Is your gold fake? These 5 tests will help you identify

Gold fraud are often ignored in India. In the past, there have been instances where a person was fooled  with fake gold and was lured to pay the original price for it. Gold fraud can be in many forms like not accurate karat, colored paint, less weight-age and invaluable. They can also be gold plated, heavy gold electroplate and gold filled. Last year, there were many reports on various gold fraud. For example, a Times of India report mentioned in October 2018, that a gang of nine people pledged 2 Kg fake gold ornaments with five different banks. Then there was PTI report in December 2018 end,  which revealed that, six Indians were arrested from Nepal’s Bhojpur district for fooling local villages with fake ornaments. 

Hence, there is a constant rise in fake golds, and at the end it is genuine customers who pay the price and are left with hefty losses. Thereby, as a citizen you can actually end this fake gold dilemma with little and common knowledge in how to identify forged jewelry, coins and other ornaments. 

Here’s how you can identify your real gold:

1. Nitric Acid Test:
 
This is among the most effective ways to understand the purity of gold. Here, what you can do is make a slight tiny scratch on gold, and pour a little drop of nitric acid. Note that if the gold is genuine there will be no reaction when nitric acid comes in contact. But, nitric acid gives reaction in case of the metal made in silver, copper and zinc. Hence, if there is a green coloured reaction, it means your gold is not pure and does involve other sort of metals. Before doing this test, take various precautions like gloves, goggles and proper ventilation.

2. Visit a reputed jeweller:

If you have bought gold from a small retail shop which does not have proper method of selling a gold. Then you can always take that gold to a reputed jewelry shop, as they have the medium to check accuracy of that yellow metal. However, this testing will require a little charge, which you pay to the renowned jeweler. 

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3. Water, Magnet testing:

Notably, genuine gold is very heavy. Hence, drop it in a jug of water, if the gold sinks that means it is a real one. Any gold or jewelry that floats, is not a real one. 

Secondly, you can use magnet to check whether your gold is fake or real. Note gold will never attract to a magnet. Generally any metal will attract and stick to a magnet when placed in front of it, but not gold. However, note even if your gold attracts to the magnet, it not necessarily means that they are fake, it can also point that the amount of gold is not substantial.
 
4. Hallmark:

Check whether your gold has the Indian prescribed hallmark. It should be somewhere behind a gold visible enough to read. They should be hallmarked by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).  The BIS Hallmarking Scheme has been aligned with International criteria on hallmarking (Vienna Convention 1972). As per this scheme, licence is granted to the jewellers by BIS under Hallmarking Scheme. 

5. Purity of Gold:

Purity of gold is denoted in karats – with 24 karat gold being 99.9% pure and 22 karat gold being 92% pure. Each karat of gold is equivalent to 4.2% pure gold, which means that 14 and 18 karat contains only 58.33% and 75% pure gold, respectively.

24 karat gold is not suited to make jewellery, which is why jewellers use either 14, 18 or 22 karat gold. Hence, before buying make sure this criteria is fulfilled. 

Thereby, if you have come across forged gold then above mentioned practices can help you identity the real ones. However, it is generally advisable to buy gold from reputed jewelers, that erases the amount of risk as it comes with guarantee. Purchasing gold jewellery from small stores could be a risk as they might pass of impure gold as pure gold or could sell stolen gold artefacts. 

According to GoodReturns.com, on April 01, the price of 22 karat gold in 100 grams was priced at Rs 3,11,100, while 10 gram at Rs 31,110, 8 gram at RS 24,888 and 1 gram at Rs 3,111. Meanwhile, 24 karat gold in 100 gram was available at Rs 3,26,500, 10 gram at Rs 32,650, 8 gram at Rs 26,120 and 1 gram at Rs 3,265.