Another complementary method for measuring the bars and coins is to determine the, so-called magnetic susceptibility properties, with the MagneticScreenScale. This method can check through blisters and packaging up to a certain thickness and determine whether the applied material has the correct magnetic behaviour (para- or diamagnetic). The magnetic balance is a purely qualitative process and a quantitative determination of the gold content is not possible.

So you can check the presence of a potential foreign metal inclusion - that's why we often refer to the magnetic balance as a “tungsten detector”. Because a gold bar, as a so-called diamagnet, displaces a magnetic field and counteracts it - this creates pressure on the measuring head and a positive value is displayed. If you put on a supposedly real fine gold bar and a negative value appears, something is usually “fishy”.

Please note that if the material, that is being counterfeited, is also a diamagnet, a positive value will also appear and detection of the counterfeit with the magnetic balance alone is impossible.