How to test 18k white gold - Metals and their processing

7 proven options for determining the authenticity of gold items yourself

Matushevskaya Larisa. Economist. Experience in management positions in the manufacturing sector. Date: January 20, 2017. Reading time 4 minutes.

Gold has always attracted not only connoisseurs of precious metals, but also charlatans. Fraudsters, using modern and ancient technologies, have learned to create skillful fakes. To avoid falling for such tricks, it is worth getting acquainted with simple but proven methods for determining the authenticity of gold. Options using magnets, mechanical and chemical effects on precious metal, which are easy to use even at home, will be useful.

When purchasing a gold product, the buyer is guided by the presence of a hallmark - a specific stamp confirming the authenticity of the metal and the percentage of gold in the alloy. On sale you can find gold of 375, 500, 585, 750, 958 and 999 samples.

But even such a mark cannot confirm the authenticity of the product. The guarantee can only be a company imprint of a well-known manufacturer of jewelry or bullion.

In other cases, especially if there is no hallmark, it will be useful to know how to determine the gold standard at home.

Mechanical testing methods

Knowing the physical properties of gold and other metals used to make counterfeits, you can accurately distinguish the original product.

Magnet

Check how the jewelry reacts to a magnet. Noble metal does not respond to such a test. If the sample is attracted by a magnet, it means there is iron in it.

Important! If there is copper, aluminum, or bronze in the alloy, a reaction to the magnet will also occur.

Therefore, this method cannot be considered reliable. You'll have to play it safe and try other more reliable methods.

Sound

Try throwing a ring or earrings onto a stone surface from a height of human height. At the same time, the precious metal produces a unique ringing sound, similar to the sound of crystal. It will be problematic to use sound testing in the absence of an ear for music and, if necessary, evaluate the authenticity of light chains or real gold bars.

Scratches

Gold is a relatively soft metal. Use this quality to check its originality. Pass the sample over the glass - real precious metal will not leave marks on it.

You can try tracing a line of decoration onto unglazed porcelain. The trace from the noble metal will remain yellow, from other alloys - dark.

Take a ring whose authenticity you have no doubt about. Pass the standard and the questionable sample over any hard object. Compare the marks left on the surface. If the product being tested is real, the scratches will be identical in appearance.

Chemical testing methods

You don’t need to remember a chemistry course to learn how to determine the authenticity of gold at home. It is enough to know that gold is an inert material that weakly reacts with various reagents, oxygen, and use the following methods.

Iodine. Apply a drop of regular iodine to the cleaned surface. The reaction may be surprising. After removing the solution after a few minutes, you will see a dark mark on the precious sample. Therefore, it is better to conduct the experiment in an inconspicuous area. There are no traces of iodine left on copper and brass. The mark on high-grade gold will also be unnoticeable.
Important! Iodine cannot be used to test products of sample 583.585. Otherwise, the decoration will be irrevocably damaged.
Vinegar. If you keep real jewelry made of precious metal in a container with vinegar for at least half an hour, there will be no deposits on the surface or changes in color.
Lapis pencil. This product contains silver nitrate. It is the reaction of the gold sample to this element that we will look at. Genuine noble metal does not react to it. But the fake will begin to oxidize and darken.

An oxidation reaction will occur when the counterfeit reacts with nitric acid.

Grandfather checks

Even in the old days, the authenticity of gold was “tested by tooth.” Our ancestors were not mistaken in choosing the method, since a dent appeared on soft gold at the bite site.

Don't bite bars or jewelry. It is enough to rub a harder material, such as copper, over it, and a noticeable mark will remain on the soft surface. It is possible that even under the real coating you will find metal of a shade unusual for the original.

There is an original ancient method of testing black bread with crumbs. The tested product was placed inside the crumb and left until the bread completely dried. Then they took out a ring or earrings and looked at the reaction. If they were covered with a green coating or stains, then they concluded that they were holding a fake.

It is impossible to say that such methods are guaranteed to determine the authenticity of a gold sample. But with their help it will be possible to clearly identify an outright fake. To be on the safe side, it is better to contact a specialist or use test and instrumental methods for determining the sample of the noble metal.

Source: https://yakapitalist.ru/imushhestvo/opredelit-probu-zolota-doma/

How to test gold at home for authenticity

The question of how to test gold at home may arise when purchasing jewelry online, by hand, or at non-specialized retail outlets, especially abroad.

When buying a gold product in official stores, you must ask the manager for certificates and documents for the goods. If doubts remain, you can check the authenticity of gold using home remedies, without resorting to complex examinations.

The household method may not allow you to distinguish white gold from silver; in such cases, the jewelry should be submitted for laboratory testing.

Visual inspection

Before checking gold for authenticity, you should carefully inspect the product. Any jewelry product is marked with a hallmark indicating the percentage of precious metal and the manufacturer's mark (the initial letter of the manufacturer). The sample should have clear outlines; numbers and letters can be easily read when magnified. The mark is applied parallel to the edges.

The bulk of jewelry in Russia is produced in 585 standard. Products of 750 standard and higher are considered elite and have a high price. A budget option is 375 standard products. Products with a lower content of precious metal are costume jewelry.

A gold chain or gold ring, inherited from a grandmother, is marked with 583 hallmark - this was the standard that existed in the USSR.

The newly purchased product is supplied with a thick paper label with a seal. The label indicates the weight, purity, name and location of the manufacturer. You need to know how to test gold at home for authenticity. There are several signs:

Processing quality. The surface must be polished to a shine, without cracks or chips.
Homogeneous uniform shine over the entire area.
Workmanship. A counterfeit product may have traces of rough processing and soldering; the stone (if present) is not held firmly.

