What tests are there to show gold from fool's gold?

Answer 1

This Test Is One Of The Most Accurate Tests For Gold This test is by far my favorite but not very well known at all. It was discovered over 100 years ago in New Zealand and has been used since by gold prospectors all over the world.

This method of testing gold will definitely gain fame in the coming years with the price of gold rising and the need for everyday people like you and me to have safe, accurate, inexpensive ways to test our gold. I've already seen consumer gold testers using the same principals as this test for around 50 bucks as a "gold verification pen" or "goldvp" where just by writing on the gold with the pen will tell if the gold is real and the quality (karat) of the gold.

Find something that you would like to test for gold content

1. • Place in a glass or plastic jar that has a cap.
   • Pour into the jar the same volume of alcoholic solution of iodine (tincture of iodine, of chemists) as the metal your testing
   • Shake solution and test metal for 30 seconds

Take A piece of Swedish filter-paper

1. • Saturate the filter paper with the clear supernatant liquid.

Burn filter paper to an ash

1. • Notice the ash will be colored purple.

Drip 4 drops of bromine-a on the ash

• If the ash turns white this is a clear indication of genuine gold.

The time occupied by the whole process is a few minutes.

the simplest test to tell gold from fools gold is to strike it with a hammer: gold will simply flatten, fools gold will shatter.

another test to tell gold from fools gold is to put a drop of nitric acid on the sample: gold will not react, fools gold gives off hydrogen sulfide which smells like rotten eggs.

Answer 2

One commonly used test to differentiate gold from fool's gold (iron pyrite) is the streak test. Gold leaves a yellow streak when scratched on a ceramic plate, while fool's gold leaves a greenish-black streak. Other tests include specific gravity testing, where gold is heavier than most minerals and will sink in a water and sediment slurry, while fool's gold will float. Additionally, acid testing can be used, as gold does not react with nitric acid, while fool's gold does.