Today, the old scrap gold holds a lot of worth. It is generally the real gold which could give you a good amount. Â However, identifying the gold and telling whether it is real or not is a pretty tough task. It is because they generally own the same look. Fake gold is very exclusive these days with the name of good played or electroplated with gold. The main difference between real and the fake hold is their worth. So, you should exactly know the difference between these two so that you get the deserving price of your gold jewelry.
Here are some key tips which you employ for checking whether the jewelry is authentic or not.
Search for the Hallmark:
Generally, all the jewelry made up of real good is a store with a proper hallmark. The hallmark notes the karat weight of the gold bangle or jewelry like 10k, 12k, etc. All the gold jewelry produced in America are marked with the ‘K’ stamp. The hallmark actually indicates the parts of metal gold present in gold bangle or any other jewelry piece.
The Nitric Acid Test:
It is another fine method which you can use for checking real and fake gold. It is recommended to make use of the nitric acid test in case you are dealing with scrap gold. However, it is advised not to make use of this acid test if you want to test your gold jewelry. It is because if once this method is used on the jewelry which you will keep or will sell, it tends to lose its aesthetic value.
The procedure of the nitric acid test includes a few steps. For checking the purity of gold, first, you need to make a small scratch on the gold jewelry using a small file. Once the spot is marked, with the help of a dropper, apply a few drops of nitric acid on it. Wait for the reaction. If no reaction occurs, it can be said that the metal is pure gold. In the case of gold-plated metals, as soon as nitric acid is added, the reaction takes place turning the surface green. The jewelry made up of gold-over-sterling metals, leave back a milky white substance on the surface as a result of the reaction.
The liquid foundation test:
It is a great method which you can use in order to test your gold bangles at home. All you need to do is just apply a little foundation and powder on the forehead. Next, you need to run the gold item which you want to check. If black streaks are left behind on the skin, it is likely that the metal piece is not pure gold.
Apart from all these tests, the weight and the magnetism property of your jewelry piece can also help you understand whether it is real or fake. So, these were some commonly used methods for checking the authenticity of gold.