Checking with available chemicals

To understand whether you purchased gold or not, you need to carefully examine the product. After a visual inspection of the product, you can check for authenticity at home using available chemicals. It is not recommended to use the ancient method of testing “to the point”, since it is possible to distinguish gold from a fake in this way only in the most primitive cases, without even taking into account the aesthetic component of such a test. The following methods are common:

Reaction with iodine. Real gold reacts chemically with iodine, causing the metal to darken. To distinguish gold from a fake at home, just drop the medicine on the product or moisten the surface with a cotton swab. Darkening of the surface of the jewelry at the point of contact with iodine will serve as evidence of the presence of gold in the object being tested. The interaction of gold with iodine causes persistent darkening of the metal, which can be removed with a 30% solution of sodium hyposulfite (a medicine sold freely in pharmacies).
Acetic acid. The reaction with acetic acid is a proven way to determine gold at home. The product is placed in a 70% solution for 5 minutes. If the surface darkens or another reaction begins (even the release of gases), then you have a fake jewelry. Gold does not react with vinegar. Impurities contained in manufactured products will also not give a reaction in standard tests. If the counterfeit contains precious metal in small quantities, the reaction will occur, but the darkening will be uneven or in a separate part. Jewelry with standard hallmark will not change. After the experiment, do not forget to rinse the product with water, avoiding getting vinegar on exposed skin. Vinegar can have a negative effect on silver and pearls, so products with such inclusions should not be tested in this way.
Reaction with silver nitrate. Silver nitrate reacts with any metal except gold. The drug is known in pharmacies as lapis pencil. To test, the jewelry must be moistened with water and the substance applied to its surface. Gold will not react to contact with silver nitrate, other metals will change color (darken). Testing low-grade gold with a lapis pencil is not advisable; a reaction may occur due to the high content of impurities in the product.

To check gold for authenticity at home and not make a mistake, you can watch a video on this topic.

Other home testing methods

Checking gold for authenticity at home can be done in several ways:

Magnet check. Crude fakes are made by applying gold plating to a steel base. In this case, the product will become magnetized.
You can determine the authenticity of gold at home using another gold product that is beyond doubt. To do this, you need to make scratches on a hard surface with the gold product and the object being tested. There should be no difference in the traces left. It is possible to scratch the gold piece and the test sample with the same hard object. The tracks must be identical.
The test product must be used to scratch the ceramic tile. The precious metal will leave a characteristic golden color, in other cases the band will be dark.
A simple test can be done using rye bread. The crumb should be soaked in water to a homogeneous semi-liquid state, and the resulting mass should be applied to the product being tested. After drying, the fake will show signs of oxidation.
People with sensitive hearing can be recommended to test the sound of gold products. The easiest way to check the quality of rings is this way. You need to throw the decoration from a small height onto the glass surface. Precious metal will emit a melodious crystal ringing, fake products will clang.
Polished gold looks the same in the sun and in the shade. If the sample being tested shines in the light but fades in the dark, it is a fake.
A deep scratch should be applied to the product being tested with a hard object (for example, a diamond glass cutter). If metal of a different color is found under the scratch, then the product was made by gold plating.

Determining the authenticity of jewelry in everyday conditions, at best, shows the presence of precious metal, but does not give an idea of the sample and the amount of impurities. An accurate conclusion can only be obtained in laboratory conditions.

Source: https://ToZoloto.ru/vtorichnyj-rynok/kak-proverit-zoloto-v-domashnih-usloviyah.html

How to determine where is silver and where is white gold

Jewelry was made even before our era, only they carried a different meaning - they served as an amulet for their owner, protected him from natural disasters, and attracted good luck in the hunt.

Later, products made from precious metals began to be worn as a luxury item; as for the modern world, this message continues to this day.

But each precious metal contains a special energy that influences the life of its owner, so before you ask the question: “How to distinguish white gold from silver,” you need to find out what significance these metals have.

The meaning and energy of noble metals

White gold is a relatively young alloy, it appeared in the twentieth century and immediately gained great popularity, all eyes were fixed on it. From an energetic point of view, it is considered more of a feminine metal, carrying spirituality and the search for the meaning of life. Actively promotes the establishment of harmony in personal relationships and provides an incentive for self-improvement.

As for silver (argentan), it has been known to mankind since ancient times, therefore its meaning is deeper - its main task is to kill the dark side in a person, bringing him closer to God and increasing his energy power. That is why it is customary to make crosses from this metal. In addition, it gives vitality to its owner and helps fight diseases.

It is from the perspective of semantic load that you should choose jewelry. But in order for them to really help their owner and protect him, you need to be sure that the products are made of the right metal.

Characteristics of white gold and silver, ways to distinguish them

White gold is an alloy of gold and argentanium with the addition of one of the following elements: platinum, nickel or palladium.

Argentan is a silver-white metal that has such a high ductility that one gram of it can stretch 2 km of wire!

Externally, jewelry made from both metals is not much different.

So, if, at first glance, items made of white gold and silver are very similar, how to distinguish them from each other, how to check the jewelry for one or another? The question is very relevant today, because the cost of products varies tenfold, and it is very easy to fall for the tricks of scammers who sell silver under the guise of white gold. But for a person who has information about the physical properties of each of these metals, it will be quite easy to recognize that this is white gold or argentan.

There are several ways to check jewelry for authenticity (a brief overview is presented in Table 1):

You can visually distinguish them by color: both have a light tint, but in silver it is bright white, and in white gold it is steel-like, with a barely noticeable golden tint. Polishing adds additional complexity to the difference; after it, the color of both metals is almost the same, but you can look into the inner, untreated areas of the jewelry. In addition, silver products do not shine so much; they become dull when exposed to the external environment.
Resistance to deformation is another feature by which it is easy to distinguish both metals. Silver is characterized by softness; when squeezed, a product made from it will easily bend, but in order to subject gold to deformation, you will have to put in much more effort. In addition, if you try to influence them with any metal object, then it is unlikely that anything will appear on gold jewelry, and scratches will be clearly visible on silver.
The next method will require products of the same weight and size - if you throw them on a hard surface, then gold will have a pronounced ringing sound, and silver will have a dull sound, this is due to the hardness of the metals.
An important part of identification is the hallmark - a special marking that both white gold and silver have. In gold it has a different shape - a square combined with a rectangle, in the square there is an image of a woman in a kokoshnik, in the rectangle there are numbers indicating the fineness - the number of mg of pure gold in 1 g of alloy (375, 585, 750). The silver has an oval hallmark, shaped like a barrel, with the same woman in it, but the hallmarks are different (830, 875, 925, 960).
How to check the authenticity of gold at home? You can use “Whiteness” - you can probably find it in every home. If you drop a little on the product, the white gold will remain unchanged, but a black spot will appear on the silver. Iodine is used according to the same principle - there will be no harm to gold jewelry, but silver jewelry will instantly become colored. This is the fastest and most reliable way to distinguish white gold from silver using available tools.

