How can I tell gold jewelry from costume jewelry?

Question

I was given a necklace (2nd hand), I just can't make out the stamp on the clasp to see what it says - Is there a way to tell if this is real gold, gold plating or costume jewelry?

Answer 1

The lack of a hallmark (10k, 14k, 18k etc.) is not indicative of whether your piece is gold or not. In the United States it is against the FTC's regulations for the jeweler to hallmark a piece of jewelry unless it is accompanied by a maker's mark. So, when I first began making jewelry and did not have a trademark of my own, I did not hallmark my jewelry. Now that I have a maker's mark, I hallmark my jewelry with the appropriate metal hallmark and my maker's mark.

A jeweler cannot just look at a piece and tell you for certain whether it is gold or not; the jeweler will do a test to determine it.

To be scientfically accurate a sample of the metal in question must be assayed in a testing laboratory, but the following two tests have been used for many years and often are sufficiently accurate for a craftsperson or the owner of the metal in question.

To answer "Is It Gold?":

With a small file, make a scratch in an inconspicuous spot. While wearing rubber gloves, use a wooden, glass or plastic stick to apply a drop of nitric acid to the filed spot. Observe the reaction. When done, rinse everything well in running water.

If there is no reaction, it's gold.
If there's a bright green reaction, it's base metal.
If there's green in the scratch, it's a gold layer over base metal (goldplate).
If there's a milky reaction in the scratch, it's a gold layer over silver.

To answer "What Karat Is It?"

Determining karat requires a testing kit containing nitric acid, aqua regia, samples of known karat, and a touchstone of slate or ceramic.

The gold object to be tested is rubbed on the stone ("touched") to leave a streak. A parallel line is made with one of the test pieces of known karat. Both marks are flooded with acid and the reaction are observed. When the sample colors at the same rate as the test streak, a match has been made. Nitric acid is used for low karat golds; aqua regia is needed for higher karats.

Please note: these tests are for your information only. They are not accurate enough to rely upon when representing a piece for sale. Most jewelers have testing kits to use when determining if something is gold or not and its approximate karat. It is probably easiest to take the item to a jeweler than to set up the testing kits yourself.

Answer 2

How To Tell Gold

Answer 3

DONT BITE IT OR BEND IT !! take it to a jeweler and ask them they wont charge you for it and if they try to go some place else they will clean it for free and check clasps and jewels(if it has any) and may be able to give you a estimate of value. and dont forget that costume jewelry has value also.

Answer 4

If it is really soft and bends easily, it's real. Costume jewelry tends to snap like plastic. Or you can just take it to any reputable jewelry store.

Answer 5

since it is yours i know this sounds really gross but they way you can tell is bite on it and if it bends that means it is real. Well that is what my Social Studies Teacher said. I have never tried it because ya.

Answer 6

gold jewerly has a cerial number usually.Costume jewelry is chunky and make fake matal noises. You can also take it to a jeweler and they can tell you for free, if you just show it to them.They can tell.

Answer 7

gold won't display stains.

Answer 8

if you bite it and it scrapes off then its not real gold

Answer 9

a magnet should help