Experiencing a gold rush? Gold remains incredibly valuable and can be lucrative to buy or sell. But you can also risk being ripped off by fakes or lower-quality gold like gold vermeil or gold plated.
These tests will help you know how to tell if gold is real so you can avoid scams and invest in the real deal.
Find a Mark
One of the fastest ways for testing gold is to look for the hallmark. This is the writing you typically see inside a ring that says 18k or 10k, or even 24k, which is pure gold. The number tells you what part is gold out of 24. The number listed may change depending on where you are, like how in Europe it will have a number between .000 and 1.000.
There are also markings for fake gold you can sometimes find. If you see anything labelled GB, GF, GE, HEG, GEP, or HGP, that will tell you it’s fake.
Scratch That
If you happen to have some unglazed ceramic tile, you can test your gold with it. If you scratch your gold on the tile, you should see some gold flake away and leave a line. But if the line left is black, you’re not holding gold.
Colour Change
Jewellery is already expensive enough, and you don’t want to make any gold investments that aren’t real. Before you go buying that piece of jewellery that may not be gold, there are some things to know, especially if you’re treating it like an investment. Gold will never change your skin colour or change colour itself.
If your finger turns green from that ring, it’s not gold. And if you put nitric acid or vinegar on it, it shouldn’t change colour or show any colour rubbing off.
Magnetic
A simple test to see if it’s real gold through and through is to check if it’s magnetic. Take a strong magnet and see if it sticks. Testing gold will show that it has no attraction, but anything with other magnetic material will get stuck.
Your piece may have some gold in it if it sticks, it just isn’t pure gold. You can also put it in some water so it’s covered. If it sinks, it could be gold. But if it floats there’s not a chance since gold is far too dense.
Consult a Professional
Knowing how to test gold at home isn’t always reliable. If you need a clear answer and don’t trust the above tests, take it to a jeweller. There are machines that can determine if the gold is real, and a jeweller is trained to spot a fake.
Know-How to Tell if Gold is Real
Before you start buying gold or even selling gold, you need to make sure it’s authentic and worth it. Gold can not only be faked but come in varying percentages. When you know how to tell if gold is real, you can put your money in the right places.
Don’t get duped by fools gold, or any other lookalike. And if this helped you feel better about recognizing when it’s real, keep reading for more great tips.
