How to check if gold is real or fake! We try DIY gold tests at home.
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 มิ.ย. 2024
- In this video we're testing a bunch of the at-home gold testing methods we've seen online to see if any of them actually work. Some of the results were pretty surprising. Remember that if you ever need jewelry appraised (or if you want to sell your jewelry), you can contact us anytime.
Product Links
Rare Earth Magnets: amzn.to/3JzEvma
Touchstone Acid Test Kit: amzn.to/3MQYfTX
Electronic Gold Tester: amzn.to/3NwphAJ
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:20 Visual Inspection
02:20 Magnet
03:37 Bleach
05:23 Liquid Foundation
06:03 Lemon Juice
07:01 White Vinegar
07:41 Baking Soda
08:33 Toothpaste
09:15 Touchstone & Acids
10:58 Electronic Tester
Music courtesy of: FreePD.com and the TH-cam audio library
Arden Jewelers
2800 Arden Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
www.MyGemologist.com
(916) 481-8006 - บันเทิง
Fun and informative Great job Arden Jewelers and Angelo
Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Just love this video so much information out there but not all of it clear or right.
Thanks for making it easy to understand.
So glad that you loved the video!
Good helpful video. Thanks for putting this out there.
Thanks for the kind words, and you're welcome! I'm glad the video was helpful to you.
Hi Angelo, enjoyed your video. You were very entertaining and I learned something too. By the way, I did purchase the gold tester upon your suggestion. Love it, thank you. Have a blessed day and the beard is new, like it! Joanne
Thanks for the kind words! I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, and I hope the gold tester works out well for you. If you ever need help identifying a tricky piece, you can always stop by the shop. :)
Thank you again
Thank you so much for responding so quickly. Love in content you share
Of course! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos. :)
I just used the liquid foundation test and it worked perfectly. I used known gold rings and rings that we knew were not gold.
Very nice! Well done, and thanks for sharing your experience. :)
Real gold turned green on the dried foundation and fake n color change on my skin
@@sal.....7917 Very interesting! Thanks for sharing your results.
Thanks for bring good content about jewelry to us. How did you get all this knowledge?
I'm glad the video was helpful to you. I've been in the jewelry industry for the past few decades, and I've picked up a few things along the way. :)
Being observant I would assume 🎉
Fantastic video! You definately make learning fun!
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. :)
Loved the video. Gonna try a few and see what happens. Have some jewelry from relatives and some I bought for crafting. Never know what I'll find.
Absolutely! I would start with the magnet test (it's so easy and cheap) and then go from there.
Thank you
Of course! I'm glad the video was helpful to you.
“You’re done”
I had a roommate that bought a gold chain from a guy on the street. I told him that it was fake and he didn't believe me. I put it in a glass of bleach and the chain fizzed up just like the bird cage. It turned green the next day but he still didn't believe it was fake. We took it to the pawnshop and they literally laughed in his face. 😂 I'm taking gut busting, red faced, doubled over laughter like they were at a comedy show.
Oh man, that's rough. :) I'm glad to hear that the bleach test worked for you at least. I would be careful leaving anything in there too long though. Even real gold will suffer if left in bleach for more than an hour or so.
For the electronic tester do you need a collaboration disc and if so where can you get it from the disc.
Great question. Yes, the electronic tester needs to be calibrated pretty much daily to provide accurate readings. We use an 18k yellow gold wedding band that we keep next to the tester. I have seen special calibration discs before, but we haven't had any need for them, so I couldn't recommend a good one. If you would like a band of your own, we can definitely help you find one. ;)
Great video however with the foundation test you didn't say if it leaves a black mark doesn't mean it's fake gold or real gold? Or maybe I just didn't hear you say that. Thanks again
Good question. That definitely could have been clearer in the video. If the test is working, real gold should leave a dark mark in the foundation, but fake gold will not. Of course, it isn't foolproof, but it did work pretty well with our test pieces.
Does the color changing when rubbed on liquid foundation mean it’s real or not ?
