Detection of metal ions in solution has been performed without employing H[subscript 2]S or any other sulfide materials. The new method is free from the interference from anions. Identification of Na[superscript +], K[superscript +], and NH[subscript 4][superscript +] has been made possible directly from an aqueous extract of the sample mixture. A technique has been developed to identify Mg[superscript 2+] directly without group separation. Metal ions have been classified into four groups by sequential treatment with 5 N HCl, Na[subscript 2]SO[subscript 4], and 5 N NaOH as group reagents. In comparison to the existing method, it is much faster and, at the same time, reliable enough.