Is Your Gold Pure? Here Are The 10 Ways To Find Out!

Gold has always been seen as a preferred investment. Its impressive returns often outshine those of other assets, making alternatives seem less attractive. It has given around 30% return in 2024. It has also outperformed inflation between 1995 and 2024 by 2-4% on average. This makes it a more attractive buy but the real challenge is figuring out the best way to invest in gold.

Buying physical gold is the most popular choice in India. However, if you invest in gold through jewellery, you might face considerable losses. To help you make a smart purchase from local jewellers, here are some key tips to verify the purity of gold.

1. BIS Hallmark: BIS hallmark checks the quality level of jewellery being sold to customers. The real hallmark has the triangular mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards and is accompanied by the logo of the hallmarking centre and the purity of the gold.

2. Fineness number: The fineness number indicates the purity of the gold. The purity of gold is measured in Karat (KT). 24KT is considered the purest form of gold. Hallmarking is done for levels of fineness - 22KT, 18KT, and 14KT denoted by 22KT916, 18KT750, and 14KT585 respectively.

3. Assaying and Hallmarking Centre's identification mark/number: The laboratory where your gold jewellery is assessed to check its purity is also required to put its logo on the jewellery. These laboratories are licensed by BIS to check the purity of gold. Hence, verify the fineness number to identify the real gold.

4. Jeweller's Identification mark/number: The jewellery shop from where you are buying your gold jewellery puts its identification mark