How to check the authenticity of gold at home?

June 3, 2021

Testing gold for authenticity is one of the mandatory and not always simple procedures that every owner of jewelry and other accessories made of precious metal should be able to carry out. Unfortunately, along with production technologies, methods of counterfeiting gold products are also being improved. Today, no one is immune from being deceived by an unscrupulous seller, so you need to know at least a few home inspection methods.

In this article, you will learn how to identify real gold, how it differs from a fictitious shiny alloy, and how to conduct a quick test without leaving home.

How to visually distinguish gold when purchasing in a store?

Before removing your bank card from your wallet, please note the following:

• Each product made in Russia must be marked with a hallmark of 375 or 585 together with the logo of the Federal Assay Office - a woman’s profile in a kokoshnik. The print should be clear, without blurred edges. To view, use a magnifying glass - there is nothing “criminal” about consumer meticulousness.
• If the decoration is composite with a complex openwork shape, then you will see solder at the joints of the elements. Upon closer inspection, there is a slight difference in shades - this is due to the use of a purer composition, this is a good sign.
• Hold the product in your hands for a few minutes to warm it up, and then smell it. Real gold does not emit any odors, unlike copper alloy jewelry.

After examining the item itself, we proceed to inspect the accompanying documents - tags and catalog cards, where key information about the product is always indicated:

• Article, full trade name, type: T108023275 Earrings with pearls;
• Legal name of the manufacturer, head address, city of Yaroslavl, Sobinova street, building 47a
  ;
• Mark of the technical control department: quality control department stamp and examination number;
• Technical information about the product - sample, weight, type of insert;
• Date of manufacture;
• Barcode;
• QR code with an encrypted link to the product position in the electronic catalog.

Only after making sure that all formal requirements are met should you make a purchase in a retail store and then begin a home inspection.

How can you test gold at home?

We have collected several of the safest methods that, if all rules are followed, will not cause harm to either the product itself or the human body due to potential toxicity.

Iodine

Perhaps the most harmless and simple method, consisting of elementary rules:

1. Take a regular pharmaceutical iodine solution and dip a cotton swab in it.
2. Gently apply a small dab onto a flat surface.
3. If the spot begins to lighten or turn white, there is more copper or brass in the product than gold. Remains dark brown – 585 standard is real.

You can clean gold from iodine with an aqueous solution of hyposulfate (ampoules are sold in pharmacies), or a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and ordinary laundry soap. The only caveat is that soaking can take up to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the contamination.

Ammonia

The method is similar to iodine, with the difference that you will have to use a cotton swab soaked in ammonia as an eraser - rub the jewelry with it for at least 15 seconds, and then look at the mark. If the snow-white cotton wool takes on a bluish-dark tint, then the purchased item is fake. When the color does not change and there are no unpleasant traces, copper is within normal limits.

lapis pencil

It can also be found in most pharmacies at a price that is ridiculous by drug standards. It’s even easier to use than with liquids - open it, draw a small line and carefully observe the result. There should be no traces left on the gold.

Vinegar

This method is not recommended for use at home, because the result requires vinegar essence heated over an open fire with a concentration of 80% or higher. Only then will the excess copper in the alloy color the liquid a pale blue hue. Regular table vinegar is useless - 6-9% is not enough to react with metal.

Necessary tools for iodine testing

A simple technology is used using tools that can be found in any home. To check you will need:

• alcohol solution of iodine, it is sold in different concentrations. The most common option is a 5% iodine solution.
• cotton swab;
• sandpaper;
• high concentration ethyl alcohol;
• a soft cloth such as flannel.

A magnifying glass and tweezers will come in handy if you need to check small details.

Iodine is able to react with gold under normal conditions, causing it to darken at the site of application. Gold iodide is formed - AuI. The dark area will have a different shade. This depends on what standard gold is: 375, 585 or 750. The latter, when combined with iodine, gives a dark green zone, while gold material of 585 standard produces a dark brown tint.

Lack of reaction is a sure sign of a fake.

How to check white gold for authenticity?

The best and relatively inexpensive way to distinguish white gold from a skillfully made counterfeit made from a low-quality silver alloy is the potassium dichromate reagent, better known since Soviet times as chrompic. You can buy it at any specialized store, and one bottle is guaranteed to be enough for several dozen tests.

The test algorithm consists of five steps:

1. Prepare the glassware on which you will conduct the test.
2. Degrease the decoration using ethyl alcohol and a dry paper towel.
3. Apply 1-2 drops of Chrompic to the back of the product and wait a few seconds.
4. If a red spot appears, you have silver below 925 standard. On a gold surface, the color of the chemical practically does not change, or becomes greenish.

Important: Chrompik is an extremely toxic and carcinogenic reagent. When it evaporates, it emits a pungent “smoke” with a specific odor, which causes severe burns to the respiratory tract. When working with the composition, follow all safety rules - ventilated area, thick rubber gloves, breathing respirator.

