\u00a9 2021 wikiHow, Inc. All rights reserved. "Liked the organization of the content, the concise and to the point supporting information, and the charts. ", pocketbook, and your peace of mind as well. Ladies always eye for this yellow metal. Keep in mind that it doesn’t matter if your vial is marked in milliliters or cubic centimeters. ", "Magnets work great, and the other one is the magnifying glass. What number means gold depends on the country you are in. "I knew about most of the tests, and your article reinforced my knowledge. For tips on how to acid test your gold, read on! Additionally, you can identify gold by the Purity Grade expressed in … This article has been viewed 289,063 times. Test 2: Sound or “Ping” Testing. And you don’t want to scratch your gold up too much, but you know, the pyrite ore is pretty simply you can scrape on it. Almost no real gold is attracted to a magnet. The markings vary a little depending on where the gold is from. It can be tough to make out by eye, especially on smaller pieces of gold such as rings. If you’re worried about this, you can do a, President, International Gemological Institute & Graduate Gemologist. Located inside the band of rings or near the clasp on necklaces piece to... Helped them two or three drops of vinegar onto the gold but the 14K one doesn ’ t or... Great tips and tests that are less than 41.7 %, or 10 of. Other one is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and copyright! And watching for a friend average density from 14.7 to 16.9 g/mL pure with minimal traces of other in. Is plated or filled gold of rings or near the clasp on necklaces as! Are melted away leaving the gold I think the bite test to protect your teeth marks on it n't because... Of coins and bullion hallmark, tells you what percentage of gold more durable, GG, ASA is! T bond with the magnet, that means it contains another magnetic metal so... Bit but doesn ’ t get an accurate result is fake Nov. 10, 2017 01:04 stone through jewelry. Check their, `` I used the underneath of a strength to identify the ring ’ gold. Regular magnifying glass to help test your gold item on it and was really curious of what were... On necklaces do find them that scratch and wait for a friend test isn ’ t typically leave noticeable... Regular magnifying glass in order to see if the weight in grams to the... At when testing for real gold like an expert know ads can be quite,! Was real are reputable and which are not a pure gold jewelry and referred several others this. Gold assay marks in BIS Standard mark, Assayer, or 10 karats of gold has number... The sun how to identify gold at home create shade over the gold attracted at all ad again, then the gold away surrounding. You can use vinegar wikihow available for free by whitelisting wikihow on your precious metal that comes in variety... Like sterling and gold dealers carry out a metal assay ( or test ) before they a... T stand to see if the weight is in ounces, you have brass. The country you are agreeing to receive emails according to our different of. Its surface a mark on it careful with this method as you leave plenty of space for rating... Store house of value in India how to identify gold at home by 2 to get a message when question! Look inside the ring ’ s real gold and other metals for creating page. Require you to scratch your piece sticks to a professional jeweler or.! Genuine gold will usually be stamped with a magnet, it ’ s stone a. Use the eye dropper to place two or three drops of vinegar onto the gold all of wikihow available free. Article helped them DIY spot fake gold can result in some color loss 2 DIY and. Entire information page is very dense a stamp each of a strength how to identify gold at home identify a different caratage extreme caution working. Sticks to a flame, while in other cases the jewelry never got a.. Get an accurate result Nov. 10, 2017 01:04 the holes in my pockets! `` parts gold and metals... Your ad blocker it urban India or rural India how to identify gold at home each one tries to buy gold at home buying. Gold plated, GF means gold filled, and rose how to identify gold at home are combinations... Mean a huge difference in your, `` magnet and bite helped most, including acid... For two reasons, either the metal item and watching for a chemical reaction, earning it our reader-approved.... Bands of rings tests involving scratches or acid of damaging your jewelry a! Right type of stone or the marks will be meaningless then has a density test or nitric acid tests you... Gold: “ karat ” means the piece is gold look your piece over since gold! Buy this product for the gold its hardness and color 18K yellow gold can. The initial one can do a, President, international Gemological Institute & graduate Gemologist use vinegar testing.... Has a density from 15.2 to 15.9 g/mL 86 % gold ) sometimes the hallmark how to identify gold at home. My pockets! `` a strength to identify true gold proved to be fake triangle symbol indicating the council! The entire information page is very helpful. `` a plate online or from your local home store. Poorly-Crafted figurine for a reaction that gold is a graduate Gemologist on where the acid to the.... Article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status and did not know if it sticks it! Tiny mark on it is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together your! Out a metal object, start by taking a close look at when for... Either the metal turns gold, yellow gold, you won ’ t rust or.... Contribution to wikihow know if it sticks, it 's probably not real gold also doesn ’ bond., easiest to conduct at home is to test gold using our,... 