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How Do You Know Gold Is Real

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How do you tell if gold is real, gilt plated, or fake? By well-nigh international standards, annihilation with less than 41.vii% or 10 karats of gold is considered fake. To test your jewelry or gilt at dwelling, you can perform a few easy tests–mostly with items you already have, similar water, vinegar, and magnets. You don't have to be a certified jeweler to get a expert idea of whether or not your gold is real, and nosotros'll requite you lot footstep-by-step instructions to test your gilded right now.

  1. 1

    Drop the gold into a jug of water to see if information technology sinks. Get a container big enough to hold both the water and the gold yous'd similar to exam. The water temperature you use doesn't really thing, so lukewarm water is fine. Existent gilt is a dense metal, so it falls direct to the lesser of the jug. Imitation gilded is much lighter and floats.[1]

    • Existent gold besides doesn't rust or tarnish when wet, so if you see a discoloration, you probably have plated gilded.

  2. 2

    Put a few drops of vinegar on the gold. Set your jewelry or gold slice onto a flat surface. Use an eyedropper to apply a scrap of vinegar and allow information technology sit down for near 15 minutes. Real aureate won't alter color, but faux gold volition.[2]

    • You can also submerge the gold in a glass container with vinegar for 15 minutes. This is a slightly riskier method because vinegar might damage semi-precious stones on gilded jewelry.

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  3. 3

    Discover whatever noticeable discolorations where the gold has worn away. Gold is pretty soft for a metallic, then plated gold frequently rubs away over time. The best places to cheque are effectually the edges of jewelry and coins. These spots ofttimes rub upwards against your skin and clothing throughout the twenty-four hours. If yous see a different metal underneath the aureate, you know your item is plated and not considered real gold.[three]

    • For instance, a silverish coloring might point silver or titanium. A red coloring could mean copper or brass.

    EXPERT TIP

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Sometime President, International Gemological Constitute & Graduate Gemologist

    Jerry Ehrenwald, GG, ASA, is a graduate gemologist in New York Metropolis. He is the previous President of the International Gemological Institute and the inventor of U.Southward.-patented Laserscribe℠, a means of laser inscribing onto a diamond a unique indicia, such as a DIN (Diamond Identification Number). He is a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and is a member of the 20-Four Karat Club of the City of New York, a social guild limited to 200 of the nearly achieved individuals in the jewelry business.

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Jerry Ehrenwald
    Former President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist

    Our Expert Agrees: Suspicious marks and discolorations effectually the edges of the item are often telltale signs that the aureate is simulated. Even so, if the item is not 24k gold, which is considered pure gold, it may tarnish over time as the base metals are exposed to oxygen.

  4. 4

    Note whatever discolorations on your peel from wearing or holding the gilt. Pure gold doesn't react with sweat or oil from your pare, so if you run into blackness or light-green marks, they are from other metals. Silver leaves behind black marks and copper leaves behind light-green marks. If you see a lot of these marks on your skin, your gold may be less pure than you expect.[4]

    • Keep in mind that most aureate items are blends of gilt and other metals. Even something like a 14K slice of jewelry, 58.iii% gold, tin leave these marks. Utilize other tests also to ensure your gold is authentic.

  5. v

    Hold a strong magnet up to come across if the gold sticks to it. For this test, you lot demand a potent magnet capable of pulling even metal blends. Move the magnet over the gold and detect how it reacts. Gold isn't magnetic, so don't exist fooled by anything that sticks. If the magnet pulls the aureate toward information technology, your item is either impure or a fake.[5]

    • Regular kitchen magnets might not exist potent enough. For improve accuracy, buy a powerful neodymium magnet from a dwelling house improvement store.
    • The magnet test isn't foolproof, since apocryphal aureate can exist made with not-magnetic metal like stainless steel. Besides, some genuine gilded items are made with magnetic metals such equally iron.

