We have received your message. If you indicated that you would like to make an appointment, we will reach out to you shortly.
When you sell gold to us, we will explain every step of the process to help you understand how selling gold works. With your XRF Precious metals Analyzer, we can test your gold to know exactly what purity your gold contains. This helps us assess your gold to give you the most when you sell.
If you have some gold to sell, you may first need to verify that your gold is actually worth something. While regular gold investors may already own equipment for testing, the average person will probably need to try other options. You may be wondering how to test if your gold is real without the use of fancy equipment. Luckily, you can test your gold for authenticity right at home with things you probably already have laying around!
Home Tests to See if Your Gold is Real
We always recommend getting your gold tested by a professional. However, if you want to make sure the trip to the gold buyer will be worth it, you can do these preliminary tests to check for authenticity. Use these tests with caution. Some of these may cause damage to your items if you aren’t careful.
Gold Hallmarks and Letter Marks
The easiest way to test your gold for authenticity is to check for markings and stamps on the gold. Authentic pieces are usually stamped with letters, numbers, or other markings that give basic information about the gold piece. There is usually a hallmark that will indicate what kind of gold you have. You can find these by looking for 10k for 10 karat, 14k for 14 karat, etc. There may also be letters that indicate if your gold is filled plated, or electroplate. GF means gold filled, GP means gold plated, and GEP means gold electroplate. However, even if your gold plating is real, it doesn’t always mean that there is enough gold to be considered true gold.
Test if Your Gold is Real With Vinegar
You can test to see if your gold is real by putting a little bit of vinegar onto it. Put your piece of gold on a flat surface or hold it in your hand. Carefully pour some vinegar onto the gold, or use a dropper to put a few drops onto it. If the gold changes color, then it is not pure gold. However, if the gold remains the same, or stays shining, then the gold is real. You can also put some vinegar into a glass and let the gold soak in the glass for 5-8 minutes. If the gold changes color (even slightly) after rinsing it, then it is not real gold.
The Makeup Test
You can test to find out if gold is real or not with just a little bit of liquid foundation. Although this method isn’t 100% reliable, it’s an easy way to test in a pinch. Take a small amount of liquid foundation and blend it into your hand. Set with powder, and after it’s dried down, rub your gold on the area. If the area turns black, it’s more than likely real gold. However, if you rub gold on clean, dry skin that’s free from lotions, makeup, and oils, there should be no residue left from the gold after rubbing. If a black or greenish mark appears on clean skin, it may not be real. Test your gold on both clean, dry skin and skin with the liquid foundation to see if there is any difference.
Real Gold Won’t Stick to a Magnet
Another very simple test you can do is to use a strong magnet against your gold. Real gold is not magnetic, and therefore, should not stick.
Ready to sell? Contact us today!
Always talk to your CPA or Financial Advisor before making investments.
If you are just getting started in investing in precious metals, you may be wondering which items we buy put the most money back in your pocket. While the market is always changing, there are items that guarantee to get some money in your pocket every time. Some of these things you may even have laying around your house waiting for you to cash them in.
Items We Buy
We buy gold, silver, platinum, coins, bullion, and diamonds. However, our main focus, and what will give you the biggest return on investment is gold and silver. We buy items in all conditions and in nearly every form including jewelry, coins, flatware, dishware, dental gold, bullion, PCGS & NGC coins, bars, and more.
What Items We Buy Gets You the Most Back
It may be surprising, but the items we buy that guarantee you get the most are items that you might already have at home. Jewelry, flatware, silverware, and other common household items are often worth some money if they’re made from real gold or silver. So, if you have some fancy silver dishes that your great-great aunt left you when she passed, you may want to get them appraised.
Another place you can often find these types of items for little to no cost to you is at estate sales and yard sales. Many times people just want to get rid of their things without either knowing or caring how much their items are worth.
What to Know Before You Sell
The most important thing to know before we buy your items is: DO NOT CLEAN OR POLISH YOUR ITEMS. Your items will actually decrease in value if you polish, buff, or clean them. Please leave items untouched. If they are dirty, antique, or broken, that is perfectly okay!
This article gives a good overview as to why you especially shouldn’t clean coins before having them appraised.
Always talk to your CPA or Financial Advisor before making investments.
Items We Don’t Accept
We do not buy gold or silver plated items, and we also do not buy items that we cannot guarantee their authenticity.
Have some items you’re ready to sell? Contact Us today to get some cash in your pocket.
Is that old silver dish your grandmother gave to you actually a hidden treasure? Did you stumble across a gold coin that you think might be worth something? It’s all a possibility! You can test the worth of those metals at home to see if they are actually a goldmine or not (pun intended). You can perform these tests before deciding to bring them to us to have them appraised.
How to Test the Worth of Silver at Home
Look for Authentication Hallmarks
Authentication hallmarks are a stamp on the metal from the manufacturer. These stamps give you information like the purity of the silver, the manufacturer, and the date the silver was manufactured. Common hallmarks are 925 (sterling silver), 900, or 800.
Magnet Test
Real gold and silver are not magnetic. You can use a magnet to see if it is drawn to your items. If your items stick to the magnet, they are not real silver or gold.
The Ice Worth Test
Real sterling silver will melt ice exceptionally fast. Even when silver is at room temperature, it has high thermal conductivity. Place the supposed silver on the ice (or vice versa), and set another piece of ice by itself as a control. If the piece with the silver melts much faster, it is probably real silver.
How to Test the Worth of Gold at Home
Acid Tests
You can buy home acid tests that consist of rubbing your gold on a test stone, and then dropping different acids on it. The acids come in correspondence with different gold karats. To test your gold, you drop the acid of the karat you think it is onto the gold. If it stays the same color, it is that karat. However, if it turns brown, it is a lower karat. If it disappears, it is not real gold.
Skey Tests
If you’d like a test that’s safer and still relatively cheap, you can also get a skey test from different online retailers. To perform this test, you place the gold on the testing plate, and touch the probing pen to the gold. Then, the device will instantly give you a reading of what karat your gold is! You can get a testing device on Amazon for $325.
Ready to Bring in Your Gold and Silver?
If you’ve already performed a test to see if your gold and silver are worth anything, or if you want to leave it to the experts, we are here and ready to help! Contact us today to have your precious metals appraised.
(Always talk to your CPA or Financial Advisor before making investments.)
