How to Test Gold: Your Options Explained

how to test gold

Did you know that all of the gold discovered on earth so far could fit in a cube that’s 23 meters wide on each side?

Not only is it a truly precious metal, but it’s one of the best investments you can make. If you’d like to diversify your financial portfolio with gold bars, for instance, you might be worried about getting ripped off. The good news is that there are ways of protecting your investments.

Are you wondering what options you have at your disposal? Keep reading to learn all about how to test gold with this complete guide.

The Sinking Test

One of the oldest and easiest ways of testing before investing in gold involves a cup or bowl of water. If the “gold” floats in water, then it’s not real. Real gold should sink to the bottom due to its high density.

The downside to this test is that there are other types of high-density metals that aren’t gold but can still sink to the bottom of the water. This is why you should use this test in conjunction with one or two other tests.

Use a Loupe or a Magnifying Glass

Yet another way to determine if you have authentic gold on your hands or not is by employing a magnification tool. If you don’t have access to a magnifying glass, then you should invest in a loupe that you can wear around your neck or on a keychain.

One thing you can look out for when inspecting the goal is a purity hallmark. This will either tell you the number of karats or the millesimal fineness. Aside from this, you should also pay attention to any discolorations. Real gold is a soft yellow without too much shininess to it, while fake gold can have an abundance of shine and even a red tinge to it.

Since fake gold isn’t chemically inert, you could even discover one or more discolorations on fake gold investments, such as green oxidization.

The Scratch Test

If you want another method for testing your gold bullion, then you can use a piece of ceramic or porcelain to scratch the gold. It’s important to perform this test with as much caution as possible so that you don’t destroy your investment.

A little scratch can reveal its true colors. Black signifies fake gold, while golden yellow means it’s real.

Now You Know How to Test Gold?

Now that you’ve learned how to test gold with this complete guide, you can make much more informed decisions when buying it. The last thing you’d want is to pay thousands of dollars for something that has no real value.

If you’re serious about investing in gold, then you’ll be glad to know that we offer competitive discounts for people who’d like to buy their gold in bulk. You can always count on us to stock valuable precious metals, including gold, silver, platinum, and more.

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