How to spot real or fake Gold?
At Gold Smart customers often bring in items that were gifted to them, and they are not sure whether the jewellery is genuine gold. There are a few methods you can use to determine if your jewellery…
At Gold Smart customers often bring in items that were gifted to them, and they are not sure whether the jewellery is genuine gold.
There are a few methods you can use to determine if your jewellery is real gold or not. Do keep in mind that these methods are not 100% conclusive, but can be interesting and fun to try.
VISUAL INSPECTION
Look carefully at your piece and look for the gold stamp or hall mark engraved in the gold, which is often inside a ring or near the clasp on a chain. The stamp can show the degree of fineness or the carat. Another way to check is to easily look for discolouration or colour shift, especially around the edges and other areas that have experienced friction and rubbed away.
USING A MAGNET
Gold is non-magnetic, but many of the metals that are used in gold-plated items are. If your jewellery is attracted to a magnet, then it is likely to be plated. However, even if it is not attracted to the magnet, it is still not necessarily real, but this is a good starting point.
USE A SCALE
Use a scale and a piece of real gold jewellery of the same size as the one you are testing. Gold is very heavy, so if two pieces of similar size and shape weigh exactly the same amount or close, chances are your piece is made of real gold.
All these methods can be useful to see if your gold jewellery is real gold or fake. However, these tests will not give you conclusive answers or tell you guaranteed quality and carat of your gold piece.
If you are looking to sell your gold items, an easy option is to bring your jewellery to us here at Gold Smart. It is very easy to make an appointment with us: all you have to do is give us a call on 0800 465 376 or send us a message through our website.
You can bring the items you are not so sure about, together with the ones you are certain. We will test all your items and let you know on the spot whether you have real or "fake gold", and price according to its purity.