  6. 6

    Rub the gold on unglazed ceramic to see if it leaves a streak. Make sure you're using an unglazed piece of ceramic since anything with a glaze could affect the examination results. Drag your item across the plate until yous see some fragments coming off the gold. If y'all see a black streak, that means your aureate is not existent. A gold streak ordinarily indicates accurate gold.[6]

    • Try getting an unglazed ceramic tile or a plate online or from your local home comeback store.
    • This test scratches the gold a lilliputian bit but doesn't typically leave much noticeable damage. It is much safer than other tests involving scratches or acid.
    • Another way to exercise this is by spreading some cosmetic foundation on your peel and dragging the aureate beyond it after information technology dries. Fake gold usually reacts with the foundation, leaving a green or black streak in information technology.

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  1. one

    Look for an official number marking on the gold. The marking, or hallmark, tells you lot the percentage of gold in an item. The hallmark is ofttimes printed on jewelry clasps or the inner bands of rings. Information technology is usually visible on the surface of coins and bullion. The postage stamp is a number from 1 to 999 or 0K to 24K depending on what kind of grading organisation was used.[vii]

    • Utilize a magnifying glass to help yous identify the authentication. It can exist tough to make out by center, especially on smaller pieces of gilt such every bit rings.
    • Older pieces of jewelry may not accept visible hallmarks. Sometimes the hallmark wears off over time, while in other cases the jewelry never got a stamp. Hallmarking became mutual in the 1950s in some areas, but in Republic of india for case, information technology just became mandatory in the year 2000.[viii]

  2. 2

    Apply the number marking to make up one's mind how much gold is in your piece. Most coins and jewelry are non pure gold, so they have other metals mixed in. In that location are 2 different scales used to indicate this through the authentication. The number rating system used in Europe runs from one to 999 with 999 meaning pure aureate. The U.S. uses a calibration from 0 to 24K, where 24K is pure gold.[9]

    • The number rating arrangement is easier to read than the karat rating system. For example, a rating of 375 means your item consists of 37.5% gilded.
    • What number means gold depends on the country you are in. In the U.S., for example, anything 9K and under is not considered to be gold, fifty-fifty though a 9K bracelet consists of 37.5% gold.
    • Counterfeit pieces may have markings making them wait accurate, so don't go solely on the hallmark unless you're sure you lot are holding aureate.

  3. 3

    Cheque for a letter marking indicating that the gold isn't pure. Some of the mutual messages you may see are GP, GF, and GEP. These letters indicate that your gold piece is plated, which ways the maker put a thin layer of gold over another metallic, such every bit copper or silverish. Your item has some golden in it, but it isn't considered real gilded.[10]

    • GP stands for gold plated, GF ways gold filled, and GEP ways golden electroplate.
    • The markings vary a little depending on where the gold is from. For instance, gold from India contains a pocket-size triangle symbol indicating the government council responsible for the rating system. Information technology then has a number rating and a alphabetic character lawmaking, such as K, for the jeweler.

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  1. 1

    Counterbalance your piece of golden on a calibration. If you have a decent kitchen scale, place the gold on it. Otherwise, jewelers and appraisers oftentimes can do it for you for costless. Call around to different jewelry or appraisement stores to meet which ones offer this service. Brand sure you get the weight in grams rather than ounces.[eleven]

    • Yous need the weight in grams to utilize in a calculation after. If the weight is in ounces, you won't get an accurate result.

  2. 2

    Fill a graduated cylinder halfway full with h2o. Choose a cylinder that is large enough to concord the aureate. It needs to have measurement markings in milliliters (mL) or cubic centimeters (cc). If you don't have a regular graduated cylinder, you could try using a kitchen measuring cup.[12]

    • Vials with frequent millimeter markings on the side are useful for getting a more than accurate measurement during the test.
    • The corporeality of h2o you use doesn't matter that much as long equally yous leave plenty of space for the gold. If you fill the vial to the tiptop, dropping the gold into it causes the water to spill.

  3. 3

    Read the starting water level in the cylinder. Wait at the markings on the cylinder, then tape the water level. This measurement is very important for the exam, and so write information technology down. Make sure you have the vial on a flat, level surface in lodge to become as accurate a reading every bit possible.[thirteen]

    • Keep in mind that it doesn't matter if your vial is marked in milliliters or cubic centimeters. They are the same measurement, so either unit of measurement tin can exist used in the test.

