Six Ways to know if Your Jewelry Is Real Gold

There are some parts of our life where it takes more than just a cursory glance to determine whether a specific thing is authentic or fake, and the world of gold and gold jewelry is a fantastic example. To prove that any gold item you’re buying is genuine, you need to dig a little deeper because it’s sadly simple to manufacture phony gold to look just like real gold.

1. Look for marks on the gold jewelry:

For you to be able to verify the purity of the jewelry, manufacturers stamp the clasps of bracelets, necklaces, and rings. These are also referred to as hallmarks, which are stamps that clearly name the maker or substance of a product.

Typically, hallmarks can be located in less obvious places like the interior of rings, within hollow charms on necklaces, wristwatches, or beneath bracelet clasps. It’s crucial to look for these marks because they are among the best indicators that the gold jewelry you are considering is real.

You are searching for specific letters as you look for these marks. These figures could indicate purity values in accordance with the Karat system, such as 8k, 9k, 10k, 14k, and 18k.

As an alternative, they may state percentages like 14/24 or 10/10, which would show that the gold is purer than pure gold itself.

2. Drop Nitric acid:

If a physical examination fails, try the acid test: lightly scratch the jewelry’s surface, then use a dropper to apply a small amount of nitric acid to it. If the surface turns green, the jewelry may be gold clad; if it turns milky, the gold may contain sterling.

3. Float test the gold jewelry:

Since real gold is so dense, it shouldn’t float when submerged in water. The best way to test this is to gently place the jewelry on a surface before dropping it into a bowl of water or a sink, then watch to see how quickly or slowly it sinks.

If your jewelry sinks right away, the metal is probably not real gold; nevertheless, if it takes time to sink, this shows that it does include real gold. However, there are always outliers, so this is not a conclusive test. It is also recommended that you take your jewelry to a specialist to check this type of test.

4. Magnet test:

A magnet can be used to determine whether or not your jewelry is genuine. Because real gold is not at all magnetic and will not be drawn to a magnet, if your jewelry attracts a magnet, it may be false or not pure gold.

If the jewelry adheres, you have other types of metal in it, which may indicate that it is real gold but not pure gold. You can perform this test by holding the jewelry in your hand or by setting it on a surface. 

5. Comparison with real gold:

It’s also possible to compare your jewelry to other gold items that you have that you know are genuine in order to see whether they have any visual characteristics. You can compare two pieces of jewelry to see if there is any difference in color or weight, for instance, if you have a genuine gold necklace and a ring that you know is made by the same company. This can help further confirm the jewelry’s authenticity.

6. Ceramic scratch test on the gold jewelry:

Scratch your desired piece across the surface of a ceramic plate or tile. The ceramic piece will show a gold mark or trail if it is real gold; if it is fake, the mark or trail will be black or brown in hue.

Conclusion

The best approach to evaluate whether the metals in your possession are genuine gold is to take your jewelry to a professional jeweler who can use testing equipment and chemicals that are more accurate than those you might have access to. This is the most reliable choice. Simply put, this is the most trustworthy method of verifying the authenticity of gold.