How can you tell what type of gold?

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shopoholica

Member
Aug 5, 2014
174
4
#1
Hi Ladies,

I've recently inherited a bunch of old jewelry from my late grandmother, and there are a few gold pieces that have been worn down, so I can no longer see the inscriptions of the type of gold it is on the inside. I was wondering if there was a way to tell what type of gold a certain item is (ie 18k, 14k, 22k gold) just for my own knowledge. I do not think I will wear any of these heirlooms, for they are super delicate and worn down, but for my own sake of mind if I want to bring them to a jewelers to have the "refurbished" I would like to know as much as possible about the jewelry before entrusting them to someone else. Are there tests that can be performed? TIA!
 
#2
Pretty sure an acid test is going to be the only way to tell the purity if you already know it's really gold.

If you don't know that it's gold, try looking to see if plating has worn off or take a magnet to the metal.
 
#3
I had an old ring from my mom, its an old diamond with 14k gold...i noticed theres something akin to rust on the shank of the diamond..the part that holds the diamond. So i think its possible that you may have gold but the other metal ( like copper) mixed with the gold to make it hard could be exposed..maybe some gold could wear off in time...but it depends on the karat of the gold...i heard if you deep it in a bowl with vinegar, it shouldn't change color...just have it checked from the pawnshop..
 
#4
You can bring it in to a jewellers and they should be able to perform an acid test on the gold, like others have recommended, where they will remove a miniscule shaving of the gold and test it to see the karat. This is the only way you'll be able to tell for certain what karat gold your pieces are.

The magnet thing does not work with plated items. If the pieces are plated, they still won't be magnetic. Best trick to tell if they are plated is to take the jewellery in your hands and rub it, and then smell your hands. If it smells like metal, it is plated. I do this all the time at the jewellery store where I work and it works.

Also, if these pieces have worn down substantially, my bet would be that it's a higher karat gold like 18k since those normally wear down the easiest.
 
#6
Thank you for your advice. Will an acid test damage my jewelry? Is there any way I can perform an acid test on my own, or should I go to a jewelers for this to be done (and how do I know which jeweler will be trustworthy in this aspect)? I have tried the magnet test, and the rings are not attracted to a magnet.
 
#7
shopoholica said:
Thank you for your advice. Will an acid test damage my jewelry? Is there any way I can perform an acid test on my own, or should I go to a jewelers for this to be done (and how do I know which jeweler will be trustworthy in this aspect)? I have tried the magnet test, and the rings are not attracted to a magnet.
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An acid test shouldn't damage your jewellery. As far as I'm aware, there's no way you can do an acid test on your own. As for reputable jewellers, ask friends or family which jewellers they use or search on google to find good jewellers in your area.
 
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