canukgold 0 Report post Posted October 12, 2015 Hi, recently I split 3 samples and sent 3 samples to a certified lab in British Columbia Canada and the same 3 samples to a lab in Pahrump, NV. Results from the certified lab came back with understandable results while results from the NV lab came back with one sample at 1/6 th of the certified lab; one at 1/20 th and one at 1000 times higher. The NV lab is not certified and the numbers are whatever suits. What a waste of time and money. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reno Chris 101 Report post Posted October 12, 2015 Which Nevada lab did you use? Chris Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chickenminer 42 Report post Posted October 13, 2015 I'm curious, what is a "certified" lab anyway ? One would expect it to mean they have to meet certain standards and are monitored, but terms can be used loosely. Also, does it mean the same across borders ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Reno Chris 101 Report post Posted October 14, 2015 Hi Dick, As you guessed, there are some industry groups that put out samples. the participating labs test them and if results are accurate they can claim to be certified. I think the ones I remember are tested in at least the US and Canada. We used to use an umpire lab in Canada. Umpire assays are used to test disputed results. An example might be that you send a lot of gold-silver dore to an assayer, and his results are different than yours, so a sample is sent to an umpire assayer for testing. It makes a huge difference what assayer you use, and its important to use reputable ones. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites