Blog
12 October 2016 05 December 2019 0
Traditional methods of assessing the quality of gold, for example, using iodine, a magnet or “by the tooth”, are unreliable. If you need accurate results, contact a pawnshop. Pawnshop appraisers are professionally trained and use a range of modern methods to determine the grade.
How to check gold in a pawn shop using the visual method
So, you brought the jewelry to the pawnshop. First, it will be weighed on precision scales, and then examined through a magnifying glass with 6-10x magnification to check for the presence of two marks: hallmark and name mark.
Try
All jewelry made in Russia or imported into the country is stamped by the Assay Office. It guarantees that the product has been tested by the state and can be legally sold in Russia.
The hallmark is made in the shape of a spatula and contains the following symbols:
A woman's head in a kokoshnik (or a star, if the decoration was made from 1953 to 1994).
- A number indicating the purity of the metal: 375, 500, 585, 750 (the number 585 means that the product is 58.5% pure gold).
- Letter code of the assay office that carried out the control.
Name person
The second sign that is checked at the pawnshop is the manufacturer’s name. It consists of four letters enclosed in a rectangular outline:
- The first letter indicates the year of manufacture (“P” - 2015, “S” - 2016, “T” - 2017).
- The second is the assay code (as on an assay mark).
- The last two letters are the manufacturer's code.
When examining the two marks, the appraiser pays attention to the clarity of the image. Genuine prints are distinguished by precision of lines, which is difficult to copy in artisanal conditions. If the jewelry has removable parts, a specialist examines each of them to find a simplified hallmark of the metal. Separately, it is checked whether an imprint cut from another piece of jewelry is soldered into the product.
How to check gold for authenticity in a pawn shop using acid
At the second stage, specialized acids are used. The features of the method depend on the weight of the decoration.
Small products are checked in a gentle way. The appraiser selects an inconspicuous place on the jewelry and runs it along a special black block - a touchstone, leaving a thin line. With the naked eye you will not be able to see any traces of this action on the product.
Next to the line from the decoration, lines are drawn with samples with a precisely defined sample, after which nitric acid is applied to all strips and they are compared. If the color of the control line matches the color of one of the samples, then the product has the same hallmark as the sample.
Items weighing more than 5 grams are more likely to be gold-plated rather than gold, so they are tested differently. A small cut, 1-2 mm deep, is made on an inconspicuous part of the decoration. A drop of special acid is applied to the file, which detects the 585 sample. The absence of color under the drop is a sign that the jewelry has a standard of 585 or higher, and a brown spot is a sign of a lower standard. To clarify the results, test acids are used for the 750th and 333rd samples.
Jewelry with a large weight cannot be valued only by the outer layer, and some pawn shops will offer to cut the product. If you brought scrap gold, you can agree to this. When scrapped, the uniformity of the metal or gilding will be visible. After cutting, the sample is also determined using acids.
How to check gold in a pawnshop without deformation
If you do not want your jewelry to be scratched or sawed, look for a pawnshop that determines the gold standard using a special device - a spectrometer. The appraiser will place the product in a chamber where, under the influence of x-rays, the metal will begin to emit a spectrum.
The computer will compare this spectrum with the samples included in the program and calculate the chemical composition of the product. You will see the percentage of all elements on your computer monitor. The spectrometer will determine the composition of the alloy and the thickness of the coating layers.
The estimation error of this method is 0.01%, so it can replace the visual and acid method of determining the gold sample.
Source: https://zu.ru/blog/kak-proverit-zoloto-v-lombarde/
How to check gold for authenticity
How to distinguish a gold product from a fake.
In modern conditions, despite economic difficulties, one can observe that the number of jewelry stores has increased significantly.
Many people, faced with buying gold items in such a place, or even from other people, wonder how to check the authenticity of gold.
There are many tricks that allow an unscrupulous manufacturer or seller of low-quality goods to enrich themselves at someone else’s expense. By checking the quality of gold items, you can identify a fake or make sure that your purchase is appropriate.
How to check gold for authenticity: useful tips
To protect yourself from possible problems, it is recommended to buy gold jewelry in well-established, reliable jewelry stores - in this case, the risk is minimal. When buying a product at a pawnshop or from your own hands, there is a chance of running into a low-quality product or a fake. In addition, while on vacation abroad, you should be wary of buying cheap, supposedly gold, jewelry - if there is gold in such products, then its purity may be very low.
