Second, gold is not the only non-magnetic metal. There are a few of problems with magnetic testing, however, which make it an unreliable method.įirst, a chain can be made of solid gold, but the gold alloy can also contain magnetic metals, which will make the piece magnetic even though it is not fake. If it is, then it means that it contains other metals. The logic behind magnet testing is that since gold is not magnetic, a gold chain should not be attracted to the magnet. Testing a gold chain with a magnet is a popular way to check if the piece is fake. When a gold-plated or gold-filled item is scratched, you should be able to see the metallic color of its non-gold core. Look closely and see if there are any spots where the gold plating has worn off and the underlying metal is visible. (By the way, this last point holds for any jewelry that is too cheap for its stated karat.)Īn even stronger indication that a gold chain may be fake is any sign of discoloration on it. So, if a gold chain has a color that is too close to that of 24-karat gold, this is your first indication that the piece might be plated.Īnd if the piece has a 24K mark but the price is too low for such a high purity, it is very likely that you’re dealing with a gold-plated or gold-filled piece. This is because gold-plated and gold-filled jewelry is often covered with 24-karat gold, which is too soft to be used to make an entire piece. Ironically, a chain whose color is as yellow as that of pure gold is unlikely to be made of it. Color and DiscolorationĬolor can also serve as a clue as to whether a chain is likely to be made of gold. Click here to take a look at a selection of such gold testing kits. The testing procedure is similar to the one described above. All you need to do is buy a gold testing kit and follow the instructions that come with it. Then the jeweler will apply nitric acid to the scratch mark and observe the chemical reaction to determine how much gold there is in the material.Īcid testing can also be performed at home.
You can take your gold chain to a jeweler for a test, who will take a small sample of the alloy the chain is made of by scratching the piece on a testing stone. Testing jewelry with nitric acid is one of the most reliable ways to find out how much gold it contains.
There are all kinds of jewelry vendors, and not all sell items that are properly marked.Ĭlick here to see a selection of women’s gold chains, as well as popular men’s gold chains. Note: Even if a gold chain is stamped with a karat number without any additional letters, this does not guarantee that the piece is solid gold.
Gold-plated and gold-filled chains are often marked with stamps such as GP, GEP, RGP, HGE, HGP, or GF.įor example, a chain with a marking “14K GP” is actually gold plated, and the karat number denotes the purity of the plating, not of the whole piece. In contrast to solid gold pieces, gold-plated and gold-filled chains usually have a few additional letters after the karat/purity mark. For example, a marking of 750 implies a gold karatage of 18K (750 x 0.024). To convert these numbers to karats, simply multiply them by 0.024.
J bubble letter chain code#
SALE: Get up to 40% OFF jewelry from Blue Nile - use code BLUENILE22!Įuropean gold markings are often expressed in terms of decimals.įor example, a stamp that reads 583 or 585 corresponds to a gold purity of 14 karats, which denotes a gold percentage of 58.3% (14 karats divided by the maximum possible 24 karats).
0 kommentar(er)
