Tag Archive for: gold test

How to Test If Your Gold Is Real at Home

How to Test Your Gold at Home

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.

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How to Test the Worth of Your Silver and Gold

Test the Worth of Your Silver and Gold

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.

 

gold worth test

 

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.)

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