Gold has a golden to yellow color. Most native gold is alloyed with silver, and if the silver content is high enough, the specimen will have a whitish yellow color.
Gold is a very soft metal, so scratching it with a hard object like ceramic will leave a golden or a yellowish streak. On the other hand, fake gold is often made of metals that are darker in color, so you'll see a dark streak instead.
If the gold is real, the mark or streak it produces should be golden or yellow color. A black streak means you have pyrite or another form of fake gold. You can also tell if gold jewelry is fake just by wearing it. Many types of fake gold will stain or discolor your skin after about 15 minutes of contact.
Scratch test.
If you cut deep enough that you expose underlying metal, you can assume that it is plated. If it appears to be made of a uniform composition throughout, then it is probably solid gold.
Hold a strong magnet next to a piece of gold and watch for a reaction. Gold is not magnetic, so there should not be any attraction to magnets. If there is, you most likely don't have real gold. However, some of the base metals that can be mixed with gold are also non-magnetic so you can get a false read.
Gold is a heavy metal, so heavy that it will sink in water. If you drop your jewelry in a glass of water, real gold will drop straight down. Remember that 18- karat gold is 75% gold mixed with other alloys.
Vinegar is very destructive, so when you apply the vinegar to a fake piece of gold, the vinegar will cause the jewelry to tarnish. Gold is a non-reactive metal, so real pieces of gold will not react to vinegar.
Fool's Gold
It's a form of pyrite that is almost always mistaken for gold due to its brass-yellow color. Its surface is rough and made up of crystals. There is no value to fool's gold, but it looks like genuine gold at first glance.
Yes. Yellow gold is real gold, and it's the only naturally occurring colour in gold jewellery. It comes in different weights, including 9K, 14K, and 18K. The difference comes from durability and colour.
Vinegar Test
Once you have some vinegar, clean your piece of jewelry with a rag or cloth to remove any dirt so you don't get faulty results. Then, place your jewelry into a bowl and add a few drops of your vinegar into the bowl. Real gold will not change color, but fake gold will turn either black or green.
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.
Gold and silver are not magnetic. So technically, a piece that is heavy gold electroplated might not register with the magnet. That is why it's important to use this test in conjunction with other tests if you absolutely must be sure about whether or not your jewelry is solid gold.
Goldmeter - real gold detector on the App Store.
Color and Appearance
First, they're both yellow metals. While brass is not bright yellow, it's more dull than gold. However, gold is much shinier causing its golden color. Impurities can cause the shiny metallic luster that is characteristic of gold to fade.
Fool's Gold can be one of three minerals. The most common mineral mistaken for gold is pyrite. Chalcopyrite may also appear gold-like, and weathered mica can mimic gold as well.
However, certain gold alloys, such as those that are high in palladium or rhodium, are less prone to tarnishing. For example, 18-karat white gold that is alloyed with palladium instead of nickel is less likely to tarnish than traditional nickel-based white gold.