answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

The lack of a hallmark (10k, 14k, 18k etc.) is not indicative of whether your piece is gold or not. In the United States it is against the FTC's regulations for the jeweler to hallmark a piece of jewelry unless it is accompanied by a maker's mark. So, when I first began making jewelry and did not have a trademark of my own, I did not hallmark my jewelry. Now that I have a maker's mark, I hallmark my jewelry with the appropriate metal hallmark and my maker's mark.

A jeweler cannot just look at a piece and tell you for certain whether it is gold or not; the jeweler will do a test to determine it.

To be scientfically accurate a sample of the metal in question must be assayed in a testing laboratory, but the following two tests have been used for many years and often are sufficiently accurate for a craftsperson or the owner of the metal in question.

To answer "Is It Gold?":

With a small file, make a scratch in an inconspicuous spot. While wearing rubber gloves, use a wooden, glass or plastic stick to apply a drop of nitric acid to the filed spot. Observe the reaction. When done, rinse everything well in running water.

If there is no reaction, it's gold.

If there's a bright green reaction, it's base metal.

If there's green in the scratch, it's a gold layer over base metal (goldplate).

If there's a milky reaction in the scratch, it's a gold layer over silver.

To answer "What Karat Is It?"

Determining karat requires a testing kit containing nitric acid, aqua regia, samples of known karat, and a touchstone of slate or ceramic.

The gold object to be tested is rubbed on the stone ("touched") to leave a streak. A parallel line is made with one of the test pieces of known karat. Both marks are flooded with acid and the reaction are observed. When the sample colors at the same rate as the test streak, a match has been made. Nitric acid is used for low karat golds; aqua regia is needed for higher karats.

Please note: these tests are for your information only. They are not accurate enough to rely upon when representing a piece for sale. Most jewelers have testing kits to use when determining if something is gold or not and its approximate karat. It is probably easiest to take the item to a jeweler than to set up the testing kits yourself. ID1153905360

User Avatar

Wiki User

15y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar
More answers
User Avatar

Wiki User

13y ago

You bring it to a jewlrey store and see how much you can get for it. Under $20=fake. +$100=real.

This answer is:
User Avatar

User Avatar

Wiki User

12y ago

Drop it on your foot. It the gold is imaginary, you will experience no pain. or bite it, if it is hard enough its real gold!

This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: How can you make sure gold is real?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Related questions

How do you make real gold?

There's no way to "make" real gold. It has to be mined and processed naturally.


What does 585JPK stamped inside a ring mean?

It means it is 14 karat gold by purity.It still needs to be tested to make sure its real gold.


Is it real gold or silver?

It could be real gold or real sliver but if you are really un sure if it is rel or not you can do an acd tes


If it is marked 14k and 925 does this mean it is real gold and real silver?

Yes It does For sure!


How can you be sure the gold bracelets are authentic?

To be sure gold bracelets are authentic, take your jewelry to a jeweler or gold-purchasing service. Either place should be willing to tell you if your gold is real or not.


Is real gold worth more than just gold filled gold with copper or brass inside?

I'm pretty sure real gold is worth more then gold stuffed with lesser valued things.


How do I tell my chain that's marked with CW is silver or gold looks gold but don't see 925 or 14k only CW?

One way to make sure your gold or silver jewelry is real is to place it in a bowl of water. If the jewelry sinks, it is real. If it floats, it is most likely fake. Real silver and gold will not react when placed near a magnet.


Where can you find real pure gold?

South Dakota, for sure. www.blackhillsgold.com


What kind of earrings work best for sensitive ears?

Look for anything that is "Hypoallergenic". Gold is usually a good bet, but make sure it is real gold and not gold "clad" or "coated". Clad or coating will wear off and then you're in trouble.


Is a gold chain marked Bolivia real?

It means it's 14 karat Italian gold. It should be real, but if you wanna be 100% sure take it to a jeweller and they will be able to tell you.


Where would you look to find cheap gold?

Buying cheap gold means getting a really small piece. You also want to make sure it is real. Your local pawn shop should have gold from every size for almost anyone's budget.


What do the letters BBB stand for on 14k gold jewely?

BBB (Better Business Bureau) it's like the FDA approval for Real Gold , they basically authenticate to make sure your jewelry is real .