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Table 1 - White gold and argentan - how to distinguish by physical properties

Properties, methods of exposure White gold Silver

Color	Steely, golden hue	White
Shine	Consistently bright	Fades over time
Hardness	High	Low
Strength	High	Low
Sound when hitting a surface	Voiced	Deaf
Brand	Square merged into rectangle	Oval in the form of a barrel
Exposure to chlorine-containing substances	Does not react	Oxidizes
Exposure to iodine	Does not react	Will be colored

But how can you determine the difference between white gold and silver if the products have been rhodium-plated?

Rhodium is a metal that is used to coat jewelry to increase its strength several times. In this case, both silver and gold jewelry acquire the same color and shine, while silver is more resistant to oxidation. The solution is to use all identification measures in a complex.

Visual recognition of white gold and silver in a jewelry store is quite possible; just look carefully at the type of hallmark and hallmark.

With special illumination of display cases, absolutely all products have the same bright, extraordinary shine and radiance, so this method is not very reliable.

Sellers are unlikely to allow you to throw, squeeze or drip iodine and chlorine onto jewelry, so in order to reduce the likelihood of buying counterfeit products to zero, you need to visit only large retail outlets that have long established themselves in the jewelry market.

Source: https://ProDragmetally.ru/o-zolote/interesnye-fakty/kak-opredelit.html

Gold - we check for authenticity with water

Gold is one of the most coveted precious metals on Earth. It is used not only in the production of jewelry, but also in various fields of science, in the production of technology, and various equipment.

Gold in its pure form is rarely used, as it is a soft, ductile material. It is usually mixed with other metals to form alloys. In jewelry, quality is assessed by the gold content of the product. For this purpose, a sample in the form of a stamp is used.

Fineness 999 means almost pure gold, without impurities.

For the most part, gold jewelry contains hallmarks of 585 and 583. 585 standard means that the product contains 58.5% gold and 41.5% admixture of other metals. The deception in the production of gold jewelry is to indicate, for example, 585 standard, but in fact there will be much less gold. There are also complete fakes, when the product does not contain a single percentage of gold. How can you determine whether you have gold in front of you or not?

How to test gold at home

There are several methods:

With the help of iodine.
You will need iodine, a cotton swab and something sharp (knife, needle file, file, etc.). Lightly, in an inconspicuous place, preferably from the inside, scrape a little of the product being tested. If the product is clean, you can do without scraping the top layer. Next, dip a cotton swab in iodine and anoint the chip. Now observe the behavior of the iodine drop. If the drop immediately begins to turn white and evaporate, it’s a fake. On real gold, a drop of iodine remains dark in color and does not evaporate for a long time. Next, wipe off any remaining iodine, if any remains. If the place where the iodine was turned black, then this is real gold. On a fake decoration, the place turns white. The blackened area needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. At home, gold can be cleaned with toothpaste. In more detail and visually how to carry out this test, see the video below:
Check with ammonia. The principle of the method is the same as using iodine. The only thing is that you don’t need to drip ammonia, but rub it over the product being tested for 15 seconds. No reactions will occur with real gold. Other metals will reveal themselves by turning black, and the cotton swab will turn blue.
On the left - a stick soaked in ammonia, turned blue from interaction with fake gold. On the right - the cotton wool is clean, after contact with real gold.
Lapis pencil (antiseptic containing silver nitrate, sold in pharmacies). The pencil reacts chemically with almost all metals except gold. Anoint the jewelry. Gold will not change color, fakes will darken. The method is also not very relevant if you have low-grade gold in front of you.
On the left - the fake has turned black. On the right is real gold.

The above methods for determining gold at home are only suitable for distinguishing crude fakes. The best method is using iodine and ammonia. To determine impurities, laboratory tests are suitable or you can contact a pawnshop.

How to check gold in a pawnshop

Gold buyers test gold jewelry with acids. First, gold is passed over a touchstone (silicon slate), and depending on the sample on the product, a certain acid is used. A little bit of metal remains on the stone, and a drop of acid is dropped onto it. The fake will evaporate under the influence of acid, and traces of real gold will remain in place.

The first thing they do in a pawnshop is examine the sample. It must be clear in all corners and bear the manufacturer's mark. Then the specialist places the jewelry on the magnet. This is such a quick method to eliminate gross fakes. Gold is not magnetic, but if another metal is plated with gold, it will be attracted to the magnet. Well, then the specialist uses chemistry to determine the quality of the product.

How to find out the hallmark of a gold product at home: Archimedes' method

To carry out the test, we will need electronic scales, a calculator, and water. The method is based on Archimedes' law, according to which we determine the density of the product and compare it with the standard. To calculate, we need to know the weight of the product and the weight of the displaced liquid. Then perform a mathematical operation and compare it with the table of metal densities. More similar, it is described in the video - how to determine real gold and its purity by water:

Precious metal density table:

metal	Silver	Gold 375, 500	Gold 583, 585	Gold 750	Gold 999
density	9 — 10	11 — 12	12 — 14	14 — 17	19,3

How to check gold for authenticity and against counterfeiting at home

There is a situation in every person’s life when he needs to check the authenticity of a piece of jewelry at home. Moreover, in the modern world, fraudsters have learned to counterfeit gold jewelry in such a way that not every professional can recognize a skillful fake. Let's look at the 14 most popular ways to test gold at home.

