Gold purity test: Purchasing or investing in precious metals like gold and silver is deemed auspicious on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, which for 2024, happens to be celebrated today on Tuesday, October 29.
However, its also important to test the purity of the metal before you buy. As a result, the following are some simple tests to check the purity of gold:
The skin test
For this, all you have to do is to hold the gold item in your hands for a few minutes such that your palm sweats as a result.
If the sweat reacts with the metal and changes the colour of your skin to green, blue, or black,, its not the real deal.
Real gold being termed as a ‘noble’ metal will never react to sweat and discolour your skin.
The hallmark test
There will usually be a hallmark engraving on a piece of gold used as identification of its content or its manufacturer.
The hallmark will use the Karat system like 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k, and 24k to show the purity of the gold, with 24k being the most pure.
The hallmark can also include numbers like 333, 375, 417, 583, 585, 625, 750, 833, 875, 916, 958, and 990. Anything other than these are not the real deal.
For silver, the numbers used can include 800, 950, or 925.
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The acid test
Apply a few drops of vinegar to the gold article.
If it is genuine, then there will be no reaction. If it turns to a different colour like black, then it is fake.
This is because vinegar contains acetic acid, but real gold won’t react to it unlike a lot of other metals.
The ceramic scratch test
Rub the gold item on an unglazed ceramic plate or a ceramic tile. If the gold is real, a golden mark or in some cases, even a trail will be left behind.
If it is fake, the trail or mark will be black in colour.
The magnet test
Gold is not magnetic and thus, if the article is genuine, it won’t get attracted to a magnet.
However, this method isn’t entirely foolproof as most gold jewellery items are made with a gold alloy which can include other metals as well, so it is better to test it in combination with other methods.
The water test
Gold is a dense metal and will never float on water or hover around on the bottom of the container. If it does either, then the article may not be of real gold.