Last week, we discussed what a karat and pure gold is. Also, we defined solid gold, explained the rating system in the United States and provided a simple formula to determine the percentage of precious metal in a solid gold piece.

In part two of our Know Your Gold discussion, we give you a few quick tips and tricks to help you confidently shop for gold jewelry.

AUTHENTICATION

There are a few simple, preliminary methods for determining the authenticity of this precious metal.

Stamp

Other parts of the world use different fineness ratings. The U.S. began requiring gold to be stamped with karat content by the early 1900s. If you have great vision, you can often read these stamps with the naked eye. The rest of us may need to use a magnifying glass to verify the stamped karat rating. Note that very old pieces may not have a stamp.

Magnetism

Even as an alloy, gold is not magnetic. Use a strong magnet (something stronger than a refrigerator magnet) and place it next to the gold. If there is a even a slight magnetic pull, it is a fake. This is not a fool proof test, but one easy technique.

Bite Test

Back in the day, people would bite gold to test it’s authenticity because gold is soft enough to be marked by a bite. The purer the gold, the deeper the mark. However, since then lead, which is also soft, has been used under a thin layer of gold to fool buyers. Please, we don’t recommend you bite jewelry. It can ruin the piece and your teeth. There are better ways to authenticate gold.

Acid Test

Nitric acid is one of the best ways to determine the authenticity of gold. As a buyer, this is not practical to do in a showroom because the acid is highly corrosive. You may, however, ask for a nitric acid test to be performed where you can see the results. What you are looking for is no reaction from using the acid. If you see a green or milk colored reaction, the item is not real gold.

Of course, at Queen of PAWNS, we thoroughly inspect and test all of our jewelry. If you ever have any questions about authenticity, just ask! We are here and happy to help. And don’t forget to practice your new knowledge at our 35% off ring sale, in honor of Mother’s Day, happening now until May 12^th.