If the foundation changes color (gets darker) that's an indication that the piece is genuine gold. I know that definitely could have been more clearly explained in the video.
Hi, I was inspired to try some of these tests, and I just wanted to say that unless real gold comes out of jewelry findings from Jo-ann's and Michael's, the makeup test does not work to test if something is gold. I tested several items I thought might be gold and they all left a strong dark streak in the dry liquid makeup on my skin after rubbing just 15-30 seconds, but I also tested some very not gold items: cheap goldtone connectors, earring wires, beads, etc from craft stores that I bought myself and they also left a dark streak. Quite sad but I saw so many comments below with people convinced this works, I had to comment myself. I have not tried other methods yet.
Thanks for commenting. It's really helpful to hear about your experience. With this kind of test, I imagine that there are a lot of variables that can throw it off (type of foundation, quality of gold, etc.). If you need to be sure, your best bet is to have the pieces tested by a local gemologist.
What happens if the foundation gets darker?
Good question. If the foundation gets darker when you rub the metal against it, that is an indication that the piece is real gold. :)
To do toothpaste correctly you put toothpaste on the piece of jewelry and rub it on a white cloth, if it makes a mark it’s real gold. Works 100% thx for your videos 😊
Thanks for the tip! That makes a lot more sense than the way we were trying to do it. :)
What kind of tooth paste
Thank you sweetheart cause I ain’t gone hold you, I wasn’t tryna do all that……….
The toothpaste serves to polish gold. Real or fake.
@fdshibley2805 All toothpastes are the same thing. Nothing really changes, only the taste pretty much
Thank you! Q. Any idea what a 1s is on the back of gold earrings means?
Good question. Without seeing earrings, it's difficult to say. That said, it's most likely a manufacturer's mark of some kind indicating who made them.
So if the mark stamp says 18k, how do you know is not just 14k instead?
That's a great question. Most of the at-home tests we tried in this video are only about to give you an indication of whether the piece is gold or not. If you need to know the exact purity (14k vs 18k), you will want to user the more professional tests we talk about at the end (the electronic gold tester or the testing acids). Of course, you can also bring it in to our shop, and we can let you know. :)
Looking for clarification. You didn't say whether the real gold turns liquid foundation darker or fake gold. Please advise thank you.
Thanks for commenting, yeah, that definitely could have been a bit clearer in the video. The real gold should discolor the foundation. The fake gold should not.
I believe the real gold is the one that leaves the black streak. It was the 14k ring he used first that left the mark, and the fake piece that left no mark at all. You can Google the test gold with liquid foundation test and it will come up for. You. Hope my little bit of info helps you.
My fake and genuine gold fell off of 3 magnets but I don't really know if it's because the magnets are old.
I have an antique hand mirror that I suspect to have gold holding in the glass. Should I just go see someone with the metal detecting gun or try the scratch test, perhaps? There are no identification marks on it so I think knowing the base metal of that part is important.
That's a good question. Your best bet would probably be to bring something like that in to a gemologist to test. Since the potential gold is surrounded by other metal, it will be tricky to use most of the tests in this video. The electronic gold tester would be the easiest and best option.
Can i use the gold acid test on maybw fake fold flakes inbought from paydirt?
Good question. As long as you can scratch enough of the material on the touchstone to create a solid, easily visible line, the acid test should work. Testing flakes it always tricky, but using the acid test is not a bad way to go about it.
LOVETHEVIDEO
Thank you! I'm so glad to hear that.
Sorry to correct some information I've seen countless times that is improperly provided to viewing audiences.
Gold alloys ARE magnetic, this includes 18k, 16k, 14k, 12k, 10k and 8k and all the percentages of gold alloys in between ALL DEPENDANT on the size of the item, the strength of the magnet and the base metal used to achieve the percentage or karat that the item is.
😅
But your video was genuinely entertaining and informative. Thank you!😊
While they can technically be slightly magnetic, you won't see any gold alloy jump to a magnet, or stick to it strong enough to pick the item up which is what we were implying here that being said yes, gold alloys can be slightly magnetic on occasion so that could have been stated clearer. I appreciate the compliment thank you!
I heard that if 14k gold is paired with iron or nickel instead of copper or aluminum then the magnet trick won't work to determine whether or not it is true solid 14k gold. Is that true?
Interesting question, thanks for asking. Gold usually isn't alloyed with iron, and nickel isn't magnetic either. Most white gold is alloyed with nickel and isn't magnetic. In our experience, there are a few rare, genuine alloys that are magnetic (typically ones that use cobalt), but for the most part, if it sticks to a magnet, it's not gold.
Can you please review the "Sigma Metalytics" tester?
Thanks for the suggestion. We don't currently have access to one of their testers, but we'll definitely keep it in mind for future videos.
I left mine in vinegar and 1 piece in bleach
Can back after 8 hour shift and nothing happened on either. Should I be worried ?
Good question. We didn't see any reaction from vinegar on real or fake jewelry, but we did see the bleach react strongly with the fake jewelry. The fact that you didn't see a reaction is a good sign that your jewelry is real gold. That said, as we mentioned in the video, it's not a great idea to leave even real gold in bleach for a long period since it can affect the alloys in the metal.
And how can I tell if my piece isn't just brass? This is what tricks me. Brass isn't magnetic and I don't know if any of the other tests would appear different on brass the same as with gold. What do you recommend I do.
Good question! Typically, the easiest test for brass is the visual inspection. It looks a bit different than yellow gold if you have seen a lot of it. That said, if you need something more definitive, the electronic tester or the acids are the best. Either one should have no trouble detecting brass. Of course, if you're in the Sacramento, CA area we would be happy to test your piece for free. We do that kind of thing all the time.
@ArdenJewelers The liquid foundation test works! I just tried it on known gold rings and on cheap gold-colored rings. Would brass or any other metal turn dark or just the gold? Thanks
@@jennifermeegan148 The generally idea is that only gold will turn dark. That said, we don't have extensive experience with this particular test, and I'm sure there are metals that will give false positives. If you need to be very sure of what you have, I would recommend taking it in to a local gemologist to test.
Thank you for sharing! Will the device read 24k?
You're welcome! Yes, the electronic gold tester should have no trouble reading 24k gold. Just make sure you're testing the actual metal and not a thin plating on top.
Where can we buy this tester?
@@joeltimajo7979 a lot of places, Amazon eBay etc. it is a Key Gold Analyzer. Here's the Amazon link for it from the video description: amzn.to/3NwphAJ
Great video! I ask though, why is there is tree growing out of your garbage can? 🤭
Haha, after Oscar the Grouch moved out we had to do something with the can. Reduce, reuse, recycle! :)
pawnshop tells me its real and appraise a good value, but when I test it and scratch it like you did they did not accept it anymore due to dents and scratch.... now I dont have money to pay for the rent..
Lmao what kinda pawnshop you go to? Gold is gold if it's real I ain't ever seen a pawnshop not take gold ,shit some will take scraps ,they gone low ball tf out you of course but that's what they do
You R An Angel ! 🎉Angelic ! And a blast to watch on this video. Mother Eve luvs ❤️ U
Thank you so much! I'm glad the video was helpful to you. :)
Meaning if there is "no" reaction on white vinegar toothpaste ir any of those means its a fake?
Since we didn't see a reaction on either the fake piece or the real gold piece, those tests didn't work well for us. The idea is that you're supposed to see some kind of reaction when you test a piece of fake gold (and we didn't). Of course, your results could be different. This is just what we were seeing. Hopefully that helps.
Loved the info didn’t understand the foundation of it turns black is it real or if it doesn’t leave a mark is it real.
Great question. If the foundation turns darker it could be an indication that it is real. in this test the real ring turned the foundation darker, while the fake item did not.
Doesn't scratching the jewelry damage it.
