Investors need to make sure that the gold they buy is genuine. Otherwise, this can be disastrous to their investment plans. The magnet test is the first way of determining the authenticity of the yellow metal.
Precious metals that are attracted to magnet are not real since these are non-ferrous. These can be gold, silver, platinum or palladium. It is not necessary to test magnetic items with acid. However, gold jewelries can have minute clasps or components which are magnetic. These are simply needed for more strength.
Another form of checking genuineness of gold is called the acid test. The first method is to apply the acidic substance directly on the jewelry. According to experts, phony pieces will sparkle and possibly burn plates and cause discoloration to the object. Gold that turns dark can have lower karats. It is possible to repeat the process using acid with lower concentration. If this remains clear similar to water without any reaction, the right amount of acid matches with the appropriate gold karat. Add a droplet of acid to the exposed portion if the item is not
The second technique is to scratch the item on the testing stone and put acid on the stone where the gold was scratched. Scrape deep through the plate. In case the scratched area of the stone did not change because of the acid, it matches the karat of acid which is possibly higher. The acid must resemble the drop of clear water on top of the scratched spot. The secret is to match the right acid to ascertain the proper Karat of gold.
Investors can purchase their testing kits and the test the items for free. This is a good way of finding out if the gold jewelries are really genuine.