Gold itself is generally not shiny, at least not reflectively. It is brilliant and golden, but its color does not vary in different light. While minerals like pyrite will virtually disappear when you take them out of direct sunlight, gold is easily visible whether it is in the sun or not.
The Shine Test
It's shiny, beautiful, and even glitters when exposed to direct light. But unlike real gold, it's not shiny when not in direct light. Real gold, on the other hand, gives off it's beautiful, soft shine whether or not it's exposed to light.
Real gold will still appear bright even with a shade over it. Real gold also has a smoothened surface and edges. As it tumbles through rivers, it hits rock and debris that makes it smooth and shiny.
It has a shiny surface that glistens as it is twisted in light, but it does not twinkle or sparkle. Fool's gold twinkles and sparkles in light, reflecting the light and creating a glittery effect in the pan. Real gold is bright yellow with a shiny, metallic surface.
SHINE: When you're viewing fool's gold with the natural eye, it will glisten, not shine. The edges will look sharp and it may separate in layers. Gold shines at any angle, not just when the “light is right”. HARDNESS: Get a piece of copper and try to scratch the copper with the gold.
No, gold does not react when exposed to sunlight. In other words, authentic gold jewelry will not tarnish or lose its golden shine. If your item starts to change color or lose its luster, it's probably counterfeit. Is gold magnetic?
The best way to tell if the gold you are purchasing is real is to look for a hallmark. This is a small stamp indicating the gold's karat weight. Different locations use different measurements. In the U.S., the hallmark number is a fraction of 24.
Gold is denser than most other metals. If you have a piece that looks too large for its weight or feels too light for its size, then you probably have fake gold.
The color of pure Gold is bright golden yellow, but the greater the silver content, the whiter its color is. Much of the gold mined is actually from gold ore rather then actual Gold specimens. The ore is often brown, iron-stained rock or massive white Quartz, and usually contains only minute traces of gold.
You can also fill a cup or glass with white vinegar, and drop your gold in it, let it soak for 5-8 minutes, take it out and rinse with water. If the metal has changed its color even slightly, then the gold is not pure but if it keeps shining, then the gold is pure.
In it's pure form, gold does not rust or tarnish as it does not combine with oxygen easily. This is why pure gold stays as shiny as it does. When it comes to gold jewelry, it is very rare to find pure gold jewelry pieces.
Remember, only pure gold is tarnish-free. Alloyed gold tarnishes when it comes into contact with oxygen and other chemicals. The reaction between the sulfur in the air and alloyed gold creates a thin, dark film on the surface of metal. Over time, this film can become thicker and more noticeable.
Gold is highly reflective
meaning it's supremely reflective. No rays of light are absorbed at all, they are simply reflected.
Acid test.
An acid test can reveal the karat of solid gold jewelry, but it can also show whether jewelry is solid gold or gold-plated. With an acid test, a small sample of the jewelry is removed and exposed to acid to induce a color change. The resulting colors indicate which type of metal the jewelry is made of.
The most common mineral mistaken for gold is pyrite. Chalcopyrite may also appear gold-like, and weathered mica can mimic gold as well. Compared to actual gold, these minerals will flake, powder, or crumble when poked with a metal point, whereas gold will gouge or indent like soft lead.
Pure gold (24K or 999) has a rich, nearly orange-yellow colour, however gold rarely occurs in nature in pure form. It generally grows as a crystal structure including other elements, like silver or copper.
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.
24 carat is pure gold with no other metals. Lower caratages contain less gold; 18 carat gold contains 75 per cent gold and 25 per cent other metals, often copper or silver. The minimum caratage for an item to be called gold varies by country.
Heat your gold jewelry with the lighter.
Watch it closely for any changes in color. Fake gold will get darker, while pure gold will do the opposite: it will get brighter the hotter it gets. The brighter your jewelry gets, you can rest assured you have real gold.
That's why 75% of pure gold, which is naturally yellow in colour, is mixed with 25% of other white metals. As a result, you get 18-carat gold, considered pure for making precious jewellery. Mixing pure gold with other metals results in softer, creamier yellow than the brassy shade of 24-carat gold.
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.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines the color metallic gold as "A light olive-brown to dark yellow, or a moderate, strong to vivid yellow." Of course, the visual sensation usually associated with the metal gold is its metallic shine.
Pure 24k gold is red-yellow. Gold is the most malleable metal, meaning that it can be beaten into the thinnest sheets and thus become transparent, but pure gold in a block is no more transparent than any other metal.
Drop a small amount of liquid nitric acid on that scratch and wait for a chemical reaction. Fake gold will immediately turn green where the acid is. Gold-over-sterling silver will become milky in appearance. Gold will not react to the nitric acid.