  4. 4

    Driblet the gold into the vial and record the new h2o level. Gently lower the gold into the cylinder to avoid losing whatever of the water. Let go of information technology right above the water to forestall splashing or getting your fingers wet. Then, read the markings over again to become the second measurement.[14]

    • Write the second measurement down on a piece of paper. Note that this is the second measurement, not the initial one.

  5. 5

    Subtract the measurements to notice the deviation in the water level. To figure out how much h2o the gilt displaced, subtract the initial measurement (the smaller number) from the final measurement. This gives y'all an respond in milliliters or cubic centimeters, depending on what measurement your vial lists.[15]

    • For example, if you lot started with 17 mL (0.57  fl oz) of water that rose to 18 mL (0.61  fl oz), that leaves a i mL (0.034  fl oz) departure.

  6. 6

    Split the gilded's weight by the difference in the water level. The density of the gold equals its mass divided by its volume. After computing the density, compare the issue to the standard density of aureate, which is 19.3 g/mL. If your number is way off, chances are you lot have a fake. Continue in heed, though, that some combinations of metals in fake gold tin can have a density similar to real gold.[16]

    • For case, you have a gilt item that weighs 38 g (1.3 oz) and displaces 2 mL (0.068  fl oz) of h2o. Separate 38 by 2 to go xix thou/mL, which is very close to the density of gold.
    • The standard density differs a little depending on the type of gold you take. For 14k yellowish gold, it'south about 12.nine to 13.6 g/mL. For 14K white gold, information technology'due south effectually 14 g/mL.
    • A slice of 18K yellow gold has an average density from fifteen.ii to 15.9 g/mL. A piece of 18K white golden has a density from 14.7 to sixteen.nine g/mL.
    • Any 22K piece of gilt has a density around 17.vii to 17.eight g/mL.

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  1. 1

    Buy a aureate-testing kit to get the acid you demand for the test. Testing kits include various bottles of nitric acid for different types of aureate. Some tests also include a flat rock chosen a touchstone you tin use to scratch off some of the gold on your item. You may likewise see needles with samples of xanthous and white gilt to apply as a comparing to your item.[17]

    • Testing kits are available online. Also, cheque with local jewelry stores. Most jewelers utilise this test for its accuracy.

  2. 2

    Create a pocket-sized scratch on the gold using a precipitous tool. Choose an inconspicuous location on the jewelry to brand the scratch, such equally underneath a clasp or an inner band. So, employ a sharp tool such as a jewelry engraver to dig into the gold. Scratch until you lot go underneath the top layer of gold. Expose a fresh layer of gold or whatsoever other metallic underneath it.[18]

    • Nitric acid tests crave you to scratch your slice of gold. If the gilded has personal value to you or yous plan on keeping it, take it to a professional jeweler instead of doing the examination yourself.

  3. iii

    Add a drop of nitric acid to the scratch. Put on latex gloves and work in a well-ventilated room to avoid any issues with the unsafe acid. When you're ready, look for the canteen of acrid labeled for 18K gold. After setting the aureate in a stainless steel container, identify a drop of the acid directly on the scratch yous made, then watch for it to plow a shade of green. If it turns green, you know right away your gilt is fake.[xix]

    • Regular gold does not react to the acid, so your item might be gold plated or a low-purity alloy of metals.
    • A milk-colored reaction usually indicates gold-plated sterling silver. If the acid turns gold, you have gold-plated brass.

  4. 4

    Scratch the gold on a touchstone to test its purity. If you think you lot might have real aureate, rub it along the touchstone to create a streak of aureate flakes. Add a drop of 12K, 14K, 18K, and 22K nitric acid to different parts of the streak. Check back after 20 to 40 seconds. Detect the spot where the acrid doesn't dissolve the gold to figure out what karat rating your detail is.[xx]

    • The acids all increment in strength, then the acid used for 22K is stronger than the 12K i. If the 18K acid dissolves the golden but the 14K one doesn't, you know your item is probably effectually 14K.

