Anyone who is familiar with the different levels of quality will quickly recognize the following markings:. They all indicate gold plating. In the same order, they mean:. These markings indicate that only a small percentage of gold was used to cover a piece that was made out of some other kind of metal in order to give it the appearance of gold.
To give you an idea of how the upper levels of purity stack up next to one another: 24k gold is This test is simple: It involves holding a piece of gold jewelry between your hands for a couple of minutes. The perspiration from your hands will either react with the metal and change the color of your skin or leave it unaffected. When real gold is in direct contact with your skin there is no discoloration. If the gold is fake it will cause your skin to turn black, blue, or green at the contact points.
One exception to this procedure occurs if you test gold on your skin while wearing a liquid foundation. When gold touches the makeup it will turn your skin black at the points of contact. Removing all makeup before testing makes this test more reliable. Alternatively, makeup can also be used to test for gold authenticity. Put on a liquid foundation and add powder over it. Once the makeup has dried, press the piece of jewelry against your skin and then run it lightly over your skin where you have the makeup.
If the jewelry leaves a black track on the makeup, you probably have real gold. Gold is extremely nonreactive, so real gold jewelry will never discolor your skin. If there are discolorations in gold jewelry it means you have an alloy where there are other metals mixed in. Gold is denser than most other metals. If you have a piece that looks too large for its weight or feels too light for its size, then you probably have fake gold.
Bullion coins are actual coins made from precious metals, including gold, silver, palladium, or platinum. They serve as collectibles, investments, or as a hedge against inflation. Hold a strong magnet next to a piece of gold and watch for a reaction. Gold is not magnetic, so there should not be any attraction to magnets.
However, some of the base metals that can be mixed with gold are also non-magnetic so you can get a false read. Just drop the piece into a container of water. Gold is dense. Take an unglazed ceramic plate or piece of tile and scrape a piece of gold across its surface.
Real gold will leave a gold mark or trail. Other metals will leave a black trail. If you are dealing with strictly scrap gold, you can use the nitric acid test to test if gold is real. Please note that it is not advisable to use this test on jewelry that you plan to keep or that has aesthetic value for resale.
To perform this test to check if gold is real, make a light, tiny scratch on the item using a small nail file. Choose a spot that is not noticeable if possible. Use a dropper to apply a small drop of nitric acid to the scratch. If there is no reaction, then the piece is probably made from real gold.
You are most likely dealing with another metal or even a gold-plated item if you see green. Gold-over-sterling will leave a milky substance when nitric acid is applied.
When nitric acid comes into contact with real gold, no chemical reaction occurs. However, nitric acid does react with other common metal alloys such as sterling silver, copper, and zinc. If you witness a light greenish colored reaction, then your gold engagement ring is not made of real gold. Be sure to read the instructions and take all necessary precautions gloves, goggles, proper ventilation, etc.
Notably, nitric acid is hard to come by because it can be explosive under the right circumstances. However, you can invariably find it at most chemical supply houses or on eBay. This way to test gold at home is not as reliable as some, but it is a good way to know if gold is real or fake. Apply liquid foundation and powder to your forehead. If you have a relatively strong magnet something stronger than a fridge magnet , you can easily test if your gold is real by placing the magnet near the piece and seeing if it is attracted to the magnet.
This test uses a simple pantry item—vinegar! Simply take a few drops of vinegar and drop it onto your gold item. If your item is real gold, the drops will not change the color of the item! This test requires a little more time than some of the other tests, but is especially helpful for jewelry. It will also reveal if a piece of jewelry is fake over time, that you thought was real and maybe had no initial suspicions about!
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