3 Ways to Know If Your Gold Is Real
If you want to sell unwanted jewelry or need some extra money and want to borrow against the value of any gold you own, you will first need to know if your gold jewelry is real. There are certainly many places to sell your jewelry in Atlanta, but few places, if any, will accept costume jewelry, especially if it is used. Gold, though, will almost always retain some value. Because costume jewelry can sometimes be very convincing, you should try all of your jewelry with the following tests.
Check for Markings
When you look at gold jewelry, you are searching for more than gold coloring. This can easily be imitated. Real gold should have official markings on it indicating the karat or fineness of the gold. The markings will usually be in a hidden area, such as in the inside of a ring, the underside of a pendant, or the backside of earrings. Note that misleading costume jewelry may print these markings on it.
Bite Test
Despite how common it has been, the old-fashioned “bite test” is not reliable for many reasons. While it may look official to bite gold and examine it for tooth imprints, you can hurt your teeth, damage the gold, or mistake gold-plated lead for solid gold. Lead is just as pliable as pure gold. However, gold that leaves imprints of your teeth after biting may be legitimate.
Acid Test
Used by professionals, the acid test involves submerging possible gold products in nitric acid and then evaluating the reaction. While fool’s gold and gold-plated silver (a cheaper alternative to solid gold) will make the acid cloudy, milky, or green, real gold will leave the acid clear and transparent. However, this acid can be hard to come by and is harmful if spilled.
There are other ways to test gold, including weighing it, calculating its density, and examining it under a microscope. It takes a professional touch to find the truth. If you want to sell your jewelry in Atlanta, a professional jeweler can verify the quality of any gold you own.
Check for Markings
When you look at gold jewelry, you are searching for more than gold coloring. This can easily be imitated. Real gold should have official markings on it indicating the karat or fineness of the gold. The markings will usually be in a hidden area, such as in the inside of a ring, the underside of a pendant, or the backside of earrings. Note that misleading costume jewelry may print these markings on it.
Bite Test
Despite how common it has been, the old-fashioned “bite test” is not reliable for many reasons. While it may look official to bite gold and examine it for tooth imprints, you can hurt your teeth, damage the gold, or mistake gold-plated lead for solid gold. Lead is just as pliable as pure gold. However, gold that leaves imprints of your teeth after biting may be legitimate.
Acid Test
Used by professionals, the acid test involves submerging possible gold products in nitric acid and then evaluating the reaction. While fool’s gold and gold-plated silver (a cheaper alternative to solid gold) will make the acid cloudy, milky, or green, real gold will leave the acid clear and transparent. However, this acid can be hard to come by and is harmful if spilled.
There are other ways to test gold, including weighing it, calculating its density, and examining it under a microscope. It takes a professional touch to find the truth. If you want to sell your jewelry in Atlanta, a professional jeweler can verify the quality of any gold you own.
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