If it's real gold, your teeth will form small dents in the metal. Fake gold won't dent at all on a bite test! Now, before you chip a tooth, remember that gold is a soft metal so there's no need to bite down very hard.
Pure gold is very soft and not suitable for everyday wear. It is the most malleable and ductile of all elements, so it is easily bent, scratched, and reshaped.
Gold is a relatively soft metal, and consequently gold coins that are made of pure gold or a high percentage of gold, can be relatively soft and malleable. Therefore, biting the coin would leave a mark or an indent if it was real gold.
Pure gold is much too soft to be worn as jewelry on a daily basis, it's very soft for a metal and easy to bend, scratch, or ding. A pure gold, or even 22K, simple band could easily be bent with a strong hand and applied pressure.
Fake gold comprises either totally or partially from the stated composition of gold. This will lead to breaking, bending and scratching of gold jewelry products which should be strong enough to resist stress.
Although it is very strong, gold is the most malleable of all metals. Pure gold is too soft to withstand the stresses of everyday wear, so it is combined with different alloys to give it strength and durability. These alloys include metals like silver, copper, nickel, and zinc.
Float Test
It is one of the easiest ways of checking gold purity at home. If you put the gold jewellery in a bucket of water and it sinks, then it is made of pure gold. Pure gold is dense and therefore does not float while other metals would float or hover over water.
Gold is a particularly non-reactive element and is not absorbed during the digestion process, so it is safe to eat. However, there are no nutritional or health benefits associated with its consumption.
Test your gold against liquid foundation makeup.
Coat the top of your hand with a thin layer of liquid foundation. Wait until the foundation is dry. Press your metal item against the foundation and rub. Authentic pure gold will leave a line in the makeup.
What to do: Hold the magnet up to the gold. If it's real gold it will not stick to the magnet. (Fun fact: Real gold is not magnetic.) Fake gold, on the other hand, will stick to the magnet.
Real gold sinks in water
Because pure gold is denser than other metals, a gold item will sink quickly and directly to the bottom of a tub or bottle of water. Fake gold can float or fall more slowly. Real gold also won't rust or tarnish when exposed to water, while gold plated items can show discoloration.
Gold is a very soft metal and bends easily. That's why, on its own, pure gold is not ideal for jewellery items. Imagine your gold ring bending out of shape whenever you wear it.
Gold naturally scratches, and bends over time. However, compared to 18K gold, 14K wears more slowly and is more resistant to scratching, bending, and scuffing.
Edible Gold leaf sheets, or loose-leaf gold sheets, as they are often referred to in cake and pastry are real gold used for decorative applications and completely edible. The sheets are made out of 24 carat gold, real gold with a minor amount of naturally occurring silver.
Gold is thought to have a relaxing effect on blood vessels, allowing blood to flow more freely. This boost in circulation regulates oxygen within the body, aiding in healing. Gold is said to aid in body temperature regulation. A stable temperature improves a person's immune system.
Theoretically, you could eat your fill of 24-karat gold without falling ill. Pure gold is chemically inert and passes through the human digestive system without being absorbed into the body.
If your gold piece turns black or green when the vinegar is on it, or if it starts to smoke or fizzle at all when the vinegar touches it, it is most likely not real gold. If your gold piece does not change colors and does not fizzle or react to the vinegar in any way, it is probably real.
Goldmeter - real gold detector on the App Store.
In their pure forms, gold and silver happen to be very soft metals—soft enough that you should be able to mark them with your teeth. According to the Mohs hardness scale—which relates pairs of materials according to which one will scratch the other first—gold scores a 2.5 and silver, which is harder, a 2.7.
The whole point of gold is its shine. While it does not tarnish like silver, gold will over time develop a dingy, oily film from lotions, powders, soaps and the oils from your skin. And gold that has been alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver or nickel, can tarnish and smudge.
Step 4: Feel By Weight
Fake gold feels lighter than real gold and that is because gold is heavier than almost all other metals. This is not the most reliable test, but if the gold item feels practically weightless then that is one indication that the item is fake.
Gold is a soft metal: while gold has a shine and a luster all its own, it's also a soft metal. This makes is susceptible to dings, scratches, and dents.
Gold, silver, steel, copper and aluminum all have high malleability, i.e., they are easily bent. This means they can be formed or shaped in just about any way imaginable, and they can also be pounded into thin sheets for industrial use.