How to check gold for authenticity at home?

Every year the number of jewelry stores is increasing, and the extraction of precious metal does not keep pace with the excessive needs of mankind. Gold has long become a trap for buyers, because with modern technology, scammers are becoming easier to forge. To check the authenticity of the precious metal, you can contact the Assay Chamber or a familiar jeweler. Only professional specialists can distinguish the genuine product from a counterfeit 100%.However, there are more simple ways to make sure that you are not deceived. Today we will tell you how to check gold for authenticity at home, so as not to buy a "cat in a sack" for a lot of money.

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Gold, its chemical and physical properties

Real pure gold is a very soft metal of rich yellow color. It should be understood that even the most qualitative gold decoration can not consist only of expensive metal, as it will be quickly erased with time. It is because of the softness of the precious metal, it must be supplemented with special alloys and metals. Therefore, before you check gold for authenticity at home, you need to know what type of alloy you have.

Alloys can be red, white and yellow, they name the future gold product:

1. Red gold contains 75% gold and 25% copper. In Ancient Russia, red gold was used to make jewelry and as a monetary equivalent.
2. Classical gold is an alloy of metals such as gold, silver and copper in equal proportions.
3. White gold is basically silver, platinum and nickel( 68%), and the remaining 32% - pure gold. To date, it is this alloy that enjoys the highest demand in the world.

Important! Recently, nickel was excluded from the alloy due to a high allergic reaction to the skin.

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How to determine whether gold is present or not?

With the goal of enriching entrepreneurs go to any deception. Unfair producers have already found an approach to inspections for the analysis of precious metals. And most often, the analysis does not fall all the jewelry, but only a small part of it, for example, the chain link, clasp, which are made in the best qualities. Experts usually check only the top layer of the product, but what is inside, and remains a mystery to all but manufacturers.

A good quality jewelery is an alloy, the main part of which is gold. Precious metal makes the decoration durable and durable.

Important! Very often gold is forged with the help of tungsten, since, the density of this metal is the same as that of gold - 19.3 g / cm3.The process of forgery itself is quite simple: a tungsten billet is covered with gold. Recognize such a fake, you can only if you drill a hole that will expose what is inside.

In order not to become a victim of deception, very carefully and carefully treat the purchase. To correctly determine the quality of the decoration, the following recommendations will help you:

1. Never buy jewelry in cheap, little-known shops and stalls.
2. Always carefully inspect the product and the metal sample, as well as the manufacturer's impression. If there is no sample, then this should alert you. You can check the gold sample with a magnifying glass. Look at the numbers - they should be clear and even, and the mark should be parallel to the part on which it was applied.
3. Inspect the product carefully and on the underside. Wrong side should be executed also qualitatively and accurately, as well as the front side. This indicates the high skill and professionalism of the manufacturer.

Important! If possible, use the method for authenticity by sound. A ring, pendant or earrings can be thrown on a hard flat floor. The sound of a genuine gold jewelry should be clean and ringing, resemble a crystal ringing. However, this method is not suitable for long and loose chains and bracelets.

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How to check the authenticity of gold at home?- 7 best ways to

There is a huge amount of way to check gold for authenticity. Such experiments are quite easy to apply. To conduct research, you will need people's handy tools. With their help, you will make sure in the words "Not all that gold glitters" or disprove it and calm down about the quality of your product.

Iodine Testing

For the experiment, you will need:

• Iodine.
• Cotton swab.
• Napkin or clean cloth.
  
  

Proceed as follows to check gold for authenticity at home:

1. Wipe the product with a clean cloth to remove contamination.
2. Apply a drop of iodine to the clean surface of the decoration with a cotton swab.
3. Wait 3-6 minutes and evaluate the result. If the color of the metal has not changed, then you have real gold in your hands, and if the place of application of the product has darkened, then it is a fake.
4. Gently wipe the iodine with a tissue or soft cloth.

Important! You can check the authenticity of the metal and vinegar. Pour the product into a container and dip the container into the container with the vinegar. Real gold will not darken, and a fake will change its color.

Magnet check

All precious metals are not magnetic, hence - real gold will not react to the magnet in any way. Bring a powerful magnet( you can search) to the decoration and, if the product has a lot of iron, it will stick to the magnet. In this case, there are two options: a product of a very low sample or a fake.

Important! It should be noted that this method is not very accurate, since if the product is made of materials such as aluminum or copper, then these metals will not be attracted either. In this case, pay attention to the weight of the decoration: copper and tin are very light metals, which means that the product made from such alloys will be much lighter than similar gold things.

Authenticity of gold with a pencil

Buy a pencil in any pharmacy - it is designed to stop bleeding. With its help, you can also check the gold for authenticity.

Use the experiment pencil as follows:

1. Wet the product with water.
2. Draw a strip of pencil on the surface of the decoration.
3. Wipe the decoration with cotton.
4. Look at the result of the reaction: if there are no changes, the gold is genuine, if there is a trace left after erasing the strip, then you have a fake in your hands.

Method of contact of gold jewelry

For this method, it is necessary to have a genuine product - it can be a gold family ring or old coins.

Important! Ideally, the products( original and experimental) should be a single sample.

Do the following experiment with the decorations:

1. With an ancient script draw a line on the hard surface.
2. Do the same movement with the product in which you doubt.

Important! Line prints must completely coincide, if the result is different, and the prints of the lines do not match, then you do not have real gold.

Method of reaction to the sun

The experiment is conducted in sunny and clear weather. If possible, go outside or balcony to catch direct sunlight.

Decoration carefully inspect the shade, and then take out in the sun, direct it to the rays. Genuine gold in the shade and in the sun should remain the same color and luster. Forgery in the shadows will fade significantly, lose its respectable appearance.

Archimedes Method

This method is effective for volumetric, heavy products, for example, for gold ingots. The product must be lowered into the water and the volume of the displaced water determined.

By formulas known from the 7th grade, you can determine whether the gold is present or not. Of course, for the experiment we need additional measuring instruments and knowledge in physics, chemistry.

Important! You can make it all the easier: if the gold ornament drowns in the water, then it is made of noble metal, and if it floats, it is, alas, a fake.

Fresh bread inspection

This rather interesting method was used by our ancestors to check gold for authenticity at home:

1. Take the crumb of fresh black bread, put the test piece in the middle.
2. Leave a piece of bread until it dries.
3. Break the bread, remove the product.
4. If nothing has happened to the crumb, then the gold is real, because counterfeits are usually oxidized.

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How to test a gold sample?

Unfortunately, testing the gold sample is very long, difficult, trembling and at home, almost impossible. Usually, jewelers do this, who have special instruments and stencils of sample standards.

We will acquaint you with two ways to test a gold sample.

Method number 1.Using needles

Jewelers take needles made from different gold samples, they apply micro-scratch on the product - usually on the inside. Next, nitric acid is poured into the scratch.

Comparing the color of scratches and needles, experts conclude that the product sample is in compliance.

Method number 2.Using the

Assay Stone This is the oldest method. The stone is resistant to reagents, it does not have non-ferrous metals. The surface of the assay stone is not porous, but homogeneous, usually black.

For the experiment, spend on the stone with the product. The left trace is compared with the tone of the standard sample lines of the known sample.

There are a lot of ways to verify the authenticity of gold, but it is not always worthwhile to trust them, since a fake can be of high quality. If you need full confidence in the quality of the decoration, then contact the professionals who determine the truth of the yellow metal with modern equipment.

If you decide to buy an expensive gold jewelry, then choose a jewelery in the salons checked by time and quality of the manufacturers. Successful purchases and these products!