As quant as touchstones sound to the modern alchemical engineer, they are still a reliable method of testing an unfamiliar metal alloy for gold--scratch a touchstone and observe the color. The more modern approach is to project a small sample with quicksilver and see if the droplet resists disappearance, as glyphs are so convenient to use these days, but it's somewhat...less satisfying than seeing the shine of the scratch. I think I prefer the stone. Someone once said that the joy of alchemy is not found in what you make, but in how you make it.

- Alchemist Kazyan, /u/StillNotABrick