Good question. Yes, it absolutely does. That's why when we test jewelry at our shop we start with non-destructive tests like the visual inspection, magnets, and electronic tester. Some pieces however have a thick plating, and you can only tell what the underlying metal is after scratching them. In this case, try to find an out of the way area to scratch that won't be too noticeable.
Ive got two necklaces I found. Both appear to be real gold as neither is magnetic at all. The bigger one appears to be a herringbone style but has some small black spots on the gold on one side. Could this be damage to the gold maybe from someone wearing it a lot in saltwater? Found about 30 minutes from the beach. I cleaned with dish soap and water, then I polished with a silver polishing cloth. Both made black marks on the cloth. I'm think it could be steriling silver with gold plate maybe?
Thanks.
They both shined up nicely despite the black marks on one of them. I dont see any obvious markings so I could be wrong.
Typically black spots indicate gold plating since the gold shouldn't be reacting with the salt water. Magnetism can only be used to rule out options, but can't prove that it is gold, some fakes are magnetic while others are not. I would recommend taking them in to a reputable local jeweler and see if they will test them for you. Hopefully they're real!
@@ArdenJewelers Thank you for the reply. I imagine it's like you said gold plate. I didn't know if there could of been a reaction to salt water or not. I have a very similar silver one that is sterling but it's slightly heavier. The black marks are fortunately only on one side of the necklace. My favorite is a cobra chain style with tiny gold beads. I used to have one years ago. It sparkled like crazy. I don't know how many Herringbone end up bent out of shape. They are so delicate.
Can't seem to find the Cobra style chains much anymore.
@@southerncatlady6680 Most of the cobra chains we see are gold filled, but we do occasionally see real ones very rarely.
tooth past i use it to clean them
Where can you buy the machine and how can you learn how to use them properly. Thanks again for the info
The link the the machine is in the description but I will copy it here as well. The machine needs to be a calibrated on a regular basis as well. We use a ring that is known 18k gold and calibrate it daily at minimum (sometimes more often if needed)
Oh yeah I had another question I remember a long time ago I did a test by taking the piece of jewelry and rubbing it on my forehead and leaving a black mark indicating it was real. Is that still effective? I think it has something to do with the iron in a person's body, so it is not the most reliable. Also I think it might have been for sterling silver if a black mark appears it means it's real sterling silver but I don't remember do you know anything about this? Again thanks for the video it was really great and you were super friendly and very thorough but not too thorough. Which I loved because I didn't have to fast forward.
The black mark on the forehead almost sounds like the liquid foundation test. Maybe that's what it was? I haven't heard of a test that works directly on the skin. I would definitely be skeptical of that. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, by the way. It always makes our day to read comments like this. :)
So 10k 14k and 18k have other metals in them. When mixed with a magnetic metal other than the percentage of gold that is in the 10 to 18K gold piece you will get a slightly magnetic charge no matter what if it has other magnetic metals into it
You're absolutely right about gold alloys. Where we really see this effect is with alloys of white gold (and platinum) that contain cobalt. In practice though, the vast majority of genuine gold alloys do not react at all to rare earth magnets. This makes the magnet test a very effective initial screening. :)
I thought the toothpaste test was to put some toothpaste on the item of question, wait a minute, then rub vigorously on a white cloth, and if it leaves a black smudge on the cloth it's real gold. It's not supposed to leave anything on the piece itself. Maybe the test I saw was different then the test you saw? I know the toothpaste test I saw and tried turned my white cloth black where I rubbed it( 10 quick vigorous rubs.) *Basic: The same as the foundation test. The same black streak.
Yes, I think you're right. That version of the toothpaste test seems to be more common and more effective than the one we saw. Maybe we'll have to do a follow up in the future. :)
So I tried the bleach trick it damaged the chain but not too badly
If you saw a noticeable reaction to the bleach in under an hour, the chain is probably not solid gold. As we mentioned in the video, the bleach can damage real gold as well if you leave it in long enough though, so be careful.
nice video
Thanks! I'm glad you liked it.
