The determination of layer thickness of archaeological glasses and Cu, Au, and Ag alloys is described in x-ray fluorescence analysis. The method is based on the ratio of the intensity of radiation emitted by the layer to the total intensity of radiation. Elements of the sample sur-face have a marked effect on thickness measurements. For the alloys, the variation is a few mum for Al to 300 mum for heavy elements, and in glasses, the variations could attain several mm for heavy elements. -- AATA