Due to the use of chemical or electrochemical bonding, the coating lasts for years and does not chip away like paint or lacquer which can chip away. Plating means adding a thin layer of gold over the existing metal, which is mostly silver or copper. Some common and popular imitation variations are: A) Gold-Plated Jewelry They are made of completely different materials and only have a thin gold coating on the exterior. On the other hand, counterfeit gold articles are not gold at all. It imitates platinum but is similar to 18k gold. For example, white gold is 75% pure gold and 25% alloy of nickel and zinc. Remember that a jewelry piece or coin can be genuine without looking like gold. Your gold items like jewelry or coins will have a metal alloy because of the soft nature of 24k gold. On the contrary, a 14k item contains only 58.3% gold and the rest is a metal alloy featuring two or multiple metal items (which could be silver, copper, nickel, and zinc). The unit for measuring authenticity is Karat and you will find various denominations from 24 to 8 karat.Ī 24k gold article is pure as it has 99.9% gold element in its composition. To understand the properties of counterfeits, you should know the composition of genuine items. How to Tell If Gold Is Real: What Are Fake Gold Items Made Of? Gold bars are traded at set weights like ounces or grams, but the coins that you can purchase on eBay are fun to collect. This is because of its scarcity, which is low enough to make it desirable in today’s society but not too low that it becomes useless.Īccording to the World Gold Council, approximately 197,576 tonnes of gold have been excavated (until 2019) since the beginning and the underground reserve is nearly 54,000 tonnes. Gold is a popular choice for people when they look for sustainable investment. Image by Eqroy via ShutterstockĬhocolate eclair pastry with edible gold leaf The Egyptians started it around 5,000 years ago and then it spread across the world – from Eastern civilization to Europe. Gold is edible (!) and has been used as a garnishing element for food and beverages from ancient times. It’s been discovered all over the world – from remote locations like ancient Australia to enormous areas such as South Africa. It was a rare material that was first mined from rivers, and then excavated from mines. The Aztecs used to consider it as the “god excrement.” Gold has been an integral part of Ancient Egyptian culture dating back to 3000 BC. Despite being relatively rare, it has been a universal currency in many cultures and societies.īecause of its shiny yellow texture and incredible malleability, it has been a favorite for crafting jewelry and art pieces throughout history. One precious metal that humankind has used from the dawn of civilization is gold. How Did Gold Come? from the Past to Present Don’t worry! With a few simple tests (some of them cost zero dollars), you can steer clear of fake gold jewelry. Just like other precious gemstones and metals, gold is counterfeited in high volumes. Image by Algirdas Gelazius via Shutterstockīecause of limited mining, extensive worldwide use as a form of money, and skyrocketing price gold is highly valuable. Gold has always held a special place in various cultures.įrom ancient times, it has been used as currency and in religious ceremonies. How do you know that you didn’t just take a piece of silver and paint it gold? How to tell if gold is real? Have you ever found someone trying to sell gold jewelry or bars, and felt like the price was too good to be true?
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