How to distinguish gold from fake

Of course, the surest way to distinguish gold from a fake is to go to a jeweler. Only he can give a 100% guarantee. However, many jewelry workshops charge a sum of money for examination, often equal to the price of the product. If you are not ready to throw money away, try doing it yourself using one of the suggested methods.

By the tooth

One of the easiest ways to verify the authenticity of gold jewelry is the method of our ancestors. You just need to bite him. Real precious metal will always leave teeth marks. The danger of this experiment is that it may damage your teeth and the appearance of your jewelry. Sometimes fakes contain very hard metals.

Advantages of the method:

very easy to implement method.

Minuses:

There are many other soft metals besides gold;
low verification accuracy;
risk of damage to the jewelry.

Stamp and hallmark

Hold the piece of jewelry you want to check. Each gold product has a quality mark - hallmark. In order to see it, you will most likely need a magnifying glass.

According to worldwide requirements, the sample is placed in the following places:

On chains and bracelets, the test is placed on the clasp.
On earrings with an English lock, the stamp is on the outer or inner side of the clasp - the bow.
On rings, look for a stamp on the inside; if the ring has a stone or has a figured addition, the hallmark should be in the middle.
On a gold watch, the hallmark is located on the inside of the dial itself. In the case where the watch is made entirely of gold (both the dial and the strap), the sample is placed inside the clasp.
On stud earrings, the sample is on the clasp, or on the stem itself.

Important: the hallmark always accurately indicates the gold purity in numbers, for example, 585.

Interesting fact! In stores we almost always buy 585 gold. However, no one knows that the standard of pure gold without admixtures of other metals is 999. All other samples indicate an alloy. The higher the purity, the more gold it contains.

Pros:

high accuracy of verification of gold jewelry not purchased secondhand.
verification requires additional tools;
no harm to the product.

Minuses:

Fraudsters have long learned to counterfeit jewelers' marks.

Color and sound

In order to check the quality of gold jewelry at home, you just need to throw it on a flat table surface:

Real gold should ring like crystal. Its sound should be very clear.
You can conduct a sound test only with small jewelry: earrings, brooches and rings. Bracelets and watches are not suitable for this experiment.
The table can be replaced with a glass cup.

Identifying gold by appearance can be quite difficult. Its color often depends on its subspecies. There is white, yellow, red and rose gold in the world. Moreover, alloys of some less valuable metals give a golden color.

The main external sign of a fake is an excessively yellow color. However, there are also pitfalls here: Turkish gold also has a rich yellow color.

Checking with improvised means

Of course, checking using the above methods does not always give a 100% guarantee that what you are looking at is not a fake. Perhaps you did the experiment incorrectly (you didn’t see the sample or the top covering of the table turned out to be too soft) or you still doubt the quality of the gold product.

Then the following available means will come to the rescue: iodine, vinegar and ordinary black bread. Read on to learn how to check.

Iodine

To check authenticity using iodine you need:

Place 1 drop of iodine on the jewelry and wait 5 minutes.
Wipe the iodine with a tissue or rinse with water. If the jewelry has changed color and darkened, it is a fake. When darkening, the color of the product changes to gray or black with a greenish tint.

Place one drop of iodine on the jewelry and wait five minutes

Vinegar

Another easy way to check authenticity is to use regular table vinegar:

To do this, you need to pour a small amount of vinegar into a ceramic or plastic bowl (never an iron one).
Place the decoration in it and leave for 5-7 minutes.
Gold will not change its appearance in any way , but the fake will darken.

Nitric acid

Another method of chemically testing gold for authenticity is the reaction to nitric acid:

To conduct the experiment, place the jewelry being tested in a deep metal bowl and drop 1 drop of nitric acid onto it.
If the product does not change color to green or milky , it means it is made of gold.

To conduct the experiment, place the jewelry being tested in a deep metal bowl and drop just one drop of nitric acid onto it.

Scratch with a needle

You can also check the authenticity of a gold item using a regular needle. To do this, you need to forcefully scrape the jewelry being tested with a needle. Nothing will happen to real gold. But the gilding will come off easily.

Contact with gold

Every person has a gold item, the authenticity of which he has no doubt:

In order to carry out the test, you need to: draw a line with real gold on a hard surface.
Carry out a similar action on the same surface and with the object you doubt.
There should be no differences between the lines.

You can purchase a special jewelry set with samples of different metals. This way you will determine not only the authenticity of the gold, but also its quality.

lapis pencil

Lapis pencil is a drug for stopping bleeding and treating wounds. You can easily buy it at a pharmacy.

To check the decoration you need:

Wet the product with running water.
Draw a line on the wet product with a lapis pencil.
Wipe off the mark with a dry cloth.

If a pencil mark remains on the surface of the product, this is another fake.

Black bread

For this experiment you will need fresh bread crumb. You can check absolutely any product in this way:

We take the crumb and wrap the gold product in it.
Roll into a ball and leave for several days until it becomes stale.
When this happens, remove the product from the bread. The appearance of gold will not change in any way, but the alloys will undergo oxidation and change color.

Ceramic tile

If you have untreated ceramic tiles at home, you can use them as a gold test:

To do this, you need to run various metals and the product you want to test over the tile.
The trail from it should be golden. Other metals will leave behind black and gray streaks.

Reaction to the sun

For this method of verification, you will have to work a little with nature. A bright sunny day is required:

First, carefully examine the product being tested in the shade. Remember how it shines, what color it is.
Now we do the same under direct sunlight. Standing on the street, look how bright and presentable the product looks.
Real gold never loses its appearance in any weather conditions.

Archimedes' method

This verification method is more suitable for large gold items (for example, gold bars). However, it requires some effort and knowledge.

For this experiment you will need a deep container and water:

Fill the container with water to the brim. You should first find out how much water you have collected.
Slowly and carefully immerse the gold item in the container and let the water overflow (leak out) over the edges.
Now let’s remember Archimedes’ law of buoyancy: “A body immersed in a liquid is acted upon by a buoyant force equal to the weight of the liquid in the volume of the immersed object.”
Using the formula FA=pgV, where p is the density of the liquid, g is the acceleration of gravity and V is the volume of the immersed body, we find out the mass of the gold product. The density of water is 900 kilograms per 1 cubic meter.