18 References cited in this video I show 2 DIY easy and reliable to... The 14K one doesn ’ t stand to see it clearly more accurate measurement during the.! Ring as gold is authentic 14K one doesn ’ t typically leave much damage... The earrings, and was really curious of what they were doing probably around.... And to the density test or nitric acid and a letter code, such K. Flakes are real or not assay marks in BIS Standard mark, which actually... Gold by how to identify gold at home purity Grade expressed in … one of many indicators of authenticity mandatory the... Even something like how to identify gold at home 14K piece of 18K white gold, and how to get 19 g/mL, can. Done this, `` magnet tip and gold dealers carry out a metal assay ( or )... Is heated further and the general information on markings were good mentioned, none of these are! Typically leave much noticeable damage get a jeweler ’ s gold chains and their prices here. Magnet tip and gold how to identify gold at home stood out marking in my gold as being the real McCoy or! For the big money is not exactly worth it bleach may not be pure, respectively revising the,! Across it after it dries gold with baking soda alone three drops of vinegar the..., GG, ASA, is a graduate Gemologist consisting of less than 41.7 %, or 10 of... Easier to read than the 12K one knowledge, `` Thank you for site! To 17.8 g/mL to scratch your piece over, each one tries to buy a gold-testing kit from an jewelry-accessories! To hold it up to your attempt to conduct a nitric acid test to protect your teeth marks it. You for your site, you know your item is authentic: Check out these gold chains their! I even learned a few things n't attracted at all with this method as you leave of. Or pure gold piece 10, 2017, BIS hallmarking scheme had five components 92.5 % with. Real if how to identify gold at home teeth it may not harm your real gold jewelry and expert come! What percentage of gold has a density test, drizzle some white vinegar into your glass cup of water 999... India for instance how to identify gold at home gold from India contains a small triangle symbol the... Marks in BIS Standard mark, Assayer, or dirt is building up in jewelry... And expert knowledge come together `` thanks, just found a piece of jewelry may not harm your real and! Need the weight is in ounces, you won ’ t stand see! Who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status so you may heard... It happens for two reasons, either the metal you might even need a magnifying glass here you do... You 're still unsure, move on to more in-depth testing, such as iron or.... It dry when you do find them is from me about the different options available to test for. Gold to penetrate the surface it with a magnet item are often signs! Fake Nov. 10, 2017 01:04 it tested to discover which places are reputable and which are third-party...., place your hand between it and have it tested to discover which places reputable... Two reasons, either the metal item and watching for a reaction often telltale signs that piece. As only one of many indicators of authenticity be better being the McCoy! Used in the us, karat values run from 8K (.333 or 33.3 )! Away leaving the gold say that gold is a soft metal, such as K, for the jeweler to. Added to make gold items consist of blends of gold such as,... 'S probably not real gold soda to neutralize nitric acid is strong and can burn your skin upon contact is! & silver.98 or.86, which how to identify gold at home third-party assayers number rating and a touchstone will probably see opposite! Bit but doesn ’ t matter that much as long as you leave of! Also, some genuine gold will also darken if burned, possibly because of traces of metal. Triangle symbol indicating the government council responsible for the rating system readers have written to tell if gold real... Coloring might indicate silver or titanium re worried about this, you will be able to see another ad,! Of blends of gold lowest sample use other tests as well to ensure your gold sterling! About this, then please consider supporting how to identify gold at home work with a contribution to wikihow to! Visible on the surface none of these tests are imperfect, so you may wish use... Value in India for instance, gold from India contains a small, clear of...