There are frequent cases of deception, which can result in a rather large sum of money being wasted for the buyer. In order to enrich themselves, an unscrupulous manufacturer can provide a high-quality piece of jewelry (for example, a link from a bracelet or a clasp from an earring) to the inspection for the analysis of precious metals - and only he himself knows what may be inside all the elements of the jewelry.
Often, gold items are counterfeited by reducing the quantitative gold content in them, or by replacing it with one of the much cheaper metals of a similar color. In such cases, the mineral pyrite, nicknamed “fool’s gold” due to its similarity with this precious metal, can act as its substitute.
Quite often there are products with imitation gold made of brass or copper with gold plating.
Thus, information on how to test gold for authenticity can be very useful. The quality of a given noble metal can be determined by various methods, some of which are quite complex and expensive, but at the same time guarantee the most accurate analysis.
The choice of how to test gold for authenticity depends on what degree of accuracy of the result is needed and on what kind of product needs to be tested.
It is worth noting that in some cases, if the fake is made of very high quality, only a jeweler can detect it using special tests.
Gold is a very soft metal. If you create jewelry from it in its pure form, it can easily become deformed with a normal handshake, so it is traditionally combined with various metals to strengthen products.
In manufactured alloys, the gold sample is used as an indicator of gold content.
For example, the 750th indicates that it contains 75% of this precious metal, the remaining 25% is alloy (special alloys to give it useful properties necessary for long-term operation of the product).
When purchasing a product made of precious metal, you should pay attention to the stamp applied to it with the specified hallmark. Uneven numbers on the sample or a smeared print are a reason to think about the possibility of counterfeiting. In addition, you should check for the presence of the manufacturer's mark (it may be affixed a little askew, but it should still be present).
It is also necessary to carefully examine the reverse side of the product - if it is made of the same quality as the front, the likelihood of counterfeiting is reduced. If you apply a light scratch to the jewelry in an inconspicuous place, then in the case of a fake, you can find ordinary metal under the layer of gold plating.
How to check gold for authenticity: home methods
If you are interested in how to test gold for authenticity yourself, the following information may be useful. An obvious fake can be recognized using simple methods that can be used at home by anyone who is far enough away from the jewelry business.
How to check gold for authenticity: comparison with a standard
You can make the testing task easier by using a gold item as a sample, the authenticity of which you have no doubt about. As a first approximation, you can test gold at home using the following methods:
- There is an opinion that you can check the authenticity of a gold item by the sound it makes when struck - to do this, you should drop it on a flat and hard floor surface or on glass. When falling, real gold can produce a clear ringing sound, reminiscent of crystal ringing. You will need to compare the sounds made by the reference gold product and the one being tested. It is worth considering that for loose chains and bracelets consisting of many links, this method of checking gold for authenticity is not suitable;
- If you press both products on a hard surface (for example, on unglazed ceramic tiles), then a mark in the form of a strip will appear on it. Gold will leave a yellowish streak, other metals will leave a dark streak. By running the edge of the product along the glass surface, you should make sure that it does not leave any marks. Gold is a fairly soft metal, unlike base metals that can leave scratches on glass.
How to check gold for authenticity: chemical method
You can check the quality of the metal from which the product is made using regular iodine, available in every first aid kit. To do this, you need to dip a cotton swab into the bottle and moisten it generously with this product.
To test gold with iodine, rub it on a metal product in the selected area. If this product gets on the surface of the gold, a distinct dark (almost black) spot will appear.
Such a stain will not appear on the surface of other metals, for example, brass, copper or their alloys. Next, you should wipe off the iodine using a soft cloth or a piece of cotton wool.
It is worth noting that there will also be no traces left on the gold-plated surface after treatment with iodine. Therefore, to make sure that we are not dealing with gilding, but with gold, before carrying out the test, you should lightly scratch the product in an inconspicuous place with a low-grain sandpaper, and then apply iodine there.
Alternatively, you can also test the authenticity of gold using vinegar. To do this, pour it into a small container and dip the product being tested into it. When placed in a vinegar solution, gold will not change its color, while most other metals noticeably darken. It is worth considering that a product coated with gold in vinegar will also not change its color.
How to check gold for authenticity: other methods that can be used at home
In addition to the methods described above, at home you can use other methods to check gold for authenticity:
- for example, conduct a test with a powerful magnet, trying to attract the product under test with it. Genuine gold does not react to a magnet, while other metals will be attracted and stick. It should be noted that gold of very low purity, which includes a significant proportion of impurities in its composition, can react to magnetization. It is also worth considering that some metals (for example, copper, as well as aluminum), from which a fake can be made, are not magnetic;
- in clear weather, carefully examine the gold item - first in the shade, and then placing it in direct sunlight. A genuine gold item will look almost the same in the shade and in the sun, while a fake gold item will appear darker in a shaded area;
- If you are not afraid of damaging your teeth, you can carefully bite the gold - this will leave marks on the surface of the genuine precious metal. Moreover, it is believed that the higher the gold content in the alloy, the easier it is to deform;
- In addition, you can find out the authenticity of gold using the crumb of rye bread - you should knead it, press the product into it and leave it for several days until the bread becomes stale. Next, you should remove the jewelry and carefully examine the break. If there are traces of metal oxidation and a green coating, then the gold is fake;
- You can also check the authenticity of gold using a lapis pencil. This antiseptic and hemostatic agent can be purchased at the pharmacy. After moistening the test product with water, draw a stripe on its surface with a lapis pencil. Genuine gold does not react with the silver nitrite in the pencil, while regular metal will darken.
It is important to note that these simple methods of checking gold for authenticity cannot guarantee a 100% reliable result. However, by applying several of them in combination, you will get a certain result as a first approximation, and will be able to identify at least an obvious fake. It is worth considering that with such testing it is not always possible to identify a well-made fake; in addition, gold-plated products can show the same results as gold ones.
How to test gold for authenticity: more accurate testing methods
It is possible to qualitatively examine a product, most reliably confirm or exclude the authenticity of gold, and also determine its sample if you have special equipment. Such work is carried out by the assay service. The composition and purity of gold can be determined by a specialist who has skills in working with precious metals - a jeweler.
The following methods can be used to analyze gold:
- There are special electronic testers of various modifications that can be used for non-destructive testing of gold - both by individuals and in special laboratories. De-Mon electrochemical testing devices scan the test sample, analyzing the surface of the material, and provide accurate analysis results. Using such a device, you can identify products made of base metals, determine the sample, test white gold and analyze the composition of its alloy;
- acid test - this testing method allows you to get accurate results. This test can also be performed at home - for this you will need to purchase a set of reagents for gold, including gold needles of various samples (standards), as well as acids (nitric, sulfuric, hydrochloric). This analysis method consists of the following: a minor scratch must be applied to the product. After waiting a little until it cools to room temperature, you need to drop a small amount of acid onto the scratch. By comparing with sample needles coated with the reagent, you can check the gold sample in the product. For testing, you can use a special touchstone with a polished hard surface - to do this, select an inconspicuous area of the product and rub it on the surface of the stone. Next, the same should be done with 2-3 sample needles with the closest sample, in your opinion;
- In laboratory conditions, you can also use special equipment to conduct research using X-ray analysis. Within a few minutes, you can determine the gold sample, as well as the full composition of the alloy.
How to check gold for authenticity - video
Source: https://missbagira.ru/themes/sovety/kak-proverit-zoloto-na-podlinnost
How to check gold in a pawnshop
Gold is a soft precious metal and for this reason it is combined with various additives to create jewelry. The quantitative content of other additives is determined by the sample. For example, a 925 alloy contains 92.5% of gold itself, and the rest is alloy and all kinds of impurities.
In the Russian Federation, the circulation of gold, platinum and silver is strictly controlled by the relevant authorities, but this still does not provide 100% protection against counterfeiting. Fraudsters quite often overestimate the content of pure gold in the alloy or, in general, replace the precious metal with cheap analogues that only superficially resemble gold.
Reliable pawnshop: checking gold
There are many methods for testing gold - they all differ in degree of complexity, accuracy and price. There are metals that have physical properties similar to gold. One example is pyrite. This is a mineral with a characteristic metallic luster and golden color, and is essentially an alloy of sulfur and iron. Ordinary gold-plated copper also often acts as a substitute for gold.
In any serious pawnshop, the appraiser has professional tools and materials, including:
- magnifying glass;
- laboratory scales with an accuracy class of at least 3 or 4;
- calipers;
- calico;
- assay chemicals.
There are a large number of different chemical reagents. The rule is this: from 375 to 750 samples, acidic samples are used; up to the 600th standard, so-called chlorine gold is used; and potassium iodide is used to test alloys above the 800 standard.
How do they check gold in a pawnshop?
A step-by-step study of products is as follows:
- superficial inspection;
- cleaning with a tool;
- applying one of the types of reagent;
- final determination of the sample.
