Have you ever wondered how seasoned experts can easily spot a fake jewellery while others struggle to tell the difference? Precious metals such as gold and silver have unique traits which can be spotted once you know what to look for. Knowing to spot a fake comes in handy when buying jewellery from questionable sources. This post aims to inform you about few of the practical and easy ways to tell if your gold jewellery is fake or genuine. Though some might make you smile, and there’s nothing wrong about smiling, these simple tests can be performed on the spot, and they serve as an alternative to taking the jewellery to an expert, especially when there’s none in proximity.
1. LOOK FOR STAMPS
You should first start by checking if the jewellery or the piece of gold has a marking or stamp. You will need a good magnifying glass to check for the marking if your vision is not that of an eagle. Be warned that checking the marking alone is not enough simply because a counterfeiter will often sell fake gold items with equally fake markings. However, this does serve as a good starting point.
2. LOOK CLOSELY USING A MAGNIFYING GLASS
A thorough visual inspection can reveal the truth about your gold jewellery. Look out for signs of discoloration and fading. If the piece you are inspecting is discolored, then there is a good chance you are dealing with an item that’s gold plated and not a pure gold piece of jewelry.Furthermore, at a thorough inspection you will get a chance to inspect the degree of craftsmanship that went into making the item and you might decide to pass even if it’s pure gold.
3. DO THE BITE TEST
As pure gold is naturally soft, it should form some sort of bumps when you bite it. You surely know of this method as it is often portrayed in TV shows and movies, but it does come with a few downsides. First of all, biting down too hard on any piece of metal can damage your teeth, and gold is no different in this repect, Furthermore, you can bite too hard and damage the piece of jewellery, at which point you might have to buy it even if you don’t like it that much.
4. CERAMIC SCRATCH TEST
Another simple way to test a piece of gold jewelry you’re about to buy is to take any sort of ceramic plate you have at hand and simply drag the gold jewellery gently across its surface. If you notice any black scratch marks on the piece of ceramics you used, then the jewelry you like so much is definitely not made of pure gold gold. However, if you notice golden lines then that’s clear indication you are dealing with a gold. Don’t rely on this test alone though; be sure to apply other methods as well as you still can’t be sure the jewelry is 100% made of gold.
5. THE MAGNET TEST
Pure gold is not magnetic, hence the piece of jewelry you just bought should not react in any way when it’s brought close to a magnet. You probably have a magnet lying around the house, but just to be sure you can go to a local hardware store and get yourself a considerably powerful magnet. When you place it at close proximity to a fake gold item, it should get attracted to the magnet while a genuine pure gold piece of jewelry should not react in any way.
6. THE WATER DROP TEST
Just like the name suggests, all you need to do is drop the piece of gold jewelry you bought in a bowl full of water. Since gold is a heavy metal, any genuine gold item should sink to the bottom like a rock. Counterfeit jewelry items on the other hand may float a bit or at least sink visibly slow.
When testing any gold item by yourself, in the absence of a professional jeweler, you should not rely on any one method. Instead, use multiple methods back to back before reaching a verdict. If you are not sure even after performing the above-mentioned tests, it’s best you take the item to a certified jeweler for further inspection or simply pass the deal if that’s not possible. It is always best to buy your jewellery from a reputed jewellery store. If you are traveling a lot and simply don’t want to pass all those opportunities, you might consider buying a professional gold testing kit as it will only set you you back a few bucks and you will never have to worry about the quality of the gold jewelry you’re buying again.
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