How to differentiate between fake and real gold

In India, we are used to gifting and being gifted gold. Almost every family home has a locker filled with gold jewellery and knick-knacks, which were given to use as gifts or handed down to us from older family members. Have you ever come across an old necklace, and wondered whether it’s real or fake gold? We can never be sure unless we have bought the piece ourselves from a trusted jeweller. However, knowing these few facts will help you test the metal yourself and verify whether it is indeed gold.

Real gold is not magnetic: Pure gold has no magnetic properties, so it should not react when placed in proximity to a magnet. If your jewellery gets even mildly attracted to a magnet it is definitely not pure gold. It could be some sort of magnetic metal which has been quoted with gold (magnetic metals are often plated with gold to make jewellery) or a cheaper alloy that visually resembles gold.

Real gold will not tarnish when left exposed to air: Real gold jewellery when kept outside of a box or sealed packet may look dull and lack-lustre. But if you clean it, with just a plain cloth or brush, it should appear bright yellow again. Inspect your piece under a magnifying glass, if you see spots of discolouration even after cleaning it you are definitely not dealing with gold.

Real gold is soft & is easily dented: If you press a sharp object like a kitchen knife against gold jewellery is will easily leave a dent or mark. This test may damage your piece so be careful; do it only on a clasp or the end of a chain, not on the main part of the jewellery design. If the metal used in the jewellery is very hard and isn’t easily dented then you know you are dealing with fake or inferior quality gold.

If you are still unsure, take your jewellery to a trusted expert and have it verified. So that you never have such doubts, always buy certified gold jewellery from a reliable source, like KaratCraft.in – India’s leading online gold jewellery store.