1. Inspection using a magnifying glass and other available means . The specialist, first of all, pays attention to the imprint and stamps. A counterfeit is easily determined by the naked eye - curvature in symbols and numbers. Also, upon visual inspection, it is not difficult to identify jewelry and gilding. In addition, it is possible to determine whether a metal belongs to the group of high-grade, medium-grade and low-grade alloys.
2. Surface cleaning . The surface can be smeared with dirt and dust, painted, bleached, treated with chemical compounds, so there is a need to clean a separate area of the product. The cleaning procedure is carried out exclusively with the client’s permission. The following tools are used for this:
- all kinds of scrapers;
- finely cut files;
- files.
Stripping is carried out as carefully as possible, and, most importantly, in a remote place from the mark. If we are talking about a ring, bracelet, earring, then cleaning is done only from the inside.
3. Application of reagents . An assay chemical is applied to the cleaned area. The drop is placed on the product carefully to prevent leakage in different directions. The presence of the chemical on the metal must be strictly controlled, otherwise inaccurate research results may be obtained. Finally, the drop is carefully soaked with calico or a napkin.
There are many different chemical reagents. And the duration of each person’s stay on the gold surface is strictly regulated:
- gold chloride – no more than twelve seconds;
- acid chemical reagent for the 375-585th and 750th samples - ten and twenty seconds, respectively;
- potassium iodide – from eight to twelve seconds.
4. Sample . The surface of the material is carefully checked with reagents, sometimes several at once, and is confirmed by the tabular instructions.
Samples are tested according to the following scheme:
- gold and other alloys with a precious metal content of up to 60% are treated with gold chloride, and after the corresponding standard with a reagent;
- 750 gold is tested with a standard reagent, but to detect handicraft fakes, you can limit yourself to gold chloride;
- alloys with gold from 80% are tested with a solution of potassium iodide.
Description of samples and their reactions to chemical compounds:
- 375th sample - a greenish or brownish stain from chlorine is obtained, and the drop itself is completely transparent;
- 500th - the chlorine stain turns brown, and the very drop is transparent and clean;
- 585th - a golden or yellowish stain from chlorine, and a light brown stain from a standard chemical reagent;
- 750th – the stain is often absent or barely noticeable;
- The 750th sample of the so-called “white gold” is a bright brown spot;
- 800th - potassium iodide produces a dark, rich red stain;
- 900 and higher samples - a light red spot is obtained from a solution of potassium iodide.
How do they check gold in a pawnshop using a device?
Today, there are special instruments with which it is possible to identify precious metals. Non-destructive express testing is based on measuring the electrochemical potential of the material.
Electronic testers are the most common devices. They use drops of liquid to scan an existing sample and determine its purity. In laboratory conditions, the X-ray method has become widespread. In this way, not only the precious metal content is determined, but the full composition of the alloy is also decomposed.
Alternative to advanced tests:
- magnet – if metal is attracted to a magnet, then you are dealing with a fake
- vinegar – if the product tarnishes in vinegar, it is not real gold;
- glass - gold can be rubbed across the glass, no traces should remain, since gold is much softer;
- porcelain - if the gold strip remains yellow, then it is most likely gold;
- iodine - gold reacts with iodine, namely, a darkened stain remains at the site where ordinary iodine was applied.
Sennaya Pawnshop is a guarantee of reliability and quality: we quickly and accurately determine samples of precious metals. We accept gold in the form of commemorative coins, bank bars, jewelry, and scrap.
- Sennaya square, building 6 (Metro station Sennaya, Spasskaya)
- Yaroslav Hashek str., building 4/1 (Metro Kupchino)
- Varshavskaya st. house 108 (Moskovskaya metro station)
- Ave. Veteranov, building 140 (Metro Ave. Veteranov)
The lending rate is 0.39% per day.
The lending rate is 0.35% per day.
The lending rate is 0.35% per day.
The lending rate is 0.39% per day.
Source: https://sennoy.spb.ru/blog/kak-proveryayut-zoloto-v-lombarde/
How to test gold at home for authenticity: recipes from ancient and modern times
Have you ever wondered how much fake gold you have? Maybe right now you are wearing a beautiful imitation of a precious metal? If you are periodically tormented by such suspicions, now is the time to either dispel them or confirm them. Of course, the best option would be to use the services of a professional jeweler who will determine the value of the product.
