How to tell if gold is real? From gold coins to gold jewelry, everything comes with shine. So, have you ever thought of checking the purity of a gold product that you just bought? If yes, this reading will show you how to do it?
Gold has been counted among one of the most expensive commodities in the world. More often than not, people purchase gold for investment purposes. Indeed, there’s a saying that gold gleams in hard times. Meaning, when a person goes through a hard time financially, he/she keeps gold as a security content to borrow funds. However, do you know? Before purchasing gold, buyers remain conscious of every decision that they make. From deciding budget to weight, karat, and current gold rate, every factor seems to matter. The reason being, no one wants to invest in fake gold. Therefore, often, buyers visit their trustworthy jewelers to purchase gold products. But, even then, some purchasers feel the requirement to verify gold’s purity by themselves.
More often than not, local jewelers do not give a guarantee on their gold products. Neither of these jewelers shows you the weight margin on their machines. Thus, it is common for buyers to take things into their own hands. Check out the five simple home experiments for how to tell if gold is real? Let’s get started:
How to check if gold is real with a lighter?
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Do you know? Unlike other metallic components, gold, on the other hand, gets brighten when exposed to fire. That’s right! In the event that you expose a piece of artificial jewelry to fire (like candlelight), it will start to turn blackish. But, if you do the same with a gold product, it will turn more yellowish and shiny. This is one of the best and simple ways to tell if gold is real or not. Here’s a stepwise guide to follow up on the experiment safely and successfully.
- Take a good quality lighter that goes on longer (if not, you can also use a candle).
- Now, affix the gold jewelry (like a chain) in a pendant position using a hooker (make sure the hook does not melt easily).
- Place the lit candle or lighter under the hanging jewelry.
- Remove the lit-candle or lighter after 60 seconds.
- Now, check whether the jewelry has turned black or not.
- In case it has turned black, it means that it is fake gold.
- Otherwise, it’s real.
Safety instructions:
- Do not process the experiment in the presence of children.
- Avoid using fans or AC while doing the experiment.
- Cover your eyes and nose using goggles and latex masks, respectively.
- Handle the jewelry carefully after it’s burnt.
- Avoid using a hooker made of plastic, aluminum, or other soft/melting material.
Note: In many cases, gold jewelry turns out to be only plated with gold. Thus, when such gold-plated jewelry is exposed to fire, the gold plate melts within seconds. Hence, it reveals the actual component that the jewelry is made of, such as iron sulfide, copper, brass, and alloy.
It is also noteworthy to mention that gold karat also may create inconsistencies in results. For example, if the gold is 18K only, it means that the jewelry contains other artificial components as well as gold. Therefore, it is recommendable to make a high-quality purchasing choice when you purchase gold. 22k and 24k are the best-known pure quality of gold. Apart from this, 24k gold jewelry remains rarely available with jewelers nowadays.
How to test gold at home with bleach?
Caution: When gold oxidizes in bleach containing chlorine acid, it will react and develop chlorine gas, which is deadly in nature. Thus, avoid using this remedy at home in the absence of a professional. Here’s how to tell if gold is real using bleach?
- Take any jewelry that you want to test (like a gold ring).
- Add bleach to a container.
- Now, add the gold element to it.
- The gold product will start to oxidize.
- If it stays yellow and shiny, then it is gold.
- If it is white, then silver is mixed at a high level in it.
- Furthermore, if it turns out to be green, it contains copper.
- At last, if it is brown power, in the end, it is zink.
For the most part, this experiment is risky. The reason being, the buyer can lose his/her precious jeweler during the process.
Safety instructions:
- Avoid performing this experiment at home. A laboratory is a fine option.
- Use latex gloves, mask, and goggles for extra safety.
- Make sure there are no children around.
- Use a metallic clutch to dissolve/handle the gold component.
- Do not use 10k, 14k, 18k, or 22k gold components because they contain additional metallic components. Thus, leave unremovable colorful marks on jewelry.
How to tell if gold is real by using a magnet?
Do you want to test your gold’s purity without harming its design? Well! You no longer need to research because we have a perfect solution for you. All you need is a Neodymium magnet to see whether the gold you have is real or not. Neodymium magnets are easily available at electronic retailers. They come in several sizes, from micro to macro. For this experiment, you can choose a 15mm*6mm magnet, which is also purchasable online. So, let’s begin the experiment:
- Take a pair of Neodymium magnets.
- Hold it or place it close to the jewelry product that you want to test.
- If the jewelry quickly attracts the magnet, then it is not made of gold.
- If the jewelry does not attract at all, it is pure gold.
Other possibilities:
To begin with, this solo experiment does not prove the purity of gold by 100%. The reason being, more often than not, fake gold jewelry contains metallic components that are not magnetic. I.e.., they can create inconsistencies in your experiment. Thus, to make sure that your jewelry is pure gold, an additional experiment will be required.
Safety Instructions
Neodymium magnets are very effective and attractive in nature. Thus, by accident, if a part of the skin gets stuck between a pair of neodymium magnets, it can result in solemn injury. Hence, it is recommendable to wear full sleeves clothing while performing the experiment. Apart from this, do not give magnets in the hands of children or even the elderly.
Test Gold’s purity by the smell
Those who have an avid sense of smell can tell whether the gold piece is real or not simply by examining its scent. Fascinating, right? However, it is noteworthy that this experiment is only recommendable for small pieces of jewelry such as earrings, rings, nose rings, and gold coins. Here’s how to do it:
- Take a small piece of gold jewelry.
- Put it over a palm that is sweaty or slightly moisturized.
- Now, start rubbing your palms together with the jewelry between them.
- Do it for about 60 seconds.
- It is time to smell your palm!
Result 1: If your palm smells rusty. It means that the jewelry is fake.
Result 2: If it does not create any rusty/rainy/acidic smell. It means that the jewelry is real.
How to tell if gold is real by measurement?
Do you know? Gold is very denser in nature. Meaning, 1 atom of gold can be equivalent to 4 atoms of iron. Similarly, 1 ounce of gold will be larger than 1 ounce of silver in size. Therefore, when it comes to how to tell if gold is real? The buyer’s first instinct should be to check its measurements (ie.., weight and size specifically).
To check whether your gold jewelry is real or not, focus on its density and lightness. For example, take the jewelry and drown it in a cup of water. If it drowns to the bottom, it means that it is real gold. However, if it does not drown but rather float over the surface, it means that it contains mixed metal.
Why did this happen? To begin with, gold is very light in nature. When you carry a 1 ounce of gold in the form of a bar, it will feel lighter. However, a silver bar, on the other hand, will feel heavier. Thus, more often, people complain that their gold jewelry does not feel heavy. However, it is worth it in lacs. This is one of the rationale why buyers shall not complain. It is in the nature of gold.
How to take care of your Gold?
Now that we know how to examine if gold is real, the readers must acknowledge that gold is not long-lasting. That’s right! Likewise, for every shiny thing in the world, Gold also demands maintenance. People start to wear gold rings at home. However, do you know? Wearing a gold jewelry round-o-clock can ruin its shine as well as decline its original value. Therefore, it is recommendable to store Gold jewelry in velvet boxes to keep them non-moisturized. Apart from this, people often store gold and diamond together. However, a diamond can create scratches over the gold component and also decline its value. Thus, it goes without saying that gold demands keen care.