antiques/second-hand dealer who needs to check every purchase to see which items might be gold; you deal in costume jewellery and need to catch the occasional gold item that slips through. In all these cases you just need something simple that will reliably show you the carat.
Either model is suitable if:
- You do deal in "real" jewellery, though that's not your main business, and you usually stick to hallmarked items just to be on the safe side. But now that the price of gold is so high you don't want to turn down non-hallmarked items. The ANALYZER will be quite sufficient but if you can afford it, go go for the PRO.
The Auracle PRO is best if:
- You buy scrap. When you buy you test for carat (9, 14, 18, 22) and that's good enough, but when you send it to be melted you need to know the percentage of gold in each batch, then you can calculate the percentage you are being paid relative the official gold price on the day of melt. That way, you can keep an eye on your profit, and you can also check the accuracy of your testing (If you don't understand any of that - go for the ANALYZER!). Basically: the PRO is the most 'versatile in terms of features.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS COMPARISON
| Feature | Auracle ANALYZER | Auracle PRO |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance | Basic | Slick |
| Displays | LED lights for Carat Small LCD display for instructions |
One large LCD display |
| Readout | Carat |
Standard mode: carat Advanced mode: percentage |
| Range | 8ct to 24ct |
Not Gold, then |
| Accuracy |
Not measured but the error in the carat reading (4 standard carats) will be This applies to both the Analyzer and the Pro. |
Based on |
| Power | Battery & Mains | Battery & Mains |
| Battery Warning | "Low Batt" Text | Percentage remaining |
| Calibration | One 18ct sample | One 18ct sample |
| Processor |
Same as the famous KEE tester, |
Specialized PRO processor |
| Pen-Probe Life | Up to 6,000 tests | Up to 6,000 tests |
ANALYZER OR PRO? - do they test for everything?
Electronic gold testers of this type are for testing jewellery, they might not be suitable (your feedback welcome) for testing powder, granules, nuggets or flecks in quartz.
Also:
- Does not test silver (silver reads 'not gold')
- Palladium reads as gold (usually somewhere between 10 and 14ct)
- White gold: when the alloy has nickel added to the gold you get a reading that is too low; or with a high silver content you get a reading that is too high. There's no way of knowing if the reading is too low, too high, or exactly right.
For these, get yourself the special set of acids designed for use with electronic testers, the Q3-FOR-EGT. Acids also give the most accurate readings on high carat gold (e.g. if you need to distinguish between 20ct and 22ct, or between 21ct and 24ct.).
FURTHER INFORMATION
- Not sure what type of tester to get? See our fascinating article, Twelve methods of testing gold, silver and platinum.
- For small very fragile/valuable items such as rare coins (and also loose gemstones) see the specific gravity tester.
- Finally, do remember that acids are the most versatile and accurate for testing precious metals, see What he various testing kits do and Testing white metals.
- You have read about the limitations of electronic and need acids to test the precious metals that electronic gold testers can't cope with - see our special Q3 for use with electronic gold testers. Please note, this is only available for sale with electronic gold testers.