Activities

Laboratory for Testing of Precious Metal Articles carries out the testing and conformity assessment of articles of precious metals pursuant to the Law on Control of Precious Metal Articles (Official Gazette of Montenegro 40/10).

Testing of precious metal articles refers to:
• visual examination;
• determination of the degree of fineness.

Visual examination is used for determining:
• the state of the precious metal article submitted for testing;
• accuracy of information contained in the application for testing and hallmarking of precious metal articles;
• the existence of the prescribed marks on precious metal articles submitted for testing.

To determine the degree of fineness of precious metal articles, the following methods are used:
• touchstone testing;
• X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF).

During 2014, the Laboratory for Testing of Precious Metal Articles has been equipped with M1 MISTRAL XRF spectrometer – instrument for non-destructive testing of alloys and precious metal articles as well as certified reference materials and reference materials with optimum homogeneity suitable for the calibration of XRF spectrometer.

The procurement of this equipment contributes to the improvement of conformity assessment of precious metal articles on the market, with national legislation, as well as the competence of the Laboratory for Testing of Precious Metal Articles to achieve technically valid results.

The Law on Control of Precious Metal Articles establishes legal grounds for improvement of activities in this field, for the purposes of consumer protection. Therefore, an article of precious metals can be placed on the market if it complies with legal requirements, if it is marked pursuant to the Law on Control of Precious Metal Articles, if specified documentation is in place, and if it is marked with the national hallmark.