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According to Archimedes' law, gold must sink. Since its weight is greater than the volume of displaced liquid. The nuances of the method are in the video below.

Tips and tricks

Every year the price of gold increases. Along with it, methods of fraud and counterfeiting are also growing. In order to reduce the risk of purchasing a counterfeit when purchasing, use the following tips:

Buy jewelry only from trusted stores. You should not purchase the product secondhand or on the street. You should also avoid pawn shops and shops of dubious appearance.
Precious metals are always expensive. If you see a suspiciously cheap product, then most likely it is a fake.
Pay attention to the appearance of the product. It should shine and have an even color. It should be free of scratches, dents and stains.
Oddly enough, gold has no smell. If you are in doubt, no one in the store will stop you from smelling the jewelry.

Using these tips, the risk of buying fake gold is significantly reduced. And if you have doubts about the authenticity of previously purchased gold jewelry, then you know 14 ways to check the gold yourself.

Source: https://srazuchisto.com/uborka/ukrasheniya/proverit-zoloto.html

How to check gold for authenticity at home?

Gold is a precious metal that, due to its softness, is usually combined with other metals (alloys are prepared from which jewelry is made). pure gold in a gold alloy is measured by its fineness. For example, a 750-karat gold alloy contains 75% pure gold, and the remaining 25% is alloy and impurities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2kKIk-CHG0

Despite the fact that the circulation of precious metals is strictly controlled by the state on the basis of the Law on Precious Metals and Stones, gold products are quite often counterfeited. For example, they underestimate the content of pure gold, or replace gold with other cheaper yellow metals.

Therefore, at the time of purchase, especially in unfamiliar places or from other people, it is important to know at least a few simple ways to check whether the product is gold or not.

Testing methods vary in cost and complexity, depending on how accurate you need the result and the nature of the “sample” being tested.

Preliminary tests - checking for gold or fake

In nature, there are substitutes for gold with physical properties very similar to it. For example, pyrite (a golden-colored mineral with a metallic sheen, which is a compound of iron and sulfur; sulfur or iron pyrite). There are also cheaper imitations, including, for example, ordinary copper with gold plating.

To avoid overspending on advanced tests, you should try the following pre-tests first:

Scratch the piece across the unglazed porcelain and look at the line left behind. If it is dark in color, it is most likely pyrite. If it's golden yellow, it's gold.
Next, run the product over ordinary glass. Since gold is softer than glass, it should not leave a mark
one of the most accessible ways is to check with an iodine solution, which is sold in any pharmacy. To do this, apply a drop of iodine to the gold item for 3-5 minutes, then wipe off with a napkin. If the color darkens, then you are dealing with gold. Neither copper nor brass, which are often used in counterfeits, react with iodine solution and the color of products made from them will not change. If you decide to try checking your jewelry this way, choose the least visible area of the piece or its inner side. A stain caused by iodine will be difficult to remove.
bring the product to the magnet. If it's attracted to a magnet, it's probably not pure gold.
If you do not have a magnet, or the result is in doubt, use vinegar to check the authenticity of gold. Dip the product in vinegar for a while; if it darkens, it’s a fake.

None of these methods will accurately determine the purity of gold jewelry or the percentage of gold in the product, but you will at least get approximate results. You can read more about what gold can interact with in the article “Physical and chemical properties of gold.”

Testing gold for authenticity by acid/scratch

The acid/scratch test is the least expensive option compared to other tests for determining gold purity, but can still provide fairly accurate results. You can check it at home.

To do this, you need to buy an acid testing kit from a professional chemical laboratory or a jewelry store. The test is carried out in series, using gold needles with increasing gold content (assays).

Almost any acid can be used to determine the authenticity of gold - sulfuric, nitric, and so on.

Apply a micro scratch to the product and drop a little acid onto the scratch. Then compare what color will remain in that scratch (by comparing it with the needles) and make a conclusion about the likely metal sample.

You can also use the so-called “touch stone”, which has a matte polished surface. Lightly “scratch” your item being tested on the touchstone. To do this, first select the least visible area of the jewelry, then press and rub the gold fragment on the stone several times. Do the same with the sample from the testing kit.

You can select 2-3 test samples that you think are closest in gold content to the product being tested. “Draw” each of them on the stone as close as possible to the scratch mark left by the product being tested. Then compare the trace left with the tone of the strokes of the standard of the well-known sample (that is, with the traces of the samples for testing).

Testing gold and determining the sample using special instruments

More advanced methods of determining the purity of gold in a product involve the use of instruments that give more accurate results. The most common are electronic testers, which exist in a variety of forms - both for individuals and for professional laboratories. Electronic testers use drops of liquid to scan a sample and generate a digital indication of purity.

More expensive is the X-ray method, used only in laboratory conditions. It is used to analyze wavelength dispersion, which determines not only the gold grade (content) but also the complete composition of the gold alloy.

Assay analysis

Fire assay is commonly used to determine the purity of larger gold samples. It is rarely used for testing coins or jewelry due to its "destructive" nature. The fact is that a fragment of the sample has to be melted and separated from the sample.

The separated portion of the sample is then heated to extremely high temperatures and fused with lead and silver, which act as agents that separate and collect the pure gold at the end of the process. The resulting product is then weighed to determine the purity of the original sample.

JEWELERY METALS - CATALOG | JEWELERY METALS - GUIDE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plFDk8mPr3w

All about silver | All about platinum | All about palladium |

How to check platinum? | Gold alloys and their colors | Assays for gold | What properties does the precious metal gold have?

Source: http://juvelirum.ru/spravochnik-po-dragotsennym-metallam/zoloto/kak-proverit-zoloto-na-podlinnost-v-domashnih-usloviyah/

How to identify white gold at home

Free legal advice:

Jewelry was made even before our era, only they carried a different meaning - they served as an amulet for their owner, protected him from natural disasters, and attracted good luck in the hunt.

