Gold testing: How to check purity of gold – Hallmark, magnet test

New Delhi: India is considered to be one of the top consumers of gold in the world. People across the country have a knack of purchasing gold during festivals and auspicious occasions like Akashaya Tritiya and Dhanetars. The jewellery outlets across the country witness huge rush during the wedding season. Also, people consider gold as auspicious and a safe investment in which they can pump in money to earn profits.

How to check Gold purity?

While purchasing gold, potential buyers can opt for few tests to identify if the gold is real or not.

Hallmarking

The buyers should make sure that the gold jewellery should have a hallmark stamp, which identifies its content and the manufacturer. It is one of the first and easiest step to identify the purity of the gold. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has implemented Mandatory Hallmarking across the country.

Hallmarking is the accurate determination and official recording of the proportionate content of precious metal in the precious metal article.

Carat Values

The gold standard is measured upon ‘karats’ and ‘millesimal fineness’. The 24 carats is pure gold, which means the 18-carat gold contains 18 parts gold and 6 parts of other metals. The carat value determines the value and durability of the gold item.

Colour Test

Pure/original gold remains always retains its colour. If any gold jewellery shows signs of fading or change in color, it may not be pure gold.

Magnet Test

Gold does not have magnetic properties, a potential buyer can opt for magnet test and see if the purchased gold jewellery is attracted to a magnet or not.

Nitric Acid Test

Only professionals should conduct Nitric Acid Test on gold. Professionals conducting the test, scratch the gold piece on a touchstone and apply nitric acid to the mark and the reaction determines the gold’s purity.

Density Test

Gold jewellery buyers can measure the item’s weight and divide it by its volume to calculate its density. The next step would be to compare the figures with claimed density of gold to obtain its purity.