Purchasing jewelries is often fun, whether it is for a function, for gifting, or for personal use. However a slight drawback is that the current market offers both original and imitation jewelry, therefore, people are required to know the tips and hacks for identifying original pieces from fake ones. Below are eight tips that will aid you in your decision-making when purchasing jewelry for yourself and ensuring you stay away from how to spot fake gold jewelry.
1. Understand the Hallmark Stamp
One of the easiest means of making sure whether a piece of jewelry is real or not is by assessing for hallmarks. After refinement, most metals such as gold, fake silver vs. real silver and platinum possess stamps which distinguish their purity and quality. For instance, gold will be listed with a number 24karat or 18karat and silver is commonly marked as ‘925’. Platinum may also bear a mark “PT” or “950”.
How to Check:
- When searching for these stamps, you should use a magnifying glass.
- Also, avoid markings that have low contrast color, markings that have faded, or those that are uneven in color.
- As a reminder, some fake products can look genuine, including the hallmarks, so this step must be accomplished with the use of other approaches as well.
2. Conduct a Magnet Test
Well, every metal doesn’t respond to magnets, but to the best of knowledge, gold, silver, and platinum are rare metals that aren’t magnetically attracted. Fake jewelry which is mainly made from a cheaper and magnetic material will be pulled by a magnet.
How to Check:
- You are advised to hold the magnet near the jewelry you want to check.
- If the piece is pulled in towards the magnet in any way it is likely that it is either a counterfeit or made from mixed materials.
- However, as is the case with some fakes, they also use a non-magnetic metal to make them as so this test alone cannot be relied on.
3. Inspect the Jewelry’s Weight
Real jewelry pieces are usually heavier and many times, denser than the fake versions of the same jewels. On the other hand, valuable metals and natural gemstone are more in weight and can be easily separated from their cheaper or fake versions.
How to Check:
- Take the piece in your hand and find out how it feels when compared to a piece you know is real.
- If you have a lightweight jewelry item in hand, then it means it is probably fake, and you should not invest in it.
4. Analyze the Stones
Real gemstone have some qualities that distinguish them from imitation ones or man-made ones.
- Natural diamonds shine, but they possess slight imperfections.
- Lab grown diamonds seem as brilliant as the earth-mined diamond but they do not have natural imperfections.
- Colorful gemstones such as ruby or emerald have different shades and internal characteristics that differ from synthetic ones.
Tools to Use:
- A jeweler’s loupe or magnifying glass to check out the stone.
- Look for bubbles inside the stone which is found in most fake options.
- Look at the brightness of the real diamonds, gems reflect light more strongly than artificial diamonds and stones.
5. Perform a Scratch Test
Performing a scratch is a great option to figure out the difference between real and how to spot fake gold jewelry. Gold is quite a soft material, while diamonds are known to be the hardest material found on the surface of the earth for fake silver vs. real silver.
For Gold:
Gently rubbing against the surface with a ceramic tile. Gold that is real leaves behind a gold hue and gold that is fake leaves behind a black mark.
For Diamonds:
Try to rub the glass with the diamond. First of all, it is recommended to know that real diamonds scratch glass if done gently so as not to harm any of your jewels or pieces.
6. Check the Price and Seller
Let us say this one more time, If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is just that too good to be true. That is why real jewelery items which contain precious metals and stones as well, do not cost a cheap price. Piracy products are purchased from cheap shops or from unauthorized sellers
Key Points to Remember:
- Review the market price of similar pieces.
- This product should only be purchased from a credible jeweler or any authorized dealer.
- Request for receipts of origin or guarantee for costly items.
Conduct an Acid Tes
The finality is determined through the process of acid testing on a particular metal to know their authenticity. This test is done by putting a little amount of acid on the jewelry and then noting its behavior to see what reaction has occurred.
Steps to Follow:
- Purchase an acid kit for fake jewelry testing methods.
- Put the acid in a small part of the jewelry.
- Observe a color change, as fake gold has a chance of gold turning green or black.
- Make sure that conducting such a test can damage the jewelry, so you should be careful with the test.
8. Get a Professional Appraisal
If uncertain seek help from a professional jeweler or a gemologist. They possess all the necessary equipment, knowledge and experience to assess your jewelry and give you the right value.
What to Expect:
- Whenever possible, specialists use sophisticated instruments like a spectrometer or diamond tester, to examine the item for fake jewelry testing methods.
- They can offer you more information about your items and often issue you an authenticity certificate.
- Appraisals are also suggested annually for insurance-related purposes for higher-value works.
Some Extra Pointers for Purchasing Products Online
Shopping for jewelry online comes with added issues of authenticity. To ensure you’re getting real jewelry, it is vital for the differences between fake and real jewelry.
- Buy from authentic websites that have good comments from their clients.
- Look for product descriptions containing information on the sample’s weight and material and whether or not it has achieved any certification.
- Refrain from sellers who don’t offer or post understandable images and certificates.
FAQs
Q1. How to check if my jewelry is real gold?
Look at numbers like “24K” or “18K”, as they are usually signs of purity. You can also do a magnet test, as real gold is non-magnetic. In order to get a clearer answer, take an acid test or better yet, speak with a jeweler as a professional would know better about differences between fake and real jewelry.
Q2. So are synthetic gemstones fake?
Precious gemstones are those that are genetically produced but produced in laboratories they are real and not natural. Fake stones, as for the name suggests, are stones made of glass or plastic and do not have any qualities as those of real gemstones you get from Dejaun Jewelers.
Q3. Are online sales of jewelry safe?
Yes, if purchased from authorized dealers who have positive reviews on their websites. Check for descriptions of products, including the relevant certification marks and returns policies. The tips are that you do not fall for the unrealistic offers or opt for those sellers who don’t offer much information.
The Bottom Line
There are a lot of scams and frauds when it comes to purchasing jewelries. But, with the help of the eight tips listed above, you are on a better stand to identify whether the jewelry you are about to purchase is real or just fake jewelry. Every time you are buying gold, silver, diamond, or gemstones you will need to approach the market with an open mind and eyes.