For Coin/Gold Collectors.

How to Test Gold Jewelry Without Acid

Gold was among the first metals to be mined and has been used for jewelry, embellishment and currency for thousands of years. Gold in its natural form is soft and yellow in color. Pure gold is called 24 karat, while gold that is 75 percent gold is 18 karat, 50 percent gold is 12 karat and 42 percent gold is 10 karat. Material with less than 10 karat gold is not considered to be gold in the United States. There are several ways to test items for gold without using acid or other chemical tests.

Things You'll Need

Glass
Porcelain tile

Magnet
Magnifying glass

Instructions

Scratch the gold item against a piece of glass. If the metal scratches, it is not pure gold and any gold content is low. Always use a section of the gold item that is less noticeable in case it scratches or leaves a mark.

Hold a magnet near the gold item. If the magnet is attracted to the item, there are other metals included in the material. Gold itself is very soft and non-magnetic.

Take a piece of unglazed porcelain and rub the gold item against it. If it leaves a black streak, the material is not gold. If it leaves a golden yellow streak, the item is gold.

Use a magnifying glass and examine the item closely. Most commercially produced jewelry in the United States will be marked with the gold purity, such as 24 karat (24K), 18 karat, 14 karat, 12 karat or 10 karat gold. The mark may be very small, hence the need for a magnifying glass.

Read more : www.ehow.com/how_6363412_test-gold-jewelry-acid.html

n the first century BC the Roman architect Vitruvius related a story of how Archimedes uncovered a fraud in the manufacture of a golden crown commissioned by Hiero II, the king of Syracuse. The crown (corona in Vitruvius’s Latin) would have been in the form of a wreath, such as one of the three pictured from grave sites in Macedonia and the Dardanelles. Hiero would have placed such a wreath on the statue of a god or goddess. Suspecting that the goldsmith might have replaced some of the gold given to him by an equal weight of silver, Hiero asked Archimedes to determine whether the wreath was pure gold. And because the wreath was a holy object dedicated to the gods, he could not disturb the wreath in any way. (In modern terms, he was to perform nondestructive testing).

How Do You Use Vinegar to Find Out If a Ring Is Real Gold or Not?


Vinegar is a versatile cleaner used around the house, in boats and cars, and in foods. Corn alcohol is mixed with other nutrients and fermented to create white vinegar or a form of ascetic acid. You can use vinegar to find out if a ring is real gold or not. You can also use white vinegar to clean metals.

Things You'll Need

Glass cup

1 cup white vinegar

Instructions

Pour the white vinegar into your glass cup. Do not add water.
Glass cups.

Place the gold ring into the cup of white vinegar.

Let the gold ring sit in the cup of white vinegar for approximately 15 minutes.

Remove the gold ring and rinse with water. Real gold will shine while fake gold will change colors in reaction to the ascetic acid.

Read more : www.ehow.com/how_6497255_do-ring-real-gold-not_.html