How to check whether gold is real or not. How to test gold at home and determine whether it is fake or not. Other ways to determine the authenticity of gold

Due to the fact that there are a lot of scammers around, it makes sense to protect yourself. Today we tell you how to check gold for authenticity. Of course, it is always better to contact a professional jeweler, but according to tradition, we will carry out manipulations at home. If you have experience in such matters, please share it with other readers.

Chemical means for testing gold for authenticity

Before checking whether it is gold or not, choose the appropriate option for yourself from the options below. At home, you can use iodine, silver nitrate or vinegar essence.

No. 1. Iodine

1. If the metal is genuine, when it comes into contact with iodine it will react and darken.

2. The procedure is carried out as follows: apply 1 drop to gold jewelry or soak a cotton swab in the preparation, then rub it over the metal.

3. If the surface darkens, then you can be sure that this is genuine gold.

4. You can remove traces of inspection by wiping the jewelry with a cotton sponge soaked in a 30% sodium hyposulfite solution. This product is sold in all pharmacies.

No. 2. Silver nitrate (lapis pencil)

1. Silver nitrate reacts with various metals, with the exception of gold. This drug is supplied to pharmacies under the name lapis pencil.

2. Before testing the gold, wet the item with clean water. Next, at home, proceed as follows: run a pencil over the wet decoration and evaluate the result.

3. If the metal is real, it will not change in shade. A fake, on the contrary, will darken or take on a different color.

4. It is important to remember that it is pointless to test low-grade gold in this way. Because in addition to gold, such jewelry contains impurities.

No. 3. Vinegar essence

1. Using vinegar essence is advisable if you are interested in how to test gold for authenticity. But do not confuse ordinary vinegar, available at home, with 70% essence (this is what we need).

2. So, dip the metal in a highly concentrated solution for 4-6 minutes, wait for the result. If the jewelry becomes dark or another reaction makes itself felt (for example, gas formation), the product is fake.

3. Real high-grade metal will never react with vinegar essence. Also, you will not see a reaction if the factory jewelry contains an acceptable amount of impurities.

4. In cases where a small part of real metal is added to the fake, the reaction will be uneven. That is, the decoration may darken in several places.

5. Remember that real gold will not react. And be careful when testing items that contain silver or other metal that could be damaged by the essence.

Other ways to determine the authenticity of gold

Before checking gold for authenticity, we suggest you consider a few more effective methods that you can use at home.

No. 1. Magnet

If it's fake Low quality, it will have gold plating. In this case, the product in most cases is made of a steel base. If you hold a magnet, the decoration will become magnetized.

No. 2. Gold

To determine the authenticity of one piece of jewelry, you need to use another real gold piece. Use the last product to scratch the object being tested. As a result, the traces left should not differ in any way.

No. 3. Ceramics

Try to scratch the tiles made of ceramics with a gold item. If the metal is truly precious, then it will leave behind a golden color. In other cases, a dark streak remains from the fakes.

It is necessary to check the authenticity of gold not only for treasure hunters and coin collectors, but also for those who have doubts about the purchased jewelry. To be sure to “expose” a fake, it is better to go to the jewelers.

To instantly determine the authenticity if you are unable to contact a professional, you can try independent methods and test the precious metal at home. To do this, you will need available means: a magnet, iodine, vinegar, lapis pencil... For your attention - several very effective methods, which will help you independently check the authenticity of gold.

Ways to test gold at home

Before you start checking, you need to understand that during manufacture jewelry Gold is never used in its pure form; one way or another, you are dealing with an alloy of metals. This is where the concept of “sample”, expressed by a number, arises. The alloys are created by mixing with less expensive silver, copper and nickel. However, substitutes for gold are also known that are very similar to it.

Counterfeits can be made from silver, copper and brass, bronze and aluminum or tin, covering the product with gold plating. All this suggests that it is often difficult to find out where the real jewelry is and where it is just a fake. To be completely sure, you need to conduct professional tests using instruments.

But let's try to do everything possible to test gold at home.

Iodine authentication

This method is one of the most effective, because no other metals except gold react with iodine.

Clean the surface of the product well using a thick, for example, denim or fine sandpaper, file;

with help cotton swab apply iodine to this place;

wait a while, monitoring the reaction of the metal.

It will take half a minute for the place where iodine is applied the surface has darkened- in this case, you have high-grade gold in front of you. If the surface becomes lighter and the iodine begins to turn white and evaporate, alas, it is a fake.

Testing gold with iodine is one of the most reliable. The disadvantage of this method is that the metal will now have to be cleaned, and as soon as possible. To get rid of stains, use the “magic” properties of Coca Cola or Schweppes. You need to leave the decoration in the drink for half an hour. You can also clean it with toothpaste.

