How to Test if Your Gold Jewellery is Real, Fake or Plated

How to Test if Your Gold Jewellery is Real, Fake or Plated
December 12, 2023 gnuworld
How to Test if Your Gold Jewellery is Real, Fake or Plated

You’ve inherited an heirloom piece of jewellery that looks like gold. The question is, is it real gold?

There are several DIY tests that can authenticate gold. Pawnbrokers and jewellers determine purity by analysing the reactive, or nonreactive, response of gold to everyday items.

Using gold’s properties as authentication tools

As a noble metal, gold has inherent properties that other metals don’t have. It’s hypoallergenic, non-magnetic and resistant to acid, oxidation and corrosion.

When heat is applied, gold doesn’t burn or discolour. It melts. Gold is heavy, dense and soft – attributes not shared by many precious metals and alloys.

How do you determine whether gold jewellery is real? You test its weight, density, content and purity.

Heat test

Hold the flame of a butane lighter under the jewellery for about a minute. If the metal changes colour or releases smoke, it’s fake.

Real gold gets brighter and doesn’t ignite. If the piece is gold plated, the gold layer will melt, exposing the darker alloy beneath.

Acid test

Deposit a few drops of white wine vinegar onto the jewellery. If it’s gold, the metal won’t tarnish or change colour.

Lemon juice works well and can help you distinguish between real and fool’s gold.

Magnet test

Place the jewellery on a flat surface and wave a strong magnet over it. If it reacts to the magnet, it’s not gold.

Gold is a non-magnetic metal, but so is lead, brass, copper, zinc and tin. To be conclusive, the magnet test should be used in conjunction with other tests.

Skin test

Hold the ring, necklace or earring in your hands for a couple of minutes to warm the metal up. Then, rub the metal a few times across one of your palms.

Any sign of green or black discolouration on the skin indicates the metal isn’t gold. It’s probably copper, brass, silver or a blended material.

Density test

Gold is one of the densest metals on Earth, but how can you determine the density of gold jewellery at home?

Weigh the item and make a note of its weight in grams. Fill a measuring jug half full of water and record the level in millilitres.

Pop the ring, brooch or necklace into the jug and write down the measurement. Subtract the initial measurement in millilitres from the second one. Then, divide the weight of the jewellry by the difference in water level.

If the calculated density falls within the range of 14.2 g/ml to 17.8 g/ml or more, the jewellery is made from real gold.

Understanding identifying marks on gold

Some items of jewellery have identifying marks engraved into the metal, usually numerals or letters.

Depending on the rating system used to identify the gold content, the numerical marks can be between one and 999 or 8k to 24k. The k denotes karats.

In both instances, the lowest and highest numbers represent the lowest and highest purity of gold.

Only metals marked with 10k or 417 or more are considered gold. The purest form of gold is 24k or 999. The numbers 417 to 999 equate to 41.7% up to 99.9% purity.

Letter markings immediately indicate the jewellery is gold plated. The most common markings are GP for gold plated, GE for gold electroplated, GF for gold filled and HGP for heavy gold plated.

Interested in pawning your gold jewellery in South Africa?

Once you’ve determined if your gold jewellery is real, fake or plated, you’ll have a better idea of its potential value.

If you have real gold jewellery, you might choose to sell it. You can also choose to use it to secure a short-term personal loan. That’s where we come in.

At LoanAgainst, we offer loans against personal assets of value, including gold or diamond jewellery. Our terms are negotiable, there are no hidden fees and once you have repaid the loan, the jewellery is yours again. We are a division of an accredited finance provider. Contact us for more information or apply online now.