If this is not possible, you can take the gold to the nearest pawnshop - where the percentage of the precious metal will be determined using an electrochemical detector. However, there are many methods to test gold for authenticity at home.
For this you will not need either rare reagents or complex instruments - you will probably find everything you need for analysis in your own kitchen and first aid kit.
Primitive but effective
The easiest way to identify gold is to rub it with a hard eraser (the kind used for ballpoint pen paste). If there are stains on the product, then the gold is not real. True, this method is not suitable for low-grade metal - it can only reveal gold plating.
You can use the ancient old-fashioned method and try the product to your teeth - dents will remain on real gold, and deforming the alloy is not so easy. But keep in mind that at the time this test was invented, humanity had not yet learned to counterfeit precious metals so thoroughly, so it makes sense to protect tooth enamel and not spoil a ring or earrings.
Jewelers advise viewing the jewelry in sunlight and in the shade - unlike less valuable alloys, it does not change color.
How to clean gold? There are many ways! How to choose jewelry for a dress? Read here.
Chemical inspection at home
We offer you several tests using simple reagents. They are quite safe for real gold, and if a fake gets damaged during the research process, then there is nothing to grieve at all. You can test gold for authenticity at home using iodine. To do this, apply a regular alcohol solution of iodine to the product and wait a couple of minutes. Real gold will have dark spots, but fake gold will not have them.
If you are checking gold jewelry, try to apply iodine to inconspicuous places, because then you are unlikely to like showing off black stains. This is why experts recommend keeping gold away from medications. There is an opinion that on gold above 750 purity there are no persistent stains from iodine - they can be wiped off with a cloth.
Alas, it was not possible to confirm or refute this version due to the lack of a suitable nugget at hand.
The next method can be considered more gentle if we are talking about real precious metal, but you definitely won’t wear a fake. To test gold at home for authenticity with vinegar (regular or apple cider vinegar), pour it over it and leave it overnight. If the next day the product has darkened, it means that you have a fake in your hands. Real gold does not react with:
- vinegar;
- nitrogen;
- hydrochloric and most other acids.
The exception is aqua regia, selenic acid and some other compounds that you will find at home only if you have been trying to synthesize the philosopher's stone for three hundred years.
From time immemorial
Some methods of testing precious metals originated so long ago that today they seem ridiculous. But with their help, you can also check gold-585 for authenticity at home. One of the old methods says: you need to leave the decoration in the crumb of rye bread until it completely becomes a cracker.
If after such a procedure the item darkens or turns green (this usually happens with copper), it means that there is either no gold in it at all or very little. The ancients were generally extremely observant: knowing that gold is a rather heavy metal, they lowered the test item into a vessel with water. It sank quickly, which means it was gold.
It’s just not clear what standard was used to determine the speed.
These methods are quite suitable for identifying a fake at home. If you seriously doubt the authenticity of the items or suspect that you have been sold a low-quality item, it is better not to guess at iodine stains and contact a jeweler.
Source: https://www.rutvet.ru/in-kak-proverit-zoloto-v-domashnih-usloviyah-na-podlinnost-recepty-iz-drevnosti-i-sovremennosti-4690.html
Vinegar and other gold authentication methods
How to test gold with vinegar and iodine and is there an effective way to determine the authenticity of jewelry made from precious metal? Experts unanimously say that the most effective way to verify the authenticity of jewelry is to contact a jeweler for an examination. But you still need to find a specialist, pay for the inspection and wait. But if you need to check the jewelry, as they say, here and now, what then?
What methods will help?
Gold is familiar to everyone, and, perhaps, there is not a single person who has not held jewelry made from this element at least once in his life. At the same time, the reserves of gold on the planet are practically exhausted, and the metal and products made from it are becoming more and more expensive every year. Wanting to satisfy the demand for gold jewelry, swindlers have learned to produce fakes that are not much different from the original.
Table vinegar
It is difficult even for an expert to recognize a fake, and it is very difficult for a buyer to figure out where is gold and where is a high-quality fake. But there are several simple and reliable ways that will help you recognize the substitution and return the ring or earrings back to the store on time.
Can be used to check the authenticity of gold at home:
- Vinegar and iodine.
- Visual analysis of the appearance of the product.
- The significance of the chemical properties of the precious metal.
If we talk about reagents, then gold is an inert metal and it is difficult to harm it with the help of any reagents. In its pure form, the metal reacts only with mercury, forming an alloy, or amalgam; dissolves in hydrochloric and nitric acid, which chemists call aqua regia.
