A jeweler can identify gold with professional methods.
Gold's value varies, but its status as a precious metal is never in doubt. Gold's mystique across cultures and through centuries means that imitation gold pieces are common. Learn distinguish solid gold items from plated pieces, and recognize various grades of gold alloys.
Instructions
1. Look for an identifying stamp on a piece of jewelry. Use a magnifying glass and look near the clasp of a necklace or on the inside of a ring for a karat mark. A mark like 24K means that the item is nearly pure, solid gold. A mark of 10K, 14K or 18K indicates that the item is a solid alloy of gold and other metals.
2. Look for letters after the piece's karat mark. The letters EP or GF mean that the item is made of a base metal that is electroplated or otherwise coated with gold.
3. Scratch the item with a needle or a pin in an inconspicuous spot. If any gold flakes off, the piece is plated and is not solid gold.
4. Pierce the item with the needle or pin. If the tip breaks, the piece is not solid gold. Real gold is too malleable to snap off the head of a pin.
5. Test the item with a gold acid test kit. Rub the item against the kit's testing stone to create a streak. Place a drop of testing acid on the streak and observe as the streak reacts and dissolves. The speed at which it does so indicates the amount of gold in the piece.
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