Best ways to identify real gold jewelry

jam Gold is the ultimate representation of power and wealth, and its possession is traditionally reserved for royalty. Gold jewelry is a valuable item. Hence, it makes perfect sense for you to need to verify the genuineness of a gold ring or necklace that you possess.

Most of the genuine gold jewelry is not made of one hundred percent pure gold. They exist as alloys an are mixed with other metals in order to make it even more difficult to break and more long-lasting.

Silver, nickel, and copper are some of the other metals that are commonly used in the production of fake gold jewelry. The reason is that; these metals are far less expensive than gold. And in order to make them appear more authentic, they are frequently covered in a gold plating.

Testing with Nitric acid

Nitric acid is used to test many metals, including gold. Here what happens is, when Nitric acid is applied on jewelry, fake jewelries will be damaged. But it will have no effect whatsoever on gold. 

In order to carry out this test, as the first step, make an imperceptible small scratch on the piece of jewelry. Then a very small amount of nitric acid needs to be dropped into it. If the spot becomes green, you may be certain that the gold is a fake. The piece of jewelry is considered to be genuine gold if the test location reveals no discoloration and no chemical reaction.

The stamp test

Karats is a foundation upon which the standard purity scales are built. When determining whether or not the gold that you are testing is authentic, one of the first steps you should do is to perform the hallmark test. This is also referred to as the magnifying glass test.

The skin test

Let me explain how this test is done. It consists of the following: It requires placing a piece of gold jewelry in the palms of your hands and holding it there for a few minutes. The sweat on your hands will either cause a reaction with the metal, which will cause a change in the color of your skin, or it will have no effect at all. 

There is no discoloration that occurs when genuine gold comes in direct contact with human skin. If the gold is not real, it will cause your skin to develop a dark color at the points of contact. These colors could be black or green.

One scenario that deviates from this standard operating procedure is one in which you test gold on your skin while also applying liquid foundation. If gold comes into contact with your cosmetics, it will cause a darkening of your skin at the places of contact. This test is made more reliable by the removal of any and all makeup prior to testing.

Makeup can also be used as an alternative method for determining the genuineness of gold. Apply a liquid foundation first, then dust powder on top of it. After the foundation has had enough time to dry, press the piece of jewelry against your skin, and then drag it over the area of your skin where makeup is applied. There is a good chance that you are dealing with genuine gold if the jewelry leaves a dark mark on the cosmetics.

Since gold is so chemically inert, wearing genuine gold jewelry will never cause your skin to change color. But applying cosmetics to the item in question is a one-of-a-kind technique to validate its authenticity. If your gold jewelry has discolorations, this indicates that it is an alloy, which means that it contains other metals mixed in with the gold.

Magnet test for check quality of the Gold jewelry

The magnet test is an effective method for validating your suspicion that a piece of jewelry contains a significant amount of gold. In order to carry out this test, you will need a magnet that possesses a particularly high strength. Then, put it in close proximity to the jewelry, and wait till you get a reaction. If the piece of jewelry attracts the magnet, this indicates that it is not genuine gold.

When there is very little attraction, but the jewelry does not attach to the magnet, this indicates that the jewelry has a low percentage of gold. If there is absolutely no attraction to it, then it is almost certainly gold in its purest form.

Let your eyes take the judgment for you. Look at its size

Your eyes should be the judge of this. Is the gold jewelry you are looking at is monstrously large in its size? If it is that large and thick, there is a good likelihood that it is not a genuine piece of gold. Huge chains or rings would be worth an incredible amount of money if they were genuine. But the chance is very low for those gold jewelry to be genuine. They are either hollow or plated in gold, and are not even close to being worth the price they are listed at.

Conclusion

Being very honest with you, none of these tests are a foolproof method for determining whether your gold is genuine.

Seeking the assistance of an expert is the most reliable method for verifying whether or not a piece of jewelry is made of gold. A qualified jeweler will have testing kits and equipment at their disposal that are created specifically for the purpose of accurately determining the genuineness of gold. Because of their extensive experience, expert dealers such as Starlight are also able to recognize authentic pieces of gold jewelry without much of a hassle.