Fake gold may have a genuine gold plating or a gold-like metal upper layer. Either way, baking soda could help confirm whether your gold is plated. If your gold is genuine, baking soda will not affect it in any way. A baking soda paste may, in fact, clean and make gold more lustrous by removing dirt and grime.
Baking soda is abrasive, which is why it's great for cleaning sinks and toilets, but that abrasive quality can scratch gemstones and precious metals. So steer clear when it comes to cleaning jewelry.
Baking soda is a better alternative to the acidity of vinegar and is excellent for silver and gold. Only let your pieces soak in water with a spoonful of it, and do not brush after a thorough rinse.
Mix 1/2 cup vinegar and two tablespoons of baking soda in a small bowl. Allow your jewelry to soak in the white vinegar and baking soda solution for a few hours. Then, rinse the jewelry with clean water and pat dry with a cotton cloth before storing your pieces away.
How to Do the Float Test to Check If Gold is Real. Fill a cup or bowl with water and carefully drop your gold piece into it. If the gold is real, it will sink to the bottom of the cup. If it's fake, it will float to the top or hover in the middle of the cup.
You need to weigh the gold and then measure its volume by immersing it in a container filled with water. The density of the gold can be calculated by dividing the weight by the volume. The purity of the gold can be determined by comparing its density with the density of pure gold.
Mix 1 tablespoon of mild soap or dish detergent with 1 cup of hot water (no need to boil, just hot water from the tap). Let your gold jewelry sit in the medium-hot to hot water with the detergent for 3-5 minutes to loosen up any dirt or buildup.
One of the most likely reasons why gold turns black is all due to metallic abrasion, or low-quality plating as well as corrosion.
Gold jewelry should be gently cleaned weekly to keep it looking shiny and new. All you need to clean most gold jewelry is warm water, dish soap, and a soft-bristled toothbrush. Rose gold and white gold can be cleaned in the same manner as yellow gold.
The Skin Test
Just hold your gold item in your hand for a couple of minutes. If it's fake gold, the sweat on your skin will create a chemical reaction with the metal. Your skin will discolor to a black or green color. This is because it will react with the other alloy metals.
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.
Stone (Hand Test) :
When soft metals like gold are drawn across it, they leave a visible line. The color of the line varies with the purity of gold. By observing the color on the line, an experienced jeweler can tell the purity of gold.
Never use toothpaste, baking soda, or a commercial metal cleaner on gold. If you use these abrasives, you may scratch the gold. Never use bleach. Bleach reacts with gold and will eat away at gold alloys.
This is a handy and maybe unexpected tip, but Coke does indeed clean gold. You can dip your gold in a small bowl of Coke and make sure that it is completely covered. Leave the gold plated jewelry in the solution for 10 minutes and then rub with a soft cloth and rinse.
Lemon juice is another old wives' tale that we're about to bust. It's a popular DIY solution, but should not be used for cleaning your jewelry. Lemon juice is very acidic and abrasive for cleaning jewelry. The acidity in lemon juice will discolor, tarnish and scratch your jewelry pieces.