But if we are talking about jewelry, then it is not pure gold, but an alloy of metals that form a ligature. Jewelry may have the properties of gold and other elements added to the alloy.
For this reason, such reagents are not used, but you can use vinegar, which is always available in the kitchen.
The check is very simple. You need to place the product in vinegar and leave there for three minutes. If during the procedure the color of the metal changes, the product darkens, then we can assume that the owner has a fake in his hands.
Some craftsmen still add a certain amount of precious metal to the alloy, for this reason the product may not completely darken. If the gold is distributed unevenly over the surface of the jewelry, then in some part of the product the color may change, but in others it may remain the same. For this reason, it is worth carefully examining the jewelry, examining it from all sides.
Testing gold with vinegar
After checking with vinegar, the jewelry is washed under cold water, wiped dry and polished with suede. This will help remove vinegar from the surface of the jewelry and protect the item from the aggressive effects of the reagent.
Iodine is also used as an indicator of authenticity; a drop of iodine is applied to the jewelry. It is advisable to drop it on the inside of the product, since a mark may remain, which is quite difficult to get rid of.
If a milky stain appears at the site where iodine was applied, then the owner has a fake in his hands, not a precious metal. If iodine leaves a dark stain on the surface of the jewelry, it means that the item being tested is indeed made of gold.
Even before making a purchase, experts advise carefully inspecting the product from all sides. There should be a mark on its surface, the color of the decoration should be even and uniform. Insertion, color shifts and other metamorphoses are not allowed, unless we are talking about a creative decision by the jewelry designer.
There are no clear standards regarding the location of the mark in Russia, but there are instructions on how it should look. The stamp contains information about the weight of the product in grams and the content of precious metal in it.
If it is difficult to examine the sample yourself, you can use a magnifying glass. The numbers and inscriptions on the brand must be even, and the numbers and letters must be the same size.
Naturally, the presence of a stamp does not guarantee quality, but its absence may indicate that the buyer has a low-quality fake in his hands.
Knowing the chemical and physical properties of gold will help you avoid dubious purchases. Gold is a soft but heavy metal; for this reason, jewelry is made from an alloy to make the product more durable and lightweight. You can compare two pieces of jewelry of approximately the same weight or weigh a purchase you just made on a scale. The weight of a gold product should not be less than one gram.
Jewelry made from noble metal is not subject to corrosion and does not change color when in contact with water and air. If, a few days after purchase, the jewelry darkens, changes color and loses its shine, this means that the person purchased a fake in the store.
Reasons to think about quality
There are several facts that will help you recognize a fake at the initial stage. Perhaps, when purchasing jewelry in a store, the buyer finds it difficult to assess the quality of the products, but in the process of wearing them, everything will fall into place.
Helps you spot a fake:
- darkening of the metal during operation;
- a mark on the skin left by jewelry;
- violation of the integrity of the metal surface.
The first thing you should pay attention to is the change in color and shade of jewelry. Of course, even high-quality gold darkens during wear, the reason for this is dirt and plaque, which accumulates on the product over the years and changes the appearance of the metal. But if the jewelry was purchased not so long ago, then it should not darken. This is the first sign that a large amount of impurities has been added to the alloy, and the percentage of gold in the alloy is negligible.
When a mark appears on the skin after wearing a ring or bracelet, you should think about the quality of the product.
The fact is that gold and platinum do not come into contact with air and water, these metals do not oxidize, for this reason contact with the human body should not harm the jewelry.
If the jewelry left a mark, then most likely it is not gold, but silver or another metal that oxidizes upon contact with reagents, air and water. Such counterfeiting can be dangerous, since wearing jewelry can lead to the development of allergies.
After short-term use, if changes appear on the surface of the product, the metal is cracked or worn out in some parts - this is a bad sign. Most likely, the jewelry is not made of a noble metal at all, but from an alloy of other elements. The jewelry was simply gilded, which was worn off during wear.
White gold is the most difficult to test: the alloy is sensitive, and some reagents can harm the jewelry. You should not use vinegar or iodine to determine the authenticity of a metal. In most cases, white gold is passed off as silver; a fake can be recognized by assessing the weight of the product, as well as using a simple test.
It is necessary to pass the item over a clean sheet of paper; if a mark remains on it, then the owner is holding silver in his hands, and if there is no mark, then the jewelry is really made of white gold.
Source: https://HochuZoloto.com/sovety/kak-proverit-zoloto-uksusom.html