Gold Testing: Ways To Know If Your Jewelry Is The Real Deal

Wondering about your gold? Buying gold jewelry is an investment. While you can easily recognize gold jewelry, it is worth less based on the amount of gold in it. The higher the number (18k or 22k) the little or no gold it has and the less it is worth than 14k or 10k. Buying from reputable jewelers is important when you are going to buy gold. 

They’re proud of their process and sourcing, and you know it is the real deal. So what if you are not sure whether that piece that you just bought is gold or plated? For example, maybe you have stumbled upon some gold jewelry you aren’t completely sure of, or maybe you want to test it out.

Gold Testing: Ways To Know If Your Jewelry Is The Real Deal

The Stamp Test: Look for Hallmarks

Hallmark is a stamp imprinted on a piece of gold jewelry that tells something of its content or manufacturer. Inconspicuous place naturally is inside the ring.

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Purity scales are based upon karats and millesimal fineness, the latter of which is a method of expressing weight by its purity. The magnifying glass test, also called the hallmark test, is a great place to start if you're looking to decide whether your gold is real.

Hallmarks include:

• Purity numbers of valid versions under the Karat system (8k, 9k, 10k, 14k, 15k, 18k, 20k, 21k, 22k, 23k, and 24k).

• Millesimal purity numbers valid under the Millesimal Fineness system (333, 375, 417, 583 or 585, 625, 750, 833, 875, 916, 958 and 999).

• Look for Letter Markings

• Fake is any gold that is marked less than 10k (41.7% purity).

Anyone who is familiar with the different levels of quality will quickly recognize the following markings:

• GP

• GF

• GE

• GEP

• HGP 

• HEG

There are a couple of the above designations that you will want to avoid if you’re looking for real gold. Let’s just say that they all say gold plating. In the same order, they mean:

• Gold Plated

• Gold Filled

• Gold Electroplated

• Gold Electroplated

• Heavy Gold Plated

• Heavy Gold Electroplated

Gold with these markings was used only a small proportion on a piece of metal that cover was made in another way, so it could be shown as gold.

To give you an idea of how the upper levels of purity stack up next to one another: 99.9% pure is called 24k gold, 75% pure is 18k gold. Unheard of is absolutely 100% pure gold, as pure gold itself is far too soft to be used as a durable piece of jewelry. 

Search for Bluish or Greenish Tint on Your Skin

This test is simple: Between a couple of minutes holding a piece of gold jewelry between your hands. Your hands will either react to the perspiration and change the color of your skin with the metal or, if perspiration doesn’t react to the metal, leave your skin unchanged. Real gold in contact with your skin has no discoloration. A fake gold will cause your skin to turn black, blue or green at the contact points.

If you try testing gold on your skin while wearing a liquid foundation, there is one exception to this procedure. If Gold comes into contact with the makeup your skin will be black where it touched. This test is more reliable if you remove all your makeup before testing.

Testing makeup can also be used to test for gold authenticity. Apply a liquid foundation and cover it with powder. Apply the makeup, and when it dries, you can press the piece of jewelry against your skin and then run it over your skin where you have the makeup. Real gold does leave a black trail on the makeup.

Visual Checks

Look for specific markings. Does the gold item have an official number of some kind stamped on it? If you are lucky, it will have a stamp (or hallmark) showing what percentage of gold it is.

If you don't see the stamp, look closely at the clasp and the inner band of a ring, where the hallmark is most likely found. Gold coins and bullions commonly present it on their surfaces. A looking glass may be required to see an older trademark that has been rubbed out. 

But in the United States, marking, although not unprecedented, was rare until the 1950s and was even less used in other countries.

Magnet test

In this test, what you must know first is that gold is not magnetic so it will not stick to a magnet despite what. It can be anything from a rose or glue stick as long as it holds the interest close to the jewelry and the jewelry sticks to it, the likelihood is you have fake gold. Be careful, though, because some imitations aren’t made from magnetic metals. For a clearer answer, opt to use other methods.

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Density Test

The gold metal is one of a handful of dense metals. This is only beaten by a few metals. It happens that gold has a lot of density, so it will sink in a glass of water. Measuring the thickness of your yellow gold jewelry will also help you identify the difference between real gold vs fake gold – 24k jewelry weighs 19 grams/ml. If your jewelry is a higher density than this you have a much purer gold metal. To perform this test, make sure that the only one you have to test is the stone.

Wear and Tear test

If the gold is worn, tarnished, spotted, another sign that a gold item is not what it appears to be visible. Look at the skin from a few areas, and around the edges of coins or jewelry. If the gold looks like it has another type or color of metal poking through beneath, it may be gold plated with silver, copper or brass underneath.

Nitric Acid Test

Gold is authentic or not, depending on what color it produces in the nitric acid test. Put your gold jewelry on a stainless steel plate. But remember to put on protective glasses since this test can cause fumes. But then, leave a few drops of nitric acid on the jewelry. If the metal turns green, it is base metal. But if it becomes gold, it’s gold plated brass. That's gold plated sterling silver if it yields a milky reaction. If you get no response at all then you’ve got the real gold.

In the End

But you would be surprised to know there are plenty of other ways to know if your gold is real. On the other hand, if you wear jewellery like gold, you will begin to notice fake gold leaving a mark in your skin if you wear it for long. An old favourite was biting down on gold, the softness of 24 carat gold leaves your teeth with slight marks. But of course this isn’t safe or accurate, and we certainly wouldn’t recommend it.

READ MORE :: Health Benefits of Wearing Gold Jewelry