Dipping in vinegar

Some people also consider vinegar to be an indicator of the authenticity of gold. The product must be dipped in vinegar for 2-5 minutes, the fake will darken, and there will be no reaction on the noble metal. But experts unanimously say that this method of verification is not effective.

Lapis pencil line

This pencil is sold in pharmacies. The method will be effective if you first moisten the jewelry with water. You need to run a pencil over the surface. There should be no trace left on it, because this substance reacts chemically with most metals, but not with gold. The presence of a pencil mark reveals a fake or low standard gold.

Magnetic method

Everything ingenious is simple. Noble metals are not attracted by a magnet, but fake alloys are easily! However, copper, tin, bronze and aluminum are also not magnetic, and scammers take advantage of this property to make fakes. In this case, the deception can be revealed noticing the suspiciously light weight products, because all of the listed metals are light. But here you need to, as they say, “get your teeth into.”

Many people often wonder how to test gold at home. This is due to the fact that an absolutely paradoxical situation arises in the jewelry market: the number of jewelry stores is growing every day, but gold mining itself has long been suspended or is progressing at a slow pace.

New times make people go different types deception for the purpose of enrichment. And as a result, a person buys a gold product that has only a tenth of the precious metal. Manufacturers have long found an approach to inspection services. Most often, what they get for analysis is not the whole piece of jewelry, but a small part of it - a link, lock or clasp, which is wisely made to the best quality. In addition, they only check the top layer, and what is inside remains a mystery to everyone except the manufacturer. This is how the inspection of low-quality goods takes place, which immediately ends up on the shelves, and later on in the box of each of us.

It is worth understanding that even the highest quality gold jewelry cannot consist entirely of expensive metal. Gold itself is a soft material that can quickly wear out, so good jewelry is an alloy, the main share of which is the noble metal. It makes the decoration strong and durable.

Checking gold before purchasing

In order not to become a victim of a bad product, you must be careful and attentive to the purchase long before you give money to the seller. To correctly know how to determine the quality of gold when purchasing, you need to adhere to some rules.

How to define gold?

There are a huge number of ways to identify real gold. Such experiments are quite easy and simple to use. They can be carried out at home using improvised means. They will be somewhat reminiscent of laboratory work in physics or chemistry at school level. With their help, you can confirm the proverb “all that glitters is not gold.”

Such simple methods will help to distinguish a real fake from high-quality metal. But if the product contains a few foreign impurities, or the fake is made at the highest level, then it is better to trust a good jeweler. Only a specialist will be able to find out the truth and evaluate and analyze such jewelry.

In order to understand how to test gold at home, you need to use the following methods:

• determine authenticity by sound;
• do a strength test;
• chemical experiments (iodine, vinegar);
• interaction with lapis pencil;
• interaction with a magnet;
• contact with other gold;
• reaction to the sun;
• Archimedes' method.

Let's look at each method more clearly and accurately.

Identification by sound

Many people have been testing their gold jewelry using the sounding method for years. To do this, you need to take your jewelry (ring, pendant or earring) and throw it on a perfectly flat and hard surface. If the gold is genuine, then we will definitely hear a ringing clear sound, which will be somewhat reminiscent of the sound of crystal. Experts believe in this method, but believe that for the purity of the experiment, a person must have a good ear for music. This method cannot be used on long, soft or loose jewelry - chains or bracelets.

Strength test

To understand how to determine the authenticity of gold at home, you can conduct a strength test, which has long been considered “old-fashioned” and reliable. Even in the old days, people checked the falsity of gold coins by “testing”. If a tooth mark or a scratch remained on the coin, then the high cost of the metal was confirmed. In other cases, a person could even be left without teeth, since the fake was hard.

Naturally, this cannot be done in a jewelry store, but testing gold in this way at home is quite possible. Products can not only be bitten, but also scratched with a sharp object. If it is a fake, you will see a dark or black alloy under the gold layer. Such an experiment should be carried out at your own peril and risk, without fear of spoiling appearance of your product.

Chemical experiments

Many people wonder how to test gold with iodine? After all, this is the most reliable method, and iodine can be easily and affordably purchased at a pharmacy. To do this, you need to carefully drop 1 drop of iodine on the back of the jewelry and leave it for a chemical reaction for 3 minutes. After time has passed, it can be easily removed using a soft cloth, scarf or cotton wool. If it does not leave its mark on the gold, this means that the reaction did not occur and this is a real noble metal. In the case of a low-quality alloy, the color of the iodine can be different, from a light milky tint to black.

A similar action can be carried out using vinegar if you suddenly don’t have iodine in your house. A gold item or part, it needs to be kept in a container with vinegar for a while. If it darkens or changes color, it is 100 percent fake.