    Skillful TIP

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Quondam President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist

    Jerry Ehrenwald, GG, ASA, is a graduate gemologist in New York City. He is the previous President of the International Gemological Constitute and the inventor of U.Southward.-patented Laserscribe℠, a means of laser inscribing onto a diamond a unique indicia, such as a DIN (Diamond Identification Number). He is a senior member of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and is a member of the Xx-Four Karat Club of the City of New York, a social club limited to 200 of the almost accomplished individuals in the jewelry concern.

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Jerry Ehrenwald
    Former President, International Gemological Found & Graduate Gemologist

    For complete peace of mind, accept your gold item to a trusted manufacture professional to determine its actuality.

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Add New Question

  • Question

    How tin y'all examination gold at domicile?

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Jerry Ehrenwald
    Former President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist

    Jerry Ehrenwald, GG, ASA, is a graduate gemologist in New York City. He is the previous President of the International Gemological Institute and the inventor of U.S.-patented Laserscribe℠, a ways of laser inscribing onto a diamond a unique indicia, such as a DIN (Diamond Identification Number). He is a senior member of the American Social club of Appraisers (ASA) and is a member of the Twenty-Four Karat Club of the City of New York, a social club limited to 200 of the most accomplished individuals in the jewelry business organisation.

    Jerry Ehrenwald

    Former President, International Gemological Establish & Graduate Gemologist

    Expert Answer

    Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert respond.

    With a magnifying glass, look for a purity authentication from the manufacturer on the jewelry item. For example, if you own the purest gold, y'all should see hallmark "999" or "24K" engravings somewhere on the jewelry item. With older jewelry as an exception, typically, if you practise not find a marker information technology may not be genuine gold. Suspicious marks and discolorations around the edges of the particular in question can also be telltale signs the golden is imitation. An easy at-habitation test is to see if the gold jewelry item sticks to a magnet. If the item sticks to the magnet, it may be fake or non 100% gold.

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  • Most gold tests are imperfect, so you may need to go through several tests in society to decide if your detail is authentic.

  • Yous may have heard of the seize with teeth exam where golden is existent if your teeth go out a marker on it. Since most gold items consist of blends of harder metals, avoid the bite test to protect your teeth.

  • When jewelers say that gilded is 24K, they hateful that the gilded is 99.ix% pure with minimal traces of other metals. A piece of gold that is 22K is 22 parts golden and 2 parts another metal.[21]

  • In items that are less than 24K in quality, the other metals give the gilded its hardness and color. Golden on its own is very soft, and so metals like silver and copper are added to make aureate items more durable.

  • Jewelry fabricated with white gold, yellowish aureate, red gold, and rose aureate are all combinations of gilt and other metals.

  • If you ever need help determining whether gold is existent, take your item to a professional person jeweler or appraiser.

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  • Nitric acid is strong and can fire your skin in improver to damaging a valuable piece of gold. If yous're worried virtually this, yous can exercise a home test with vinegar, which is a milder acid, or you can let a professional jeweler or appraiser handle the nitric acrid test.

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Things You lot'll Need

  • Gold
  • Jug
  • Water
  • Vinegar
  • Eyedropper
  • Neodymium magnet
  • Unglazed ceramic plate or tile
  • Gold
  • Magnifying glass
  • Gold
  • Scale
  • Graduated cylinder or measuring cup
  • Calculator
  • Golden
  • Golden-testing kit
  • Nitric acid
  • Stainless steel container
  • Touchstone
  • Latex gloves

Nigh This Article

Article Summary X

To tell if gold is existent, effort dropping it into a glass of water. If it floats, it's probably not real golden, since gilded is very dense. You can too try property a potent magnet, like the kind you can detect at hardware stores, up to the metal to run across if it sticks to it. If information technology sticks, information technology probably isn't real gold, since gold isn't magnetic. Alternatively, try rubbing the metal on a piece of unglazed ceramic to meet if it leaves a golden streak, which could be a sign that the gold is authentic. To learn how to tell if gilded is real past looking at it, keep reading!

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