How to determine where is silver and where is white gold
The meaning and energy of noble metals
Characteristics of white gold and silver, ways to distinguish them
But how can you determine the difference between white gold and silver if the products have been rhodium-plated?
How to distinguish white gold from silver: visual and other methods
How to identify white gold at home?
Tip 1: How to identify white gold
Tip 3: How to check whether gold is real or not
Tip 4: How to tell if it's gold or fake
How to identify white gold
How to check the authenticity of gold - at home. Correct authentication of gold at home, video
What standard can gold be?
How to determine the quality of jewelry when purchasing (in a store)
Ways to test gold for authenticity at home
Iodine
Vinegar
Magnet
With a sloppy pencil
Sound check
Using a touchstone
Laboratory tests for checking precious metals (reagents, acid, device, analysis)
How to test gold for authenticity at home
Testing gold by sound
Testing gold using the Archimedes method
Checking gold embossing
Testing gold by reaction to chemicals
Vinegar and iodine
lapis pencil
Special reagents
Checking gold with a magnet
External inspection - visual qualities of gold
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How to determine whether it is gold or not?
The oldest methods of testing gold
Visualization
Testing gold “to the point”
Determining the authenticity of metal by smell
Solar method
Rule of musical ear
Gold vs. Gold – check with another gold jewelry
How to identify real gold using reagents and special items
Reaction with iodine
Gold and vinegar
Nitric acid and gold
How to spot a fake using ammonia
Magnetic method
Ceramic surface as a way to protect yourself from counterfeiting
lapis pencil
Folk way
Archimedes' method
Touchstone
Modern precious metal analyzers
How to distinguish gold from copper
How to distinguish gold from pyrite
How to avoid fraud when buying precious metals
What is the difference between white gold and silver and how not to confuse them?
Simple secrets
How to recognize a fake in a store?
We recommend other articles
how to identify white gold
How to identify white gold at home

Later, products made from precious metals began to be worn as a luxury item; as for the modern world, this message continues to this day. But each precious metal contains a special energy that influences the life of its owner, so before you ask the question: “How to distinguish white gold from silver,” you need to find out what significance these metals have.

Are your gold jewelry real? checking gold for authenticity

Some people check gold for authenticity out of necessity, others out of curiosity. But the essence remains the same: even at home, without special equipment at hand, it is quite possible to find out whether the gold is real, clarify its sample and find out the approximate weight of the product.

Of course, to be sure of the result, it is best to seek the help of specialists, but you can try to determine the authenticity of gold using home methods.

How to test gold with iodine

The most common way to test gold, or more precisely, to find out which sample it belongs to, is the use of iodine.

To begin with, it is worth noting that in our country gold jewelry is most often found in samples of 583 and 585; it is to confirm or refute these values that iodine is used. You can use this method as follows:

the decoration needs to be cleaned a little with sandpaper; it is advisable to do this procedure on the part of the product that is not noticeable;
now you need to apply iodine to the area that has been cleansed;
after that all that remains is to observe the chemical reaction that will certainly occur at the point of contact between iodine and metal;
as a rule, the presence of a persistent stain indicates that this is real gold, classified as 585;
otherwise it can be an ordinary metal such as brass, bronze or copper alloy.

This method is quite common among home testing of gold jewelry, and pawn shops often use it as the most effective and fastest in time.

It is important to remember that after such a study there is a need to clean the jewelry from traces of iodine. You can do it like this:

use hyposulfite, which is usually used as a fixative in photography; you can purchase it at the pharmacy;
you need to dilute this product in a glass of water;
Place the jewelry in a container with hyposulfite and leave for 30 minutes to act;
then wash the gold and wipe it dry with a cloth.

How to determine the authenticity of gold at home

In order to solve the question of how to test gold for authenticity at home, it should be noted that it is better to do this procedure in a laboratory or jewelry salon. However, in everyday situations, it is much easier to use some folk recipes.

Using a magnet

Testing with a magnet involves seeing if the jewelry sticks to it. As a rule, gold, which does not have impurities, is not magnetized, but the fact that the jewelry is stuck to a magnet may indicate a large number of different metals in its composition.

bread test

Gold can be checked for authenticity using bread:

you need to take black bread and mash its crumb;
put a gold decoration in this part of the bread and leave it for several days, after putting it in a place inaccessible to light and cool;
After the allotted time, you can evaluate the result; if the metal has acquired a green tint, this may indicate that it contains many impurities that should not be present in genuine gold.

touchstone

siliceous shale is considered the safest and most effective method. you need to use it like this:

on the surface of this block you need to draw a line with a needle, which is present in the set and is a kind of standard;
next to the first line you need to make the second one a testable sample;
then treat these strips with a special solution and evaluate their appearance;
genuine gold gives an identical appearance to the test sample.

method of checking the sound of products

you need to throw gold onto a hard surface;
the clear sound of crystal will indicate that this is an original;
Unfortunately, it is impossible to check chains or bracelets using this method.

"biting" method

the oldest method involves testing the strength of a gold product. it is based on the fact that genuine metal will certainly be damaged if you bite it. Today there is no need to bite jewelry, you can simply scratch the surface of the product with a sharp device. If you get a fake, the scratch will reveal a dark base.

checking gold with vinegar

You can test gold with vinegar. do it like this:

immerse the decoration in a container filled with this substance;
leave for a short period;
If the product darkens or changes color, then it is genuine gold.

lapis pencil

You can buy a lapis pencil at the pharmacy, which can also help in testing gold at home for authenticity. it should be applied as follows:

gold needs to be moistened with water;
put a dot on it using this pencil;
real gold will not change its appearance.

Let's take a closer look at the gold jewelry

You can determine whether your jewelry is gold or not in clear weather, using the help of the sun. genuine metal will have the same appearance and shine both in the sun and in the shade. whereas impurities of other metals will give the product faded shades.

