A gold jewelry purchase is a large investment. No one wants to discover, weeks or months down the road, that what they thought was real gold jewelry actually turned out to be fake gold jewelry. Commonly known as “fool’s gold,” fake gold or pyrite shows up in many jewelry stores, often with a real gold price tag. Also, many items billed as real gold are actually gold plated or gold filled, not solid gold. Solid gold refers to an item made of any carat gold as long as the inside isn’t hollow. According to ABC News, anything less than 10 carats, or about 42 percent real gold, can't legally be sold as gold in the U.S.
Consumers should protect themselves by understanding how to tell the difference between real gold jewelry and fake gold jewelry before making a purchase. The following tips can be an effective guide.
However, even a jeweler cannot just look at a piece and tell for certain whether it is gold or not. In order to determine the true authenticity of piece of gold jewelry, special tests (using a variety of equipment including x-rays in some cases) must be done.
How to Recognize Real Gold Jewelry
- Most real gold jewelry is marked with its carat quality, although marking is not required by law and fake gold jewelry is so prevalent that markings often exist on fakes as well.
- Real gold is not magnetic; if a magnet is placed next to a piece of real gold, the item will not be pulled towards it.
- Real gold is somewhat soft so even slight pressure (like with a fingernail) will make a small indention in it. Sticking a piece of real gold jewelry with a pin will not break the pin.
- Real gold is heavy. If dropped into a cup of water, it should sink.
How to Recognize Fake Gold Jewelry
- Fake gold or pyrite is a compound of iron and sulfur and is magnetic. If a magnet is placed next to a piece of fake gold jewelry, the item will pull towards it.
- Any gold jewelry that causes discoloration of the skin is fake and likely gold plated.
- When rubbed with a jewelry-cleaning cloth, the gold color will come off if the item is fake gold jewelry.
- If the piece of jewelry is dropped in a cup of water and it floats, it is likely fake gold.
Is It Real Gold Jewelry or Fake Gold Jewelry? Purchase Carefully
According to the United States Federal Trade Commission, consumers should purchase gold jewelry carefully. They are encouraged to look for stores with quality-assurance programs that test for purity. Prior to buying, one should understand the refund and return policy of the store, and all sales documentation should be kept. The FTC further suggests that consumers ask the jeweler to write on the sales receipt any information relied upon to make the purchase.
Lastly, those shopping for gold jewelry should be sure to buy from a retailer they are familiar with one with a solid reputation. Be skeptical of any deal that seems “too good to be true.” For those who have already purchased a piece of jewelry and want to determine conclusively whether or not the piece is real, a gold testing kit can be purchased inexpensively online.
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Christine Scivicque - Chrissy has been a passionate student of personal development for over 15 years. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration ...
