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