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how to check gold in a pawnshop

Probably every person who has researched their own jewelry at home has thought about how gold is checked in a pawnshop. The entire procedure takes place through the sequential implementation of the following activities:

weigh products on special scales;
viewed through a magnifying glass that magnifies the decoration tenfold;
during this procedure, the sample and name of the accessory are carefully studied;
now it’s time to verify the authenticity of products; chemical acids or touchstones are used for this purpose;
gilded jewelry is checked by making a small cut, onto which acids are applied, and by exposure to them, the authenticity of such products is revealed.

In addition, pawn shops quite often use a spectrometer, where, using radiation similar to X-rays, products are checked for compliance with certain parameters.

How to check white gold for authenticity

Methods for identifying the authenticity of classic products and those made of white metal are somewhat different.

How do you know if white gold is real?

The most effective way is to go to a pawnshop, where they carry out assay analysis.
In addition, you can use a lapis pencil, which you need to draw a line on the moistened product. Real metal will remain pure.
Traces of iodine applied to accessories that immediately evaporate may indicate that this is real metal.
Separately, it should be noted that white gold, which was passed over a blank sheet of paper, will not leave any traces.

How to find out the weight of gold at home

It is not uncommon for people who handed over items to a pawnshop to later find out that the metal weighed much more than what was stated on the receipts. Therefore, there are often situations when a person wants to make sure in advance what weight a piece of jewelry actually has, so as not to be deceived by unscrupulous people.

Workshops use ultra-precise and sensitive scales to weigh jewelry. At home, you can be content with the following methods:

Using kitchen scales, ideally electronic.
An application of Archimedes' principle, which requires immersing gold jewelry in a liquid and then calculating the water it displaces. In order to find out the weight of the product, you need to multiply the volume of water that was displaced by the density of gold (which is equal to 19.3 units).
In addition, you can weigh the product on a flat knitting needle, on one side of which a small weight is placed, and on the other the product to be measured. Once equilibrium has been established, the distances between all objects can be measured, the values of which are divided among themselves and multiplied by the density of the metal.

It is worth noting that calculating the weight, as well as the authenticity of gold jewelry, is not a very difficult task, which can be solved at home. However, to obtain a reliable result, it would be more reliable to contact qualified specialists.

Source: https://hoznauka.ru/veshhi/dragotsennosti/kak-proverit-zoloto-na-podlinnost.html

Properties and distinctive features of white gold and silver

Silver has been used to make jewelry for a very long time - many centuries. White gold came into fashion relatively recently, but its popularity has grown rapidly over the past few years. Visually, these two alloys are very similar, but differ significantly in price. Therefore, the question often arises: how to distinguish white gold from silver?

White gold jewelry is incredibly sophisticated and elegant. This shade of the alloy is provided by the ligature: silver, palladium and platinum are used for this. Previously, the white gold alloy also contained nickel, but now they are trying to avoid this, since allergies to this metal are very widespread.

How to distinguish white gold from silver?

Modern fashion is addicted to white gold jewelry due to its ability to be combined with any accessories and look good with the most expensive stones - diamonds.

Visual differences between white gold and silver

If there is a question about purchasing jewelry, then it is possible to consider only methods that can distinguish white gold and silver without additional means:

1) White gold looks as if it has a lacquer coating, silver looks matte and has heavier undertones. Gold also has some features that give it a specific shine that are not characteristic of silver. And even if they may look the same on a shelf in a jewelry store, if you change the lighting or put jewelry on a person, you can notice the difference.

2) Silver changes its color as it is worn. Its main disadvantage is that it oxidizes under the influence of hydrogen sulfide from the air and darkens over time. And although such plaque is not so difficult to remove, it can still be noticeable. In addition, it can also turn yellow, fade and become deformed over time.

3) White gold or silver will help determine the hallmark. Any untested product cannot be sold - this is a violation of the Criminal Code. If there is no hallmark on the product, then most likely it is not made of noble metal at all, it just has a golden coating.

Gold and silver have a different stamp from the state assay office, they both contain an image of a girl in a kokoshnik with her head turned to the right, but have a different outline shape. The mark for silver is outlined in an oval with straight sides on the sides; the mark for gold has the shape of a spatula. The samples also differ:

375, 585, 750 - gold;
830, 875, 925, 960 - silver.

925 is a silver standard

The most technically difficult to forge is a mark made with a laser; it has thin contours, is smooth and not very deep, which is why it tends to wear off over time.

4) The price of white gold jewelry should be significantly higher than the price of silver jewelry. If this is not the case, then this is a reason to think about it.

How to test white gold at home?

1) If the product has already been purchased or the owner got it in some other way, then a more in-depth analysis can be carried out at home. To do this, you need to have another product of one type or another for comparison.

2) Everyone knows that silver alloy is much softer than gold alloy. Knowing this can be used to determine the alloy from which the jewelry is made. How to determine white gold in this way? In order to do this, you will need a piece of paper. Run the decorations over the paper using a little force. Since gold is a strong alloy, the paper will remain white; if it is silver, then a trace will remain on the paper.

3) Another fundamental difference between these two metals is chemical inertness. Gold is more inert than silver and does not react even with acids, so you can check whether the alloy is really made of gold in an acidic environment.

To experiment, you need to take a glass of vinegar and place the decoration there. The silver jewelry will change color. If after the jewelry was placed in a glass of vinegar, nothing happened, then you have gold.

If the water becomes cloudy, but the decoration remains the same, then it is completely fake.

4) Another reliable way is to expose both metals to substances containing chlorine. This could be, for example, chlorine bleach. The reaction with chlorine will cause the silver to darken: if you apply it to the product, you will notice a small stain after a minute. Gold will not change color.

5) Another way to test gold is by density. 585 gold has a density of about 13 g/cm3, for silver this figure is 10-10.5, and 750 gold has a density of about 15.5.

Thus, having jewelry that does not have stones or hidden voids, as well as accurate scales, you can weigh and determine exactly what alloy you are dealing with. To do this, first weigh the jewelry simply on a scale, and then in liquid.

