Look for stamps or trademarks in your gold jewelry. Most genuine gold coins have a stamp that indicates their purity, also known as carat. The carat is the unit used to measure the purity of gold. The higher the carat, the purer the gold. The most common karats you’ll see are 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, and 24k.
The most trustworthy way to test whether something is gold plated or solid gold is to have it done an acid test. Take a small piece of jewelry for the acid test or scratch a tiny piece into your gold with a small needle, take a pipette included in the acid kit and fill it with acid. Now use this pipette to inject that scratch with a small drop of acid. The scratched part is likely to change color in response to the reaction with the acid.
Take a good look at what color it has changed to and match it to the color chart that comes with the acid kit. This not only shows you whether the gold was fake or real, but also helps you identify the actual metal. To test your gold at home using this method, you’ll need an acid test kit, which is available at jewelry stores and even online. The acid test is also used to determine the carat of gold.
If you choose this method, please read the instructions in the kit carefully before beginning the procedure. If you have gold jewelry yourself, it’s important that you know how to test gold at home to find out whether the gold is pure or not, as all gold isn’t necessarily real gold. Real gold is a heavy metal and does not float. So if your gold item floats, you know it’s not real gold. If the metal has changed its color even slightly, the gold is not pure, but if it continues to glow, the gold is pure.
When you purchase a piece of gold jewelry, it usually comes with a mark that shows the degree of purity of the gold, which is measured in carats. It may not be as reliable as other sources when it comes to testing your gold, but it is good enough to know whether the gold is real or fake. Alternatively, try rubbing the metal onto a piece of unglazed ceramic to see if it leaves a golden streak. This could be a sign that the gold is authentic. When you receive a gold item, it doesn’t have to be in its purest form. Jewelers usually add other metals to the gold to make it more durable.
If you have a gold item, whether it’s scrap or a valuable heirloom, you might want to know how you can tell that gold is real to avoid counterfeiting. If this area turns black or rubbing the gold leaves a black mark, it is obvious that the gold is pure. If the gold floats, it’s certainly not real, but if the gold sinks to the end of the glass, it’s pure gold. Place your jewelry on a table or hold it in your hand, pour some white vinegar directly onto the metal (a dropper can also be used), if the metal of the jewelry changes color, it is not pure gold and if it continues to glow, you have real gold in your hand.
If the gold is attracted to the magnet, it is not real gold, but if the gold remains indifferent to the magnet, it is actually real. With these ten steps, you can test your gold jewelry yourself and check whether your gold is real or counterfeit gold. This gilding may be genuine, but it is not enough to regard the item as real gold.
