Tuesday 12 September 2017

5 Easy Methods to Check the Purity of Gold

Gold is one of the most precious metals. The metal is preferred for making jewellery pieces for it is malleable and don’t get tarnished. Gold bullion is considered a great way of investment as it fetches good value in the market. Gold bars and gold coins used for the investment purpose. Even gold jewellery can be sold at the time of crisis. 

So, it becomes important to check the purity of gold. Here are five easy methods to tell if it’s real gold or fake.


Check The Hallmark


Mostly all real gold bullion bars and coins are stamped with a hallmark that notes the karat weight of the jewellery. This stamp is usually found on the clasp of a necklace or bracelet, or on the inner band of a ring. 

The European gold is marked with the gold content expressed as a decimal: ".585" would be 58.5% pure (this is the same as 14 karat gold) and ".999" or "1.000" would be pure gold and thus the same as 24 karat. Sometimes old jewellery items don’t have this stamp but they may be made out of pure gold. 


Nitirc Acid Test


Another test to tell if the gold is real or fake is nitric acid test. You can easily do this test at home. Select an inconspicuous place on the jewellery piece; now using a blade make a tiny mark on the piece of gold. 

Drop a small amount of liquid nitric acid on that scratch. If the gold is fake gold, it will immediately turn green where the acid is. Gold over sterling silver will become milky in appearance while real gold will not react to the nitric acid. If the clear drop of liquid does not change color, it’s real gold. Take necessary precautions (gloves, goggles, proper ventilation, etc.) before dealing with the acid.


The Magnet Test


The magnetic test is the easiest test to do it yourself. You can easily carry the magnet in your pocket. Genuine gold bullion coins will not attract a magnet. Imitation gold and other alloys will attract the magnet. 

Coins can appear to be gold, when in fact the surface is simply gold in look. The magnet would easily detect the underlying metal.


Skin Test


If we wear fake gold, our skin decolorises. For skin test, all you have to do is to hold the gold in your hand for a few minutes. Perspiration on the skin will have a chemical reaction with the gold. Skin will discolor - black or green color - if the gold is not pure. Pure gold will not react with the skin.


Float Test 


Drop your gold item into a vessel filled with water. Gold is a heavy metal, so if your jewellery item is made of pure gold, it will sink. But if it floats, it’s surely fake gold. 

If you have doubts about the purity of gold, you can seek help of jewellers to determine its purity. You can also approach certified consultants to conduct professional tests in order to know the genuine gold weight and purity.