Gold is a valuable metal, so it’s not surprising that it’s often imitated in fake jewelry and mixed metals. By most international standards, any metal that contains less than 41.7% or 10 karat gold is considered fake. If you’re wondering if your gold is real, the most reliable way to check is to take the piece to a certified jeweler. If you’re not ready to take that step, you can form an opinion by examining the gold and checking its basic properties.
Method 1: Visual Inspection
This distinctive mark or seal will tell you what percentage of gold a piece contains. Often the hallmark is printed on jewelry clasps or the inside of rings. It is normally visible on the surface of coins and precious metals. The stamp will be a number from 1 to 999 or from 0K to 24K, depending on the grading system used.
Use a magnifying glass to help you identify the seal. It can be hard to see with the naked eye, especially on smaller pieces like gold rings.
Older pieces may not have visible stamps. Sometimes they have worn away over time, and in other cases, they were never sealed. Hallmarking became fashionable in the 1950s in some regions, but for example, in India, it only became mandatory after the year 2000.
Method 2: Test For Magnetism And Other Basic Properties
Find a container large enough for your gold piece and water. The water temperature is not important, lukewarm water is fine. True gold is a dense metal, so it should sink right to the bottom of the glass. Imitation gold is much lighter and floats.
Real gold also doesn’t oxidize or tarnish when it gets wet, so if your piece shows discoloration, it’s probably gold-plated.
Method 3: Perform A Density Test
Find a container large enough for your gold piece and water. The water temperature is not important, lukewarm water is fine. True gold is a dense metal, so it should sink right to the bottom of the glass. Imitation gold is much lighter and floats.
Real gold also doesn’t oxidize or tarnish when it gets wet, so if your piece shows discoloration, it’s probably gold-plated.
Method 4: The Nitric Acid Test
Gold test kits include various bottles of nitric acid, for different types of gold. Some even come with a piece of smooth stone called a touchstone that can be used to scratch some of the gold of your piece. It may also come with white and yellow gold sample needles for you to compare to the gold in your possession.
- These test kits can be found online or at your local jewelry store. Many jewelers perform this test, as it is very accurate.
