adminser What is the difference between real and fake gold? All gold, less than 41.7%, and ten karats are considered fake by most standards. A certified jeweler is the best way to determine if your item is genuine gold. There are a few simple ways to determine if your gold item is real or fake before you bring it in for professional appraisal.
- Search for the gold mark.
Is there an official number mark on the gold item? A hallmark, or stamp on a gold item, identifies the percentage of gold in it.
If the stamp is not visible, you can look at the clasp of the item or the inner band on a ring to see the hallmark. You can often find it on bullion and gold coins. You may need a magnifying lens to identify older hallmarks that have been rubbed clean.
However, older items might not have a hallmark. Sometimes, it’s completely worn off. It wasn’t common in the U.S. until the 1950s and was not required in other countries until much later. Some counterfeit items may also have a mark that makes them look authentic. A professional appraisal is recommended before you sell or gift the item.
What does the gold stamp mean
Here’s how you can read a number marking on a gold item. Two different numeric scales are used for hallmarking. To indicate the amount of gold contained in an article, the numbers 1 through 999 or 0K-24K can be used. The K scale represents the European numbered system and the U.S. ranking. The number can easily be converted to a percentage for the European system. 200 is 20% gold, and 500 is half of the gold. The U.S. system is 24K, 99.9% pure, 18K, 75%, 14K, 58.5%, and 10K, 41.7%. Anything below 10K is fake.
This piece has 585. It is the same as 14K but expressed as a percentage of the gold used. (14k is 58.5% pure gold mixed with other metals.
Pure gold (or not?) )
A hallmark can be used to indicate that the item is not pure gold. The most common letters that indicate gold plating are GP, GF, and GEP. These letters suggest that the thing is coated with a thin layer of gold, usually on top of silver or copper.
GP stands for gold plated, and GF stands for gold filled. GEP is an acronym that refers to items with gold electroplate.
Use a magnet to test your gold.
Are you a magnet-loving person? Look in your refrigerator or children’s toys for a magnet. Hold the appeal before your gold item once you have found it. Is the jewelry reacting to the interest and sticking to it? Surprise, it may have been a fake. Magnetic real gold isn’t magnetic, believe it or not!
Wear and tearYou can also see the wear on a piece of gold. The gold has likely been worn away, discolored, or spotted. It would help if you inspected any spots on the skin or around coins and jewelry edges. If there is another visible type of metal or color underneath the gold, it could be gold plated with copper, silver, or brass.
Real gold does not react with oil.
It is not pure gold if your skin or any other part turns green or dark after wearing the item. While gold does not react to oils, silver, and copper can leave behind black or green marks. Some gold items made of gold, including mixed gold and other materials, can leave an impact on your skin.
Water Sinks real gold.
Pure gold is denser than other metals, so that a gold item can sink quickly to the bottom of a bathtub or bottle of water. Fake gold may float faster or fall slower than genuine gold. Phony gold can rust and tarnish if exposed to water. However, real gold can show discoloration if it is plated.