You didn't say what the dark material is that you are scratching the jewelry pieces on. Is that sandpaper?
Good question. That is called the "Touchstone" in the Touchstone and Acid test. It is a dark stone like slate that has a finely grained surface that the gold will leave a visible trace on when it's scratched. Most acid kits come with a suitable touchstone for you to use.
What is the K18 mark?
Hello, that's most likely an 18 karat quality stamp (indicating that the piece has approximately 75% gold content), but without seeing it in person, I couldn't say for sure. It could also be a maker's mark indicating which jeweler made the piece.
@@ArdenJewelers I found my good magnet, and it does attract to it. Do the Asians mix in steal in their gold jewelry?
That is the claim when I look up that mark. That its the Japanese version of 18K gold.
Its a fake, isn't it?
Japan gold
Is the water test on google a hoax to? Cause i didnt see it on this
Why not just check the density (weight / water displacement)?
Things heavier than gold cost more so it would make sense to counterfeit
Density is a great way to get an idea if an item is gold or not. The main problem with this method is that you have to be very accurate and most people don't have a way to measure volume accurately at home. If you have access to a graduated cylinder and an accurate scale (or a specific gravity set-up) that can be a strong indicator if the item is gold or not. In our experience we have seen many counterfeits made with high density but low cost materials like Tungsten which has a very similar density to gold and then gold plated on top.
The toothpaste I watched was different. She put toothpaste on the item and then rubbed the item with toothpaste on a white towel. REAL gold leaves a dark mark on the white towel.
Interesting! I haven't seen that technique before. We'll have to give it a try sometime. Thanks for sharing.
@ArdenJewelers ya.... I just tried the toothpaste on real gold. And it does work. But you must rub the test item with toothpaste on a cloth. If there is a dark spot, then it's gold. If not then it's fake. Also, I used the magnet from an guitar amp speaker. Ya.... that's strong enough.
@@jamesnash6101 Thanks for the confirmation! That's good to know. Haha, yeah, a guitar amp magnet should do the trick. :)
I seen the same one and other ones say that if it leaves a dark streak it is fake.so witch one is the correct one dark streak =real or dark streak =fake
What about a watch. I can’t put a watch in liquid
Good question. I wouldn't use any of the liquids we talked about on a watch (even if it's waterproof). Watches can be very tricky to test and different parts may be made out of different materials. I would recommend having a jewelry/watch expert help with that one if possible.
If something is marked GF and has the fraction, it’s not “fake”. It’s marked exactly what it is. It’s just not pure gold. I make this distinction because there is value in pieces that are not pure gold. Many antique items were gold filled and have a value all their own. Don’t just toss them out as “fakes”.
Very true. There is a lot of high quality, valuable gold filled jewelry out there! The purpose of this video is just to teach how to identify if a piece is made out of solid gold or not. But, you're absolutely right, fake isn't the most precise wording there. :)
@@ArdenJewelers excuse me
lol what’s 14kGL
@@petersalinas805 Without seeing the piece in person, we couldn't say for sure. That said, the "GL" is most likely a manufacturer's mark indicating which company or jeweler made the piece.
@@ArdenJewelers thanks for the feed back man
Stay blessed
The electronic gold tester is $325 so I'll need to find a way to test cheaply to sell a few items on ebay....even a $25 investment for the acid kit is painful 😣
I agree. In your case, your best bet is probably to ask for help from a local gemologist/jewelry buyer. If you bring us a handful of pieces that you are interested in selling, for example, we won't charge you to test them and let you know what's real and fake. Then, if you like our offer, you can save some time posting on eBay, if not, there's no obligation.
Bro are you playing runescape music in the background? 🤣🤣🤣
That's not Runescape music I play Runescape lol
@rslerch1113 I was certain it was a runescape song lmfao i used to play when I was younger and it had me feeling nostalgic
Toothpaste is a cleaner for silver
You can use toothpaste, however since toothpaste typically has an abrasive in you, you may leave micro scratches behind.