There is also a third way to check using a chemical reaction. To do this, if possible, you need to get gold chloride and apply it to precious item. The original will never react with it, since real gold will be inert to such a substance. The fake will begin to manifest itself through chemical reactions - hissing or darkening.

lapis pencil

Gold can also be checked using a lapis pencil. It can be bought at any pharmacy to stop bleeding. To do this, you need to soak the gold in water and make a small dot with a pencil. You don’t have to wait long for the result – it will appear instantly. The metal should not oxidize or react with the pencil. Genuine gold will remain pure.

Interaction with a magnet

It is quite rare to see scammers who apply a small layer of gold directly to a metal product. If you bring a magnet to such jewelry, the metal will instantly react not to its presence. However, the method is not valid if the fake is copper, aluminum or bronze. These metals practically do not react to magnets, and it will not be possible to verify the authenticity of the jewelry.

Contact with another gold item

Every family can find gold jewelry that has a good reputation. It has either been passed down from generation to generation or is of great value and importance. With the help of such an original you can easily check other gold items. It is best if both jewelry have the same sample for the purity of the experiment. With these gold jewelry, you need to draw two lines on a hard object with equal force. They should leave an even mark at the end. The line prints must completely match and be similar.

Reaction to the sun

There is another simple way to determine gold at home. To do this, you need to choose sunny, clear weather. If possible, go out onto the balcony or street to catch direct sunlight. The decoration that has caused you controversial views should be carefully examined in the shade and immediately brought into the sun. It should retain its shine and color in both cases. If you have a fake in your hands, then in the shadow it will fade significantly and lose its presentable appearance.

Archimedes' method

This method will be useful and effective on large volumes. The method should be used for heavy massive products, as well as for gold bars. The product must be lowered into a container and see how much water it displaces. Using physics formulas for grade 7, you can find out what the mass of the jewelry is and whether it is genuine. But this experiment requires many additional measuring instruments.

Many people are partial to gold jewelry. Today, the number of jewelry stores around the world continues to grow, despite the fact that gold reserves are rapidly drying up. This suggests that the quality of an impressive part of the goods offered is much lower than what the seller claims. In addition, the number of individuals who deceive gullible citizens by deceiving them by offering them cheap jewelry, the appearance of which is inaccurate, is increasing. expert assessment impossible to distinguish from gold ones.

As for the expert assessment, it is not always reliable, and all because the gold seller, who wants to receive a certificate for his product, submits only part of the product (a couple of links, for example) for examination. In this case, the check extends to the top coating of the product element, while its remaining parts can be made of semi-precious metal. For this reason, every person who prefers gold jewelry should know how to check the authenticity of gold.

Authentication using iodine

Characteristics of real metal

Before you figure out how to test gold at home, you should learn about the signs of this metal and its properties. You can recognize real pure gold by its characteristic sunny yellow hue and plasticity. However, such metal is not used in the jewelry industry, since it has a short service life due to its tendency to deform. For this reason, more durable and wear-resistant metals are added to gold - copper, silver, platinum, palladium, zinc (ligature).

A measure showing the gold content in 1 kilogram of an alloy is called fineness. The most popular among jewelers and buyers of precious jewelry is 585 gold, in which the percentage of gold is 58.5%, or 585 grams. The composition of the ligature will determine the shade of gold. For example, white gold is an alloy in which silver or platinum predominates. Testing gold for authenticity is complicated by the fact that the alloy of this metal contains impurities. A real gold product can be recognized based on its following features:

1. It is sold in a specialized jewelry store or salon, and these establishments have a brilliant reputation in the jewelry market.
2. The tag on the product contains the following information: manufacturer’s brand, article number, real price per gram of metal, price per product, sample and expert’s stamp.
3. The hallmark has clear contours and is clearly visible even to the naked eye.
4. Jewelry made from real gold looks perfect and has no external defects.

But all these rules, despite their universality, will not allow you to determine 100% whether it is gold or not. So how can you check gold for authenticity without expert evaluation?

lapis pencil

Verification methods

In everyday life, proven methods are used to determine the authenticity of gold at home:

1. Sound of gold: the jewelry being tested should be taken and thrown onto a flat, hard surface. A product made of precious metal will make a clear, ringing sound when it hits the surface.
2. Durability: if you scratch a fake, a mark will immediately form on it. Real gold, due to its softness, is scratch resistant.
3. Acid Resistance: Real gold can be identified using vinegar. To do this, you can place the decoration in a container with acetic acid. The fake gold will immediately acquire a dark tint, while the genuine gold will remain the same as it was before testing.
4. Iodine test: if you drop a little iodine onto the surface of a fake, the stain will eat into the surface in a matter of seconds. But iodine is safe for real gold.
5. Test with a lapis pencil: if you have such a thing in your home medicine cabinet, then it will unmistakably help you distinguish gold from a fake. To carry out the test, the decoration should be slightly wetted, and then a dash should be placed on its surface with a lapis pencil. Genuine gold will not show any reaction when in contact with a lapis pencil, while fake gold will darken.
6. Magnet Test: Gold is a metal that is not attracted to a magnet. But checking a metal for authenticity with a magnet will be reliable only if the alloy does not contain aluminum, copper and bronze.

