Will Gold Stick to a Magnet If Its Real?
Will Gold Stick to a Magnet If Its Real?
Imagine you're walking along Fifth Avenue during mid-December, admiring store windows when an attractive gold piece catches your eye. It feels hefty in your hand and its soft, gleaming quality draws you close; perhaps it makes you stop to consider purchasing it right away; but how do you know if it is genuine or not? Many consumers of gold ask themselves this question frequently, but simple magnet tests provide an answer.
Gold, chemical element number 79 with symbol Au, is an extremely dense yellow metal that's bright in hue with orange tints that's soft yet malleable and malleable in texture - making it highly sought-after as jewelry, coins, or investments due to its durability and value. Unfortunately, counterfeiters also exist who may attempt to pass off counterfeit gold as real.
Most pieces of gold sold in stores and online are not 100% gold; rather they consist of an alloy of different metals whose percentage (known as karat) determines its color and strength. Yellow, white, red and pink gold can all be found. Unfortunately these other metals tend not to attract magnets; therefore any piece that does not attact one may not be real.
Professionals employ various tests to ascertain the authenticity of gold, such as electronic testing, density measurements and acid analysis; but one of the easiest tests is magnetic. Simply purchase a strong magnet at any hardware store and hold it near an item you suspect might not be genuine; observe any reactions.
If the magnet sticks, your gold is likely fake; but don't become discouraged if your gold doesn't react; there are plenty of other ways to determine its authenticity, this test just being the first step of many that you should run.
Drop your item in a container of water. Since gold is dense, it should sink to the bottom if real; any pieces that float are likely fake and mixed with base metals such as silver or copper for strength and beauty purposes. To confirm this further, conduct another magnet test; if it still doesn't stick to the magnet after that first test it could indicate it contains nickel or iron alloys which attract magnets; to further confirm this you could perform another vinegar test where submerging the item for several minutes will give an indicator if its color changes after drying it off again - to further confirm this idea further if that occurs in case something else needs testing or else!