Let's say you have found an old piece of jewelry and you want to check if it is made of gold. You can easily show it to a jeweler or take it to a pawnshop, but there are some methods of checking gold that you can do yourself at home.
To find out whether the jewelry is made of real gold or not, with a high percentage of probability, the following methods will help you:
You can check gold with iodine. A drop of iodine should be applied to the surface of the jewelry and held for five minutes. After that, gently wipe it off with a napkin and look at the color of the metal. If it has not changed and remains the same, then this is probably real gold.
Magnetic check. Sometimes, skillful manufacturers only apply a thin layer of gold to the cheapest metal. In this case, a strong magnet will help you catch scammers. Any precious metal is non-magnetic. Therefore, the magnet will not affect gold jewelry in any way.
However, there are some nuances here too. The fact is that aluminum and copper also belong to non-magnetic metals, and therefore they can be used to make jewelry. In this case, attention should be paid to all products. Aluminum and copper are light metals, which means that the weight of the jewelry will be much less than the weight of a gold piece.
You can check gold for authenticity with vinegar. If the metal, pubescent in a solution with vinegar, begins to darken, then your jewelry is fake.
Checking with a lap pencil. The main purpose of a lapis pencil is to stop blood, it can be bought at any pharmacy. Take a pencil and draw a small line on the wet metal. If you find a pencil mark on the metal, then you are holding a fake in your hands.
Verification with gold. Each person has a gold piece of jewelry, the authenticity of which is beyond any doubt. Therefore, use the product in order to draw a small line with it on any hard object. Do the same manipulations with the jewelry, the authenticity of which you doubt. If the products left the same trace, then there is a high probability that they have the same sample.
Checking with ceramic tiles. Find an unburned piece of ceramic tile and run your jewelry over it. Any metal in contact with it will paint and scratch on it. Therefore, if your piece is indeed made of gold, you will find a gold line. If it is a different metal, you will see black or black scratches.
