Is My Gold Real? Free Real Gold Test Checker
To tell if gold is real, check for a karat or fineness hallmark (such as 21K/875 or 18K/750), make sure a strong magnet does not pull it, and measure its density, which is 19.3 g/cm³ for 24K and about 17.1 for 21K. Then confirm with a jeweler's acid or XRF test.
Answer each real gold test below with Pass, Fail, Not sure, or Skipped to get a weighted verdict, decode the stamp, and run a gold density test with a kitchen scale. Everything runs in your browser.
Verdict
Inconclusive
No pass or fail answers yet
0 of 8 tests answered
At-home real gold tests
Do the tests you can, then pick a result for each. Tests marked as red-flag tests cap the verdict at “Likely fake” if they fail.
Hallmark / stamp check
How to do it
- Look with a magnifier or phone zoom inside ring bands, on clasps, and near necklace ends.
- Solid gold marks: 24K/999, 22K/916, 21K/875, 18K/750, 14K/585, 10K/417, or an Egyptian assay office hallmark.
- Warning marks: GP, GF, GEP, HGE, RGP, 1/20 12K GF, or the word "plated" or "filled".
- Pass (Solid gold stamp)
- A karat or fineness stamp is a good sign, but stamps can be faked, so keep testing.
- Fail (Plated / filled stamp)
- GP, GF, GEP, HGE, RGP, or "plated" means a thin gold layer over another metal, so the piece is not solid gold.
- Keep in mind
- No stamp at all is a warning sign, not proof: many old, hand-made, or resized pieces lost theirs. Choose Not sure and rely on the other tests. Looking at the stamp cannot harm the piece.
Enter a stamp to see what it means.
For every karat and fineness conversion, use the gold karat & purity calculator.
Magnet test
How to do it
- Use a strong neodymium magnet (a fridge magnet is too weak).
- Hold it close to the body of the piece, away from the clasp, and watch for a pull.
- Pass (No attraction)
- Gold is not magnetic, so no pull is expected. It does not prove gold: brass, copper, and silver are not magnetic either.
- Fail (Strong attraction)
- A strong pull on the body of the piece means iron or steel, so it is fake or has a steel core.
- Keep in mind
- Clasps and springs often contain steel and can be weakly magnetic even on real gold jewelry. Safe for the piece.
Float / sink test
How to do it
- Fill a glass with water and gently drop the piece in.
- Watch whether it sinks quickly or floats or hovers.
- Pass (Sinks)
- Gold is very dense and sinks, but so do almost all metals, so sinking proves very little.
- Fail (Floats)
- Anything that floats or hovers is not solid gold.
- Keep in mind
- Skip this for pieces with pearls, opals, or glued stones. Safe for gold. Dry pieces with glued stones or pearls afterwards.
Ceramic streak test
How to do it
- Find unglazed ceramic, such as the rough ring under a plate or mug or a ceramic tile back.
- Drag the piece lightly across it in an inconspicuous spot.
- Check the color of the line it leaves.
- Pass (Gold / yellow streak)
- A gold or yellow streak is consistent with real gold.
- Fail (Black / grey streak)
- A black or grey streak means a base metal, so the piece is fake or plated.
- Keep in mind
- Heavy plating can leave a yellow streak at first, so press lightly but long enough to get past the surface. Scratches the piece. Use a hidden spot, and avoid it on plated or valuable items.
Skin discoloration
How to do it
- Wear the piece for a day, or hold it tightly in your palm for a few minutes.
- Check your skin for green, blue, or black marks.
- Pass (No marks)
- No marks is consistent with higher karat gold.
- Fail (Green / black marks)
- Green or black skin usually means copper, brass, or a low karat alloy with lots of base metal.
- Keep in mind
- Makeup, lotion, and sweat can discolor skin even with 14K or 18K gold. Safe for the piece.
Vinegar test
How to do it
- Put a few drops of white vinegar on the piece, or drop it in a small cup of vinegar.
- Wait 5 to 15 minutes, then rinse and dry it.
- Compare the color with before.
- Pass (No color change)
- Real gold does not react with vinegar, but neither does stainless steel or thick plating.
- Fail (Darkens / turns green)
- Darkening or green spots mean a base metal is reacting, so the piece is likely fake or plated.
- Keep in mind
- Keep vinegar away from pearls, opals, emeralds, and glued settings. Safe for gold. Can dull pearls, soft stones, and plating.
Visual wear check
How to do it
- Look at edges, clasps, the inside of ring bands, and any scratches with a magnifier.
- Look for silver, grey, red, or brassy metal showing through the gold color.
- Pass (Same color throughout)
- Even color at worn spots is consistent with solid gold.
- Fail (Different metal showing)
- A different metal showing where the surface rubbed off means the piece is plated.
- Keep in mind
- New plated pieces may not show wear yet. Looking cannot harm the piece.
Weight feel / size vs weight
How to do it
- Hold the piece and compare it with a known gold piece or a coin of similar size.