Checking gold with a magnet

How to find out the authenticity of gold without improvised means:

• you need to take the gold out into the daylight, and then into a dark place - a real precious metal will shine the same in different lighting;
• You can compare the purchased jewelry with another gold product of a similar standard, the authenticity of which is beyond doubt.

All of the listed methods to answer the question of how to identify gold and distinguish it from counterfeit metal do not provide a 100% guarantee of the veracity of the assessment. To obtain reliable information about the authenticity of gold, you should contact an independent appraiser. Using special equipment and reagents, an expert will form an objective assessment of a particular product that is positioned as gold in just a few minutes.

Surely many have asked themselves the question: how to determine the authenticity of gold? The explanation for this is the number of jewelry stores, which is growing every day. Gold mining is not comparable to the number of such salons, since today it is moving very slowly. This raises questions: were they deceived when purchasing a gold item, or were they slipped a counterfeit?

Why is it worth checking gold for authenticity?

In order to enrich themselves, people can resort to any deception. Now there are many unscrupulous manufacturers who have an approach to inspections for the analysis of precious metals. Very often, it is not the whole precious metal that gets analyzed by the inspectorate, but only a part of it. This could be an earring clasp or a chain link that is made with high quality. Very often, analysis services only check the top layer of the precious metal, and only one manufacturer knows what is inside. Such low-quality goods end up in showrooms, and then in our hands. That's why you have to worry about your purchase. jewelry and check its authenticity. There are countless cases of deception.

The following recommendations, which you can easily apply at home, will help you determine whether it is gold or not:

• visual assessment;
• identifying genuine metal by sound;
• chemical determination;
• method of determination with a magnet or lapis pencil;
• determination by Archimedes' method;
• a method for determining reaction to the sun;
• method of contacting gold jewelry.

Let's consider each of the options.

Methods for determining gold at home

How to identify gold at home by visual assessment and sound? The easiest way or method to identify real gold from fake gold at home is a visual assessment. It is worth carefully examining the gold product and trying to examine the sample.

Any gold jewelry is tested at manufacturing factories. If the sample is missing, then this should alert you. Take a close look at the decoration wrong side. The back side must be of the same professional quality as the front side. You can also try to scratch the jewelry, testing its strength. It is only advisable to scratch where the scratch will be least visible. If the product is fake, then under the layer of gold you can see base metal.

Many people rely on the old method of identifying gold by sound. To do this, take your product (ring, pendant, earrings) and throw it on a hard and perfectly flat floor. The sound of a genuine gold product resembles crystal ringing. It will be clean and ringing. But, according to experts, a person must have good hearing abilities for this. This determination method is not suitable for long and loose bracelets and chains.

How to recognize gold by chemical determination?

For this quality experiment you will need iodine. Try placing a drop of iodine on your jewelry and letting it react for a few minutes. Then try removing the iodine with a cotton swab. If it did not leave a trace behind, then this is an original product. If instead of the original you have a base metal in front of you, iodine will leave its mark in various colors, from light shades to black.

You can determine the authenticity using vinegar. To do this, take vinegar and pour it into a container. They put the product there and wait for a chemical reaction.

Real gold will not darken or change its color.

• Determination method with a magnet or lapis pencil

The gold product is not attracted by a magnet, the photo is fake

If a magnet is presented to a gold item, it will not be attracted to it, whereas any other metal will simply stick. You can check the precious metal with a lapis pencil, which is sold in any pharmacy. To do this, wet your gold piece with water and draw a line on it with a pencil. If your product remains clean, then it is genuine, and if it reacts, then you have a fake in your hands.

• Determination by Archimedes' method

The method is that if the decoration is placed in water, it will immediately sink. But base metals will remain floating on the water.

• Sun reaction method

This method is carried out in sunny and clear weather. You should hold the gold item and look closely at it in the shade, and then direct the sun’s rays onto it. A gold product should remain the same color and shine both in the shade and in the sun, while a fake in the shade will be darker.

• Gold Jewelry Contact Method

This method requires you to be confident in the gold jewelry your piece will be in contact with. Let it be an antique gold ring that passes from generation to generation. Draw two lines of jewelry on a hard surface. In both cases, the stripes will be the same or very similar to each other.

If you decide to buy gold jewelry, then let it be from time-tested and quality-tested manufacturers and the jewelry salon itself.