Gold considered fake is anything less than 10 karats. To find out if a piece is made of real gold and what is the degree of its purity, the best and safest thing to do is to take it to a certified jeweler to have it analyzed professionally.
However, you can also check it yourself with simple home methods. Keep reading that we will tell you how to know if it is gold in this definitive guide.
The visual method is not exact, but it can provide you with the necessary information to determine if it is gold. The authentic gold pieces have official marks, their seal will indicate the degree of fineness, which can be 1-999 or 0.1-0.999. Or you can indicate the carats 10, 14, 18, 22, or 24K. In the case of small parts, it must be seen with a magnifying glass.
Although there are indeed fake gold bars with such marks, so this is not an entirely reliable method. Therefore, the visual analysis must also include looking for areas in the piece that are strongly discolored. Special attention must be paid to areas that are subjected to constant friction such as the edges.
For example, this analysis is used to find out if a ring is made of real gold. If we observe that the gold is uncorked or a different metal is perceived, it is most likely that the piece is only gold-plated.
The Bite Test
Perhaps we have seen on television that people, to test whether a piece is a gold, take a bite of it. But is this a reliable method to tell if it’s gold? Although the bite test has a scientific explanation, it is not the best way to determine if it is real gold, it is more of a rudimentary analysis.
This method consists of biting the piece of gold neither too hard nor too softly. If marks were left on the piece, it would be proof that it is made of gold. The deeper the marks, the degree of purity of the gold is greater. This is because gold is by nature a soft metal. However, there are metals softer than gold like lead, so this is not a definitive test. Also, by biting the object you can hurt your teeth or you can damage the gold piece.
Prove It’s Gold With A Magnet
For this test, you need a strong magnet, which you can get at hardware stores or on hard drives and speakers you don’t use. Since gold is a non-magnetic metal, it should not be attracted to the magnet. If, on the other hand, the magnet attracts the piece, then it is certain that the piece is not pure gold.
This method of gold checking is simple, and if the piece is attractive the conclusion is final. But if the magnet does not attract the object, we cannot definitively ensure that it is pure gold. It just so happens that counterfeiters can use non-magnetic metals to create gold counterfeits.
Determine The Density Of Your Piece
Since gold is a heavy metal, determining its density – greater than that of many metals – is a good way to tell if it is pure gold. The higher the density of the piece, the purer the gold. This test is performed on pieces that are only made of gold and do not have other accessories such as diamonds and precious stones.
First, you must weigh the piece, the weight in grams, and that it be accurate. Then in a container with a scale in milliliters, pour a little water and note the amount that marks. Place the piece in the container and see how many milliliters the water rose. Calculate the displacement volume by subtracting the milliliters that were before inserting the piece from the milliliters that are after inserting it.
Then calculate the density of the piece by dividing the mass, that is, the weight in grams, by the displacement volume. If the result is close to 19g/ml, it indicates that it is pure gold, or that it is a material whose density is similar to that of gold.
Test If It’s Gold With Nitric Acid
The nitric acid test is reliable but carries a safety risk. So it is not advisable to do it at home but to have it done by a trained jeweler. The test consists of putting the piece of gold in a stainless steel container and adding a drop of nitric acid to the gold.
We must watch what reactions the acid produces. If the reaction is green it means that the piece is made of a common metal or that it is gold-plated. If the reaction is gold in color then the piece is gold-plated brass. The milk color will indicate that we have a sterling silver piece that is plated with gold. If the gold in the piece does not react, then most likely we are dealing with authentic gold.