- Weigh it on a kitchen or jewelry scale: gold is almost twice as heavy as brass or silver of the same size.
- Pass (Heavy for its size)
- Feeling heavy is consistent with gold, but tungsten and lead are heavy too.
- Fail (Light for its size)
- A piece that feels light for its size may be plated, hollow, or a base metal.
- Keep in mind
- Hollow chains and bangles are real gold but feel light. Use the density calculator for a number. Safe for the piece.
Your real gold test verdict
Verdict
Inconclusive
No pass or fail answers yet
Not enough tests have a clear pass or fail result yet. Answer more tests or use the density calculator.
Confirm with a jeweler or assay office (acid test or XRF) before you buy or sell. At-home tests are indicators, not proof.
What drove the verdict
Pass or fail answers and a density reading will appear here, most influential first.
How the score works: each Pass or Fail counts by reliability (low 1, medium 2, high 3; a density reading counts 3). Not sure and Skipped add nothing. A red-flag fail always means “Likely fake”, any other fail rules out “Likely real”, and at least 5 points of evidence are needed for a confident verdict.
Gold density test calculator
Density is the most telling at-home test: gold is far denser than brass, copper, silver, or steel. Weigh the piece dry, then in water, and compare with reference densities.
Density = dry weight ÷ (dry weight − weight in water), by Archimedes' principle.
Enter both readings to see the density and the closest metals.
How to do a gold density test with a kitchen scale
- Use a digital scale that reads to 0.01 g (a 0.1 g kitchen scale works for pieces over about 20 g).
- Weigh the piece dry and note the weight in grams.
- Put a cup of water on the scale and press tare (zero).
- Tie the piece to a thin thread and hang it fully under water without touching the cup's sides or bottom.
- Read the scale: that number is the displaced water in grams, which equals its volume in ml. Enter it in the volume option.
- Or, with a hook under the scale, weigh the piece hanging in water and use the weight in water option.
Reference densities (g/cm³)
| Metal | Density |
|---|---|
| 24K gold | 19.3 |
| 22K gold | 17.7–17.9 |
| 21K gold | 16.9–17.3 |
| 18K yellow gold | 15.2–15.9 |
| 14K gold | 12.9–14.6 |
| 10K gold | 11.1–11.6 |
| Tungsten | 19.25 |
| Lead | 11.3 |
| Silver | 10.5 |
| Copper | 8.96 |
| Brass | 8.4–8.7 |
| Stainless steel | 7.9 |
How a jeweler tests gold
Acid test
The jeweler rubs the piece on a touchstone and applies nitric acid solutions rated for each karat. Do not try nitric acid at home: it is corrosive, gives off toxic fumes, and burns skin and eyes.
XRF analyzer
X-ray fluorescence reads the exact metal mix in seconds without damaging the piece. It is the best way to catch plating, but cannot see a thick tungsten core.
Assay office
In Egypt, the assay office (Maslahat El Damgha) tests and hallmarks gold. Ask for a test receipt when you buy or sell valuable pieces.
Disclaimer: at-home gold tests are indicators only. This tool is not an appraisal and cannot prove a piece is real or fake. Good fakes, such as thick plating or tungsten-core bars, can pass every home test. Only a jeweler's acid or XRF test, or an assay office, can confirm gold content. Some tests can scratch or discolor jewelry; you run them at your own risk.
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Real gold test FAQ
How can I tell if gold is real at home?
Check for a karat or fineness stamp such as 21K/875 or 18K/750, make sure a strong magnet does not pull it, and measure its density with a kitchen scale and a cup of water: real gold is 11 to 19.3 g/cm³ depending on karat. A ceramic streak test and a vinegar test add more clues. These are indicators only, so confirm with a jeweler's acid or XRF test.
Does real gold stick to a magnet?
No. Gold is not magnetic, so a piece that is strongly pulled by a magnet is fake or has an iron or steel core. Passing the magnet test does not prove gold, though: brass, copper, silver, and tungsten are not magnetic either, and steel clasps on real gold can be weakly magnetic.
What is the density of real gold?
Pure 24K gold is about 19.3 g/cm³. Alloys are lighter: 22K is about 17.7 to 17.9, 21K about 16.9 to 17.3, 18K yellow about 15.2 to 15.9, and 14K about 12.9 to 14.6 g/cm³. Brass is about 8.5 and silver 10.5. Tungsten is 19.25, almost the same as 24K gold.
What does 875 or 750 stamped on gold mean?
The number is the gold fineness in parts per thousand. 875 means 87.5% pure gold, which is 21 karat, the most common gold in Egypt. 750 means 75% gold, or 18 karat. Other marks are 999 (24K), 916 (22K), and 585 (14K). GP, GF, or HGE means plated or filled, not solid gold.
Can a jeweler tell if gold is fake?
Yes. A jeweler can confirm gold with an acid test on a touchstone, an electronic gold tester, or an XRF analyzer that reads the metal content without damaging the piece. In Egypt, the assay office (Maslahat El Damgha) tests and hallmarks gold. Get one of these tests before you buy or sell.