Vintage or handmade costume jewelry pieces are not worthless, but when you want precious metals and stones, you don't want to be duped into thinking you have the real thing. You definitely don't want to pay real jewelry prices for fakes, either. On the other hand, you might have received a box full of jewelry from an aunt or grandmother who passed and want to know which pieces are real. These tips will help you spot costume or fake jewelry from the real thing.
How to Test Your Jewelry
Inspect for Markings
First, you'll want to see if there are any markings on the jewelry. This is important because many metals from silver-plated to sterling silver or palladium look the same to an untrained eye. Most of the time, jewelry will have markings …show more content…
If a piece is gold-plated, the gold can wear and show the true metal underneath. Also, if you're wearing a ring that turns your finger green or causes a weird reaction, it's likely that the metal isn't real gold or silver.
Slip the ring, bracelet, or necklace under a bright light. A plated piece of jewelry will have visible tint in areas where it's been worn. Fake metals that are meant to mimic silver or white gold will have a plating of rhodium over them. This is what makes them shiny and white, but when viewed under a light, the worn areas will look yellow.
Magnet or Ceramic Test
When testing gold to see if it's real, you can use a strong magnet to see if your gold is as pure as advertised. When an item is gold-plated, there's metal underneath, which will cause the magnet to stick. Gold will not stick to the magnet. However, this isn't always accurate because the jewelry could be made of a metal that doesn't stick to magnets. All jewelry that sticks to the magnet is not gold.
For a ceramic test, you'll need to have an unglazed ceramic plate. Drag a part of the jewelry across the ceramic. If it leaves a black mark across the surface, it's not make of gold. A real gold piece of jewelry will show a gold streak.
Bleach or Nitric Acid
How to Test Your Jewelry
Inspect for Markings
First, you'll want to see if there are any markings on the jewelry. This is important because many metals from silver-plated to sterling silver or palladium look the same to an untrained eye. Most of the time, jewelry will have markings …show more content…
If a piece is gold-plated, the gold can wear and show the true metal underneath. Also, if you're wearing a ring that turns your finger green or causes a weird reaction, it's likely that the metal isn't real gold or silver.
Slip the ring, bracelet, or necklace under a bright light. A plated piece of jewelry will have visible tint in areas where it's been worn. Fake metals that are meant to mimic silver or white gold will have a plating of rhodium over them. This is what makes them shiny and white, but when viewed under a light, the worn areas will look yellow.
Magnet or Ceramic Test
When testing gold to see if it's real, you can use a strong magnet to see if your gold is as pure as advertised. When an item is gold-plated, there's metal underneath, which will cause the magnet to stick. Gold will not stick to the magnet. However, this isn't always accurate because the jewelry could be made of a metal that doesn't stick to magnets. All jewelry that sticks to the magnet is not gold.
For a ceramic test, you'll need to have an unglazed ceramic plate. Drag a part of the jewelry across the ceramic. If it leaves a black mark across the surface, it's not make of gold. A real gold piece of jewelry will show a gold streak.
Bleach or Nitric Acid