In this case, the product should not touch the walls of the vessel in which it is contained. We divide the first value by the second and get the density.

6) And the last way is iodine. If you drop iodine on gold, it will leave a stain on it, since it is one of the few elements with which it reacts; there will be no such stain on silver.

White gold rings

Jewelry made of white gold, unlike silver, will delight you for a long time. It will not darken, will not become cloudy, and has all the same properties as ordinary gold. Thanks to its plasticity, it allows jewelers to create the most unusual and sophisticated products.

It happens that products are coated with an even more expensive metal - rhodium. Such products are more expensive, and in this case it will be possible to distinguish white gold from silver only by the mark.

If the question is about what is better to choose, then you need to weigh the pros and cons. Gold items are purchased for everyday wear. It is better to take silver for one-time appearances, so it will be easier to keep track of it. In addition, for the same money that you would buy one piece of white gold, you can buy several in silver. Then you will have the opportunity to experiment with your image or, instead of one product, buy a set at once.

Source: https://HochuZoloto.com/sovety/kak-otlichit-beloe-zoloto-ot-serebra.html

How to test gold for authenticity at home, methods for determining its purity - Cleaning Pro

Gold has always attracted not only connoisseurs of precious metals, but also charlatans. Fraudsters, using modern and ancient technologies, have learned to create skillful fakes.

To avoid falling for such tricks, it is worth getting acquainted with simple but proven methods for determining the authenticity of gold.

Options using magnets, mechanical and chemical effects on precious metal, which are easy to use even at home, will be useful.

When purchasing a gold product, the buyer is guided by the presence of a hallmark - a specific stamp confirming the authenticity of the metal and the percentage of gold in the alloy. On sale you can find gold of 375, 500, 585, 750, 958 and 999 samples.

But even such a mark cannot confirm the authenticity of the product. The guarantee can only be a company imprint of a well-known manufacturer of jewelry or bullion.

In other cases, especially if there is no hallmark, it will be useful to know how to determine the gold standard at home.

Pros and cons of 750 gold products: differences and advantages, properties and hallmarking of the product

Gold jewelry has long been loved by many people. Rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and gold signets have won the attention of both men and women. Often among such decorations, gilded items attract attention. Despite the fact that the gilding technique has long been popular, not everyone knows what gilding is and how such products are made.

Gold plating is the process of covering the surface of a product with a thin layer of gold to protect it from corrosion, tarnishing, and provide strength and shine. The basis for gilding can be any; most often nickel, brass, and copper are used for this. The product is wrapped in a sheet of gold, which is attached to the base using galvanization.

Classic gilding is the application of a fairly thick layer of pure gold to the surface. Such products are distinguished by their strength and durability.

Features of gilding and their types

The thicker the gold layer, the stronger and better quality the product. For gilding, high-grade 750-carat gold or pure 999-carat gold is most often used. The amount of gold and the thickness of the layer affect the strength, color of the product, service life, and corrosion resistance. Gold-plated jewelry is not marked or is stamped with the base metal.

Silver can also be plated with gold. Several types of gilding are used for this:

Standard. For this coating, gold of 385 or higher is used. Layer up to 2.5 microns thick.
Top quality gold plating. Jewelry is coated with a layer of more than 2.5 microns with an alloy of 585 gold and higher.
White gold layer. To obtain the white hue of gold, yellow gold is alloyed with palladium, silver and nickel. Then this alloy is coated with silver jewelry. The white gold layer may have different hallmarks. Layer thickness is from 2.5 to 5 microns.
Rose gold plated. The admixture of copper gives gold a pink tint. Samples may vary. Layer from 2.5 microns.

A layer of copper or nickel is used between silver and gold to even out the color and give the product hardness.

Gilding can be applied to various products: jewelry, watches, cigarette cases, lighters, telephones, as well as household items and car parts. Each item requires a different layer thickness. For example, to gild a watch, a layer of gold of 5 microns is used. The color of gold may also vary.

Advantages and disadvantages of gilding

One of the advantages of gold-plated items is their price. At the same time, the product itself looks no less beautiful and adequately emphasizes the status and beauty of its owner. For gold-plated jewelry, you can use various stones, crystals, and rhinestones. Precious stones are used less frequently.

The disadvantage is the fragility of the coating. The service life depends on the thickness of the layer, gold purity and how carefully you treat the jewelry. Over time, the layer wears off, wears out, becomes dull, and in some cases can oxidize.

In order to restore the worn layer, you can contact a jewelry maker. After updating, your jewelry will again delight with brilliance, radiance and beauty. The price of restoration work depends on the spray layer, the degree of contamination, and the shape of the product.

How to wear and take care of gold-plated items?

Jewelry with gilding does not differ in appearance from gold, so the rules for wearing them are the same. Gold-plated items are suitable for many outfits: both everyday and evening.

To ensure that a gold-plated product will please you longer, wear it carefully: take it off before going to bed, playing sports, doing physical labor, before going to the sauna, shower, or swimming pool. Protect from detergents and mechanical damage. Store in a separate box, protect from direct sunlight.

Gold-plated items must be cleaned very carefully so as not to damage the layer. To do this, you can use an alcohol solution or vinegar and a soft cloth.

Gold-plated silver can be cleaned using a toothbrush and toothpaste or baking soda.

To do this, you need to make a paste of toothpaste or soda, dip a brush into it and gently wipe the product, then rinse with running water and dry.

In appearance, gold-plated products are difficult to distinguish from gold ones. They are also beautiful and attract us with their brilliance, radiance, beauty, and strength.

If you protect them from negative external factors, gold-plated jewelry will delight you for many years to come.

In addition, the prices for such products are much lower than for gold ones; many can afford to buy gold-plated jewelry and look great at the same time.

Source: https://makdrag.ru/dragocennie/plyusy-i-minusy-zolotyh-izdelij-750-proby-kak-pravilno-pokupat-ukrasheniya-iz-zolota.html