Trace element fingerprinting of ancient Chinese gold with femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry

In this collaborative investigation, femtosecond laser ablation-inductively coupled mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was applied to the study of a remarkable group of ancient Chinese gold objects in the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Taking advantage of the superior ablation characteristics and high precision of a femtosecond 266 nm Ti:sapphire laser at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, major, minor and trace element concentrations in the gold fragments were quantified. Results validate use of femtosecond LA-ICP-MS for revealing “fingerprints” in minute gold samples. These fingerprints allow us to establish patterns based on the association of silver, palladium and platinum that support historical, technical and stylistic relationships, and shed new light on these ancient objects.