How to tell real gold from fake – 16 simple and advanced methods
Methods Knowing real gold from fake
Gold is one of the precious metals that are in high demand in jewelry stores around the world compared to other types of precious metals other gems. The reason is that the purchase, acquisition and use of gold for gifts are deeply rooted among the eastern peoples, in particular, such as China, India, the Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. But despite the high demand in those countries for gold, there is no great awareness of ways to verify gold and whether it is real or fake, especially since cases of fraud and deception occur at a rate that is not small, as is the case in trade, buying and selling in general. Therefore, it is necessary to be familiar with the ways to know real gold from the fake before buying.
As a general rule, we recommend buying gold from reputable and reputable stores, but in the case of buying from unknown stores or Buying gold from individuals, so care must be taken to examine and verify the gold before buying. (There are three classifications of gold that must be taken into account when verifying whether it is real or fake:
New Gold It is gold that was formed and manufactured after extracting and preparing it after it was raw gold. It is common to find goldware made of new gold in famous gold and jewelry stores.
old gold
It is gold that has been melted and re-arranged from ancient gold artifacts, and in Sometimes some raw gold is added to it. It is cheaper in its market value than new gold. It is noteworthy that some gold traders buy old gold and sell it at the new gold price to take advantage of the price difference, which is a deception for the buyer. Fake Gold It has many names such as gold Falso, deceptive or fraudulent gold, even Chinese gold, and counterfeit gold is classified when its composition is of materials other than gold. The stability of the color on the jewelry for a long time and the difference in its appearance, luster and characteristics from the original gold. Ways to know real gold from fake
to know Real gold is deceptive. More than one method must be applied to ensure and not rely on only one method to obtain results. These methods are divided into easy ways that you can do yourself anywhere and advanced methods that require special equipment and expertise as follows:
Color Check
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Gold color check
It is the easiest way that may lead to the distinction between real and fake gold, as through observation it is possible to identify counterfeit gold by examining its color and comparing it with the color of the original gold
Bring the object to be examined and highlight it and check its color in addition to its luster and light reflection on it. , if it matches, that is a positive point.
Examination of the inscriptions
Examination of the inscriptions on gold
By examining the inscriptions or the seal on the gold piece, it is possible to determine whether the piece of jewelry is genuine or fraudulent, although a Because this method may not be feasible, as the old jewelry does not contain inscriptions besides that these inscriptions can be easily engraved on unreal gold. Cosmetic examination
You can use some cosmetics such as foundation and powder to know the real gold, and this is done by massaging the gold piece with the cosmetics on the skin of your hand. Evidence that gold is adulterated.
(Checking the measurements)
Checking gold measurements “Weight “
This examination is done by measuring the dimensions of a piece of jewelry, including length, width, and height, and weighing it accurately, and comparing the resulting weight with taking the dimensions and Claimed carat accounted for with real gold nugget weight of matching dimensions. If the results are different, the piece of gold is not real and fraudulent, but if it matches, it is an indication that that piece may be real. Acid test
It is one of the basic methods for identifying gold, as it depends on the occurrence of a reaction between gold and acid to ensure its reliability. To do this test, make a small scratch on the surface of the gold piece and add a little HNO3 trioxonitrate and note the results. If you notice a reaction between gold and acid, this is strong evidence that it is real gold, but if you notice a green or white color, this is evidence that it is fake and unreal gold. Magnetic examination
Gold is a metal that is not affected by magnets, based on this scientific fact, you can use a magnet “preferably a strong magnet” and note whether it will be affected by a piece of gold or not. If a magnet attracts a piece of gold, you can tell that the gold is definitively adulterated.
Pattern Check
Gold Pattern Check
Real gold has a regular pattern of In terms of color and cut, while in the case of fake gold, it can be seen that there is an irregularity and consistency in the pattern on the surface of the piece of jewelry. If that fake piece is broken, different layers of metals of different color and pattern will be noticed.
Voice Check
Every metal in nature has a special sound frequency that distinguishes it from the other when it is hammered with other metals, and based on this principle, gold emits a distinctive sound when it is thrown on a surface or struck on it. This method can be done by knocking on a piece of gold to be examined and matching the resulting sound with what was produced by knocking on a piece of real gold. X-ray examination
This method requires advanced tools and equipment in order to perform it, as it is found in some laboratories and companies working in the field of gold. It is possible to know the real gold by determining the metal mixture with a piece of gold. Although this method may be expensive, it is useful in verifying gold, especially if large quantities will be purchased on a regular basis. Melting Test and Spectroscopic Sample Examination
Smelting a piece of gold and spectral examination of samples depends on the thermostatistic method known as the differential calorimetry examination. Where the gold piece to be examined is placed in a device with a real gold piece, to be shed a certain heat to sort and classify the gold sample. Where the test is done simply by determining the difference in the temperature difference necessary for the melting of both pieces, if the melting temperature of the gold piece being tested is different from the real piece of gold, it is fake. This is one of the powerful ways to examine gold.
Examination Metallic structure
This method is widely used In identifying counterfeit gold and unreal silver, especially coins, it is based on examining the metallic structure of gold through the use of a microscope or electron microscope with dispersive energy or X-ray examination. Where it is relied upon to compare the mineral structure data of real gold with the results of the gold sample examination data.
Fusing examination
Explosion of gold by fusion
It is an efficient and speedy method of detecting counterfeit gold. It is accomplished by recognising the metallic components produced by the smelting of the gold sample and categorising it into its fundamental elements, since there are specialist machines available to conduct gold examinations using this approach. If the gold is not genuine, the smelting process will generate other metals such as copper and zinc, but if the gold is genuine, it will be produced with den of gold.
heat examination
Checking the melting point of gold
from the extremely old and excellent procedures that are being used today for their efficiency in distinguishing genuine gold from tainted gold Where the gold in the sample is analysed by melting it in a high-temperature furnace and properly determining its weight. The molten gold is then put in a semi-conical mould and heated until the other metals in the sample melt and the pure gold is separated from them.
Atomic Spectroscopic Examination
Spectral Screening Test
It is symbolized by “AAS”, which is one of the advanced methods for determining the quality of minerals in general and can be used to know the original gold by relying on the principle of exposure to radiation, as every metal in nature is affected in a different way when exposed to light. Gold can absorb ultraviolet and ultraviolet light frequencies between nm and nm Accordingly, if the results of absorbing these frequencies differ, then gold is False.
Spectral inductance of conjugated plasma
This test stands for “ICP” and it is a type of spectrum test. Different from the “AAS” test, one of its advantages is that it requires only a very small sample of the metal to be tested by ionizing the sample with a paired plasma, so that the ionized sample separates and is measured by spectrum. It is an effective method for measuring the percentage of real gold present in the sample.
Fluorescence and X-ray examination
Gold X-ray examination X-rays
It is one of the simplest and fastest techniques of inspecting actual gold since it is based on the premise of determining the outcomes of X-rays striking atoms in the sample. Because various elements create varying amounts of energy when colliding with atoms, real gold may be distinguished from false gold. This procedure necessitates the use of a tiny, low-cost gadget marketed as a specialist gold screening instrument.
