Whether you are considering parting ways with gold passed down to you or looking to sell some of your personal jewellery collection, ensuring it is genuine gold is an important first step before approaching buyers. In an age where counterfeiting is big business, particularly in the gold industry, it makes sense to be able to tell if you own real gold, fake gold, or even gold-plated items.
Simple checks at home can help you spot likely hallmarks and obvious red flags. However, some DIY tests can damage jewellery or give false results. For certainty, use professional testing (XRF and/or assay-office-style methods).
Solid gold’s value depends on purity (carat/fineness), weight and market price, with additional value possible for craftsmanship, designer pieces or age. Pure gold, often referred to as 24 carat gold, is the most valuable due to its 99.9% pure gold content (999 fineness). However, most jewellery in the UK is lower carat for durability and to alter its colour.
Antique pieces, or those made by reputable designers, frequently command higher prices due to their unique qualities and desirability for collectors.
Over the years various types of gold alloys have been developed. This has been to meet the requirements of consumers. Some customers require a high level of purity, others strength, longevity and a lower price point. Here are nine different types of gold and their most common uses:
1. Pure Gold 24 Carat (99.9% gold): The highest purity of gold available. It is very soft and unable to withstand the continued handling required to produce jewellery on a large scale. It is mainly used for investment purposes or special occasion jewellery pieces, particularly in Asian traditions.
2. 22 Carat Gold (91.67% gold): Used in jewellery making as it contains a high percentage of pure gold and is more durable than 24ct. This type of gold is suitable for intricate jewellery pieces like earrings, necklaces, and bangles.
3. 18 Carat Gold (75% gold): Popular for engagement rings and wedding bands as it is strong and holds stones securely in their setting. 18ct is a good balance of fineness and strength.
4. 14 Carat Gold (58.5% gold): Affordable and hardwearing making it ideal for everyday jewellery pieces.
5. 10 Carat Gold (41.7% gold): Provides value for money and is strong so used in a large variety of American-made jewellery.
6. 9 Carat Gold (37.5% gold): Popular in the UK, the lower gold content allows for a durable and economical product, ideal for everyday wear jewellery.
7. Gold Plated: A thin layer of gold over a base metal gives the illusion of solid gold at a much lower cost. Gold plated jewellery is used in the production of fashion jewellery. However, the gold-plated layer can wear quickly and discolour.
8. Gold Filled / Rolled Gold: A thicker bonded layer of gold over a base metal (compared to gold plated), provides strength and is used for higher quality jewellery items. A more affordable alternative to solid gold.
9. Vermeil: Sterling silver with a thick bonded gold layer (often 2.5μm or more). This is still considered plated.
Before you consider selling your gold with a reputable buyer, use these low-risk checks first; avoid methods that scratch, abrade or chemically attack the surface.
A UK Assay Office hallmark (or a recognised Common Control Mark) confirms tested fineness above the legal exemption weight (1 gram). Trade or foreign marks alone are not UK hallmarks. Use a loupe to look for fineness numbers such as 375, 585, 750, 916, 999, plus the Assay Office symbol.
Stamps like GP (gold plated), GEP/HGE (electroplate/heavy electroplate) or RGP (rolled-gold plate) indicate plating, not solid gold.
Solid gold is not magnetic, but clasps/springs may react; many counterfeits are also non-magnetic. Treat as inconclusive.
Solid gold sinks, if you drop your item into water and it floats, it is likely not solid gold. However, crude float tests can mislead, a proper density check needs accurate scales and volume measurement.
Best practice: if an item lacks a UK hallmark or you’re unsure, ask a specialist to verify with non-destructive testing.
Home gold testing can only provide a guide as to whether your gold is authentic. At Cheshire Gold Xchange, we can offer extensive professional gold testing to verify its authenticity and carat purity with very high accuracy. There are several professional gold testing methods, each with its own limitations. The two most commonly used are XRF (X-ray fluorescence) scanning and acid testing.
XRF is a non-destructive metal testing technique used to determine the elemental composition of materials including gold. The XRF scanner works by exposing the gold to high-energy X-rays, which excite the atoms in the metal sample. These atoms then emit secondary (or fluorescent) X-rays at characteristic energies that are specific to each element. By measuring the energy and intensity of these secondary X-rays, the XRF scanner can quantify the amount of gold and other elements present in the sample, usually displaying them as a percentage. So if the XRF scanner gave a gold reading of 37.5% we would know the sample is 9 carat.
The drawback of XRF is that it typically penetrates only 0.01 to 0.1 millimetres (10 to 100 micrometres), so if the gold is plated or coated it may not detect the underlying metal.
The gold acid test is a very low tech, traditional method of gold testing to assess the purity of the gold. This involves using various acids for each purity level and observing its reaction. This method involves applying a small drop of acid to a scratch or mark made on the gold item and comparing the reaction to a reference chart.
There are some drawbacks to acid testing, as it involves scratching the metal to obtain a sample, which is destructive in nature. Accuracy is also limited on this as it requires somewhat of a subjective interpretation of the results.
If you are looking to sell old gold, give us a call and we can arrange to professionally assess your items, either by dropping your gold off to us or sending via insured post.
Do you have gold at home? Whether it’s a ring handed down through your family, a forgotten necklace at the back of a drawer, or a collection of coins, discover the value of your gold today.
Receive your prepaid, insured envelope to send your gold to us. Find out more visit Sell Gold Online