Acidic reagents

All acid reagents have the same type of effect; they leave a light spot on the metal of the sample for which they are intended, or do not react at all. They also do not react to metal of a higher standard and leave a brown spot if the sample is less than that for which the reagent is intended. In its preparation we use:

• nitric acid density 1.4;
• hydrochloric acid, density 1.19;
• distilled water.

For different gold samples, solutions are prepared in the following proportions:

The acid reagent for 500 gold can also be considered universal for any sample. It is a pure nitric acid that will react to all types of gold below 583 purity. It is the cheapest and most readily available. On all alloys containing less than half gold, bubbles will appear under the drop. The lower the sample, the more intense the release will be.

If there is no gold present at all, the reaction will occur instantly and a green foam will appear, which will be accompanied by hissing. On silver of a low standard it will leave a grayish spot, and with a standard below 800 the reaction will be the same, with bubbles. On silver below 600 fineness, nitric acid will boil. Such a reagent is often used as a starting reagent for the approximate determination of the metal being studied.

Is gold magnetic?

For many decades, the famous “grandmother’s” method of testing gold was considered one of the most reliable and safe, because products made of precious metal are not magnetic at all. However, this technology is becoming less in demand every year, and here’s why:

• Most counterfeits on the market began to be made from a special copper-lead alloy, which in its structure is similar to a diamagnetic material.
• For the most accurate verification, an expensive neodymium magnet is required - miniature decorative jewelry “from the refrigerator” is absolutely unreliable.

The best modern tester is the once popular toy Neocub. The composition of its balls is the same neodymium alloy, which has the required attractive power.

Convenience of the method and its disadvantages

A household method of checking precious metal for authenticity using iodine:

Convenient and easy enough to use.

Does not require complex chemical reagents or special equipment.

It can be carried out by non-specialists; it is enough to carefully observe the reaction of the interaction of two elements.

The disadvantages include:

Checking only the surface part of the jewelry.

It is impossible to obtain a result with 100% accuracy.

It is impossible to check gold-plated products; the top layer of gold will be removed with sandpaper.

Difficulties also arise with rhodium-plated products, if a thin layer of rhodium is removed, a yellowish or reddish metal appears underneath it.

How do they check gold in pawn shops?

Specialists in the purchase of precious metals use their own methods of precise examination:

• Touchstone and nitric acid - first, a control trace is made on a silicon block from a previously tested product. A line is drawn next to it with a second decoration, after which one or several drops of an acid composition are applied to both stripes. If the shade is the same, there are no questions about authenticity.
• Hydrostatic method - it is based on calculating the specific gravity of a thing in air and distilled water. The first step is a control weighing on a jewelry scale, and then in a glass filled with liquid. The method is absolutely safe for any products except antique decorative watches.

Reputable institutions use a device called a spectrometer. In fact, this will already be a professional examination. Gold jewelry is placed in a chamber where, under the influence of radioactive waves, its spectrum is recorded, reflecting the percentage of a particular metal. The procedure is not cheap, but it is as fast and accurate as possible.

Rules for wearing, caring for and storing gold jewelry

Gold jewelry should be worn carefully. Accessories designed to decorate the external image are recommended to be removed if there is likely exposure to foreign objects or kitchen fumes. A negative factor will be sudden temperature changes. In addition, the danger to jewelry is posed by:

• eau de toilette and deodorants;
• humid environment;
• contact with cutting, abrasive objects.

Places where jewelry is taken off:

• gyms;
• spa centers, beauty salons;
• baths and saunas, etc.

It is better to store your personal jewelry collection separately. When they come into contact, they leave scratches and become deformed. For this purpose, special velvet bags and cases have been created, similar to those found in jewelry stores. Jewelry accessories do not interact well in plastic, so it is better to avoid cases made of this material.

Excessive exposure to direct sunlight spoils jewelry. Therefore, they must be kept in a closed, dark space.

Buying Tips

A few recommendations before checking gold for authenticity:

• Always, in addition to the store receipt, save tags, labels, etc. before starting experiments. This will guarantee the most conflict-free return possible - after all, you have a legal two weeks to “try it on.”
• If the seller refuses to admit that it is obviously fake, do not be afraid to contact a laboratory for an accurate expert opinion. Only this can become a valid basis for an application to Rospotrebnadzor and transfer of documents to the court. Even taking into account the costs of the examination, not a single store will oppose the exact figures.

In turn, the Line of Love online store, as well as the network of our branded stores throughout Russia, guarantees 100% quality and authenticity of gold jewelry, confirmed by all quality certificates. The prices for the current catalog will pleasantly surprise you, and regular discounts, sales and the opportunity to create a unique product design in the author’s online designer will turn shopping into a pleasant and exciting experience.

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