How to Tell If Gold Is Real: Stamp, Magnet, Weight and Lab Tests

Work from free and quick to certain. Each step can rule a piece out; only the last one rules it in.

Check	Cost	Can it prove fake	Can it prove real
1. Read the stamp	Free	Sometimes (GP, GF, HGE marks)	No
2. Magnet	Free	Yes, if it sticks strongly	No
3. Color at wear points	Free	Often, for plated pieces	No
4. Weight and density	Kitchen scale	Often	No
5. Acid test	Jeweler, or a kit	Yes	Close, with limits
6. XRF analysis	Jeweler or refiner	Yes	Yes, metal content in numbers

Real gold jewelry sold in the United States is normally stamped with its karat. Look inside ring bands, on chain clasps and end tags, on earring posts and on the back of pendant bails.

Stamp	Meaning
10K, 10KT, 417	Solid 10 karat, 41.7% gold
14K, 14KT, 585	Solid 14 karat, 58.3% gold
18K, 18KT, 750	Solid 18 karat, 75% gold
24K, 999	Pure gold
GP, GE, HGE, RGP	Gold plated or electroplated over another metal
GF, 1/20 14K GF	Gold filled: a thicker gold layer bonded to base metal
925 with gold color	Sterling silver, usually plated (vermeil if the plating is heavy)

A stamp tells you what the maker claims. It does not prove it, because a stamp is just a mark and counterfeiters use them. A missing stamp also does not prove a piece is fake; old and handmade pieces are sometimes unmarked. Our page on hallmarks and gold stamps lists the less common marks, and the gold karat guide explains the percentages.

Gold is not magnetic. Neither are silver, copper or zinc, the usual alloy metals. So if a strong magnet grabs the piece firmly, the metal under the surface is likely iron or steel, and the piece is not solid gold.

A magnet that does not stick proves very little. Brass, aluminum, many plated base metals and tungsten are not magnetic either, and they are exactly what fake gold is made of. Ignore the clasp spring when testing: small steel springs inside real gold clasps can pull slightly on a magnet.

Gold is very dense. Pure gold weighs about 19.3 grams per cubic centimeter, while brass, the usual base of fake jewelry, is around 8.5. Karat gold falls between the two but stays well above brass, so real gold feels heavy for its size. A large-looking chain that feels light is a warning, though hollow construction can also make real gold light.

For a loose, plain piece you can check density at home: weigh it, then weigh how much water it displaces, and divide. Pieces with stones, hollow links or springs throw this off, so treat the number as a hint.

Color tells you more at the edges than on the face. Look at clasp edges, the inside of ring bands and the ends of links, where the piece rubs. Plating wears through there first and shows silver, gray or a coppery color. Solid gold looks the same color all the way through.

Real gold also varies in color, which confuses people. 10K is noticeably paler and slightly greenish next to 14K, and 18K looks deeper and warmer still. A pale chain is not necessarily fake; it may simply be 10K. Compare against a known piece of the same karat in daylight, not under store lights, before drawing any conclusion from color alone.

Plated and filled jewelry is real gold on the outside only, and the labels mean specific things under the FTC Jewelry Guides and trade standards:

Term	What it is	Gold layer
Gold plated / gold electroplate	Thin gold layer applied by electricity over base metal	At least about 0.175 microns of fine gold to use the term electroplate
Heavy gold electroplate	A thicker electroplated layer	At least about 2.5 microns
Gold filled	Gold sheet bonded to a base metal core	Industry standard: at least 1/20 of the total weight in karat gold
Vermeil	Gold plating over sterling silver	Heavier plating over silver, not base metal
Solid gold	Karat gold all the way through (or hollow tubes of karat gold)	The whole piece

None of these are illegal or bad on their own. They become a problem when they are sold as solid gold. Plated pieces also explain most green-skin complaints, covered in why jewelry turns skin green, and the full comparison is in plated vs filled vs solid gold.

Weight checks have one big trap: hollow gold. Many real gold chains, hoops and bangles are made from hollow tubes to give a big look with less metal. They are real karat gold and carry real stamps, but they feel light for their size. A light piece is a reason to look closer, not proof of a fake.

The opposite trap exists too. A heavy piece can still be fake if the core is a dense base metal. Weight is a screen, never a verdict. Our Hollow Cuban Chain 6mm is real 10K gold at 16.55 g, named hollow in the title, which is how a seller should describe it.

The traditional jeweler's test rubs the piece on a black touchstone to leave a streak, then applies acids made for each karat. If the streak survives a 14K acid but dissolves under 18K, the metal is about 14K.

• It removes a little metal. The streak is gold taken off the piece, so it is done in a hidden spot.
• It rounds to the nearest acid. It tells you "about 14K", not an exact number.
• Thick plating can fool it. If only the surface is tested, a heavy plating can read as gold. Jewelers file a small notch first to test below the surface.
• The acids are dangerous. Nitric acid burns skin and damages stones and finishes. Home kits exist, but this is a test best left to someone who does it daily.

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) is the modern answer. The analyzer points X-rays at the metal and reads the energy each element gives back, then reports the composition in percentages: gold, silver, copper, zinc, nickel and so on. It takes about a minute and leaves no mark, which is why refiners, pawn dealers and many jewelers use it.

XRF reads the surface layers, so very heavy plating can still mislead a basic reading; good operators test several spots, including a worn edge or clasp, and many machines flag plating. Even so, an XRF number from a professional is the closest thing to proof without melting the piece.

The internet is full of gold tests. Most are unreliable, and some damage the piece:

"Test"	Claim	Reality
Bite test	Real gold dents	Only near-pure gold is soft enough; 10K and 14K do not dent, and you can damage teeth or the piece
Vinegar soak	Fake gold changes color	Proves little; plated pieces can survive a short soak
Ceramic scratch	Real gold leaves a gold streak	Scratches your piece, and plated items can streak gold too
Flame test	Real gold does not darken	Can damage stones, solder joints and finishes
Floating test	Gold sinks	Every metal used in fake jewelry sinks too

Stick to the stamp, the magnet, weight and color as screens, and let a professional test with XRF for the answer.

Ask any established jeweler, refiner or gold buyer whether they test with XRF; it is the method to prefer for a piece you care about because it does no damage. Bring the receipt if you have one, and ask for the reading in writing.

If you want to compare with known solid gold, our pieces are listed with metal and karat, and many list gold weight in grams. Examples: the Franco Chain 3mm is 10K and 24.26 g at $3,425, and the Classic Ball Earrings Large 7mm are 14K at $315. You can see the chains in person at the showroom, 7900 NW 27th Ave, Unit 506, Miami. Chains get their own step-by-step in how to tell if a Cuban link is real; diamonds are covered in how to spot fake diamonds, and our solid chains are in gold Cuban link chains.

• Brass: copper and zinc, yellow and cheap. The most common base under gold plating.
• Stainless steel with gold-colored coating: durable and often marketed as "won't tarnish". Weakly magnetic in some grades.
• Sterling silver with gold plating: real silver, stamped 925, sold as vermeil when the plating is heavy.
• Tungsten-core fakes: rare in jewelry but used in fake bars because tungsten is nearly as dense as gold. Only XRF or deeper testing catches it.

The easiest fake to catch is the one you never buy. Buy from sellers who state metal and karat on the receipt, who list gold weight in grams, and who name hollow or plated construction plainly. Be wary of prices far below the metal value: if a 14K chain weighing 30 grams is offered for less than the gold in it is worth, something is wrong. Check the day's gold price, multiply by the karat share and the weight, and compare.