In this post we will tell you the way that does not fail to recognize an authentic gold jewel, many steps you already know and you even played with them when you dropped a coin. The first thing will be to awaken the five senses to become a professional jeweler.
visual test
The first analysis to know if something is gold is visual. It is done through a thorough analysis to check if the piece you have in your hands is real gold. Do you know what this visual test consists of?
All authentic gold pieces have a mark that indicates the purity of it or the carats it has. In the event that the piece does not have that small mark -which is really tiny-, it is possibly a fake piece. However, it may happen that the small mark has been erased or faded over time. But beware, many fake pieces also include that brand to deceive buyers.
That is why, if this first visual analysis is inconclusive, you should move on to the next ones to find out if it is real gold.
IT MAY INTEREST YOU: Mario Bros arrives on the big screen, they release their first trailer
uniform color
The color of real gold is uniform. What does a fake piece look like? In jewelry that is not gold, you will see areas of wear in which another metal that is not gold appears. Real gold, even when worn, has no other color: it only looks gold.
bite the gold
Do you remember seeing this scene in some movies? A person biting a little gold to check that it is real. Well, it’s not a staging. The reality is that it is an effective way to know if it is real gold.
It consists of biting, lightly and carefully, the piece of gold. In the event that a dent appeared, what you have in your hand is real gold. Gold is a relatively soft metal and that is why we can damage a dent with our teeth.
This test is not infallible because there are jewels that receive a superficial gold bath in which we can make the indentation.
pottery test
To perform this test, you need an unglazed ceramic plate. If golden lines or marks appear when rubbing the piece on the plate, the jewel is real gold. However, if the stripes are black, the gold is not real. But, as always, remember that there are jewels that are gold-plated, so this test is not totally conclusive.
magnet test
The magnet is another way to know if it is real gold or not. You have to have a fairly powerful magnet, it does not work with fridge magnets. Gold is not a magnetic metal, so if your piece of gold is attracted to the magnet, what you have in your hand is not gold. It will be a gold-plated ferrous metal.
density test
With the density test you will think you have returned to high school classes. To refresh your memory, we will tell you what this test consists of to know if it is real gold.
The first thing is to weigh the gold piece, fill a millimeter container with water up to the zero mark and submerge the gold piece. You have to pay attention to the level that marks the piece when we submerge it in water. It is about seeing the difference between the water level (zero) before submerging the piece and after submerging it.
Knowing the weight in grams, you can know the density of the jewel. We leave you some very common densities:
10 carat gold has a density of 11.57 gr/ml.
The 14-carat 13.97 gr/ml.
The 18-carat 15.58 gr/ml.
The 24-carat 19.32 gr/ml.
Actually, this test only serves to know the density of the piece and its carats, not to know if it is real gold. However, it is a fact to take into account in the process of how to know if it is real gold.
Nitric Acid Test
This method is complicated and dangerous since nitric acid must be used. This is a very corrosive acid and can cause severe burns if it comes in contact with the skin. This is the most conclusive proof of all.
It involves putting the piece on a stainless steel plate and pouring a few drops of nitric acid on the gold jewel. If the jewel turns dark green, it is only a gold bath and the piece is made of another metal. On the other hand, if it is white, it means that it is gold-plated silver. And if it doesn’t change color, the piece is real gold.
We hope that all these tips have helped you to know if the jewels you have in your possession are really gold. They are simple tests to recognize authentic gold, but they will help you clear up any doubts.