Bro the golden bracelet is from kgf aldorado
That's a crazy coincidence. In this particular case, the K is actually part of 12K and the GF stands for Gold Filled. You can be sure of this because the 1/20 part at the beginning of the stamp is another indicator of gold filled jewelry (it states that the metal contains about 5% gold).
The music is so much disturbing
YELLOW GOLD... @o@
The toothpaste does work but you have to use a cloth put the toothpaste on the cloth and rub the gold jewelry on it for about 30 seconds and you will see a black mark so it does work you just didn't do it the proper way
Thanks for sharing. Yes, we have heard that way works better than the method we tried it in the video. Thanks for the confirmation!
Yes my name is Larry B. and I have a money clip it looks like gold and I left it in white vinegar for 9 minutes and nothing has changed magnet won't push or pull is there anything else I can do thanks a bunch Larry do I put my email in the comment
Hi Larry, thanks for commenting. We didn't have great luck with the vinegar test, so I wouldn't put much stock in that. Your best bet is to bring it in to a local gemologist to test it. We do this kind of thing for free. If that's not an option, I would recommend using one of the professional testing methods we mentioned at the end of the video (touchstone and acids or electronic tester). Just make sure to be careful/safe if you decide to use the acids. :)
🙋🏼♀️ Question for who ever has a legitimate answer.
Why would someone say that gold has no reaction to all of the tests it went through?
Story: My parents had bought us kids jewelry from Mexico one year when they took my grandma to go visit. My brothers got a ring each and matching Jesus head charm for their necklace.
When 2 of my brothers passed my mom gave me their 4 pieces to pawn to help with funeral experiences.
The 2 jewelry shops I took them to said there was no reaction to any of the tests and 1 guy said that the stamp on the pieces just said Mexico, with both of my brother's initials, RS & GS, so he said they weren't worth anything.
The other jeweler offered me $300. for each of the rings and $425. for each of the charms.
Why would 1 say they were worthless and the other offered a decent amount. Even though my mom said they only paid like $150. USD For each piece.
Was I bamboozled or were the jewelers inexperienced?
It is possible that they weren't experienced. It is definitely possible that one of the jewelers knew for sure and the other made a mistake (I can't say without seeing the item in person which one was correct) It sounds like if they were purchased for $150 they likely wouldn't have offered more unless there was a long time period in between. the gold market typically goes up over time so if they were purchased when gold was much lower that would be a possibility.
@@ArdenJewelers Thank you for the response.
Yeah, they were purchased in the late 80's and I sold them back in 2017.
When you say « this one does not seem to be working », you are not being clear. I’m looking for « gold »or « not gold ». Those tell me.
Totally understandable, we were referring to the test itself not working. Since we were trying DIY tests not all of them are definitive. That could have been stated clearer though thanks for the feedback.
you're literally scratching or gouging the piece.😵💫
Yes, for some tests, that is required. Just to put your mind at ease, when we test jewelry for customers we always use non-destructive tests (like the magnet and electronic gold tester) first. If we can't get a definitive conclusion that way, we will always ask before we scratch a piece. :)
KGF🔥
Dude the music in the background is annoying af. Cut it from your next video. You don't need it.
That's not how you talk to someone about there video if you don't like it leave
I have no problem with it. It was done well enough.
Kolar gold field kfg
Bro your experimentation process is flawed if your going to use at home style testing show how each test reacts to all the fakes not remove one after proven fake you only tested 2 probably gold pieces on test styles that werent used on the fakes how can we accuratly choose a preference or trust what may be at hand at the moment if not fully tested make anothere video with each process on each object
I found a gold colored bracelet and it’s not magnetic. Does that mean it’s gold for sure?
Good question! The answer is: no. If a piece IS magnetic we can be pretty confident that it's NOT gold. But, if a piece IS NOT magnetic it could still be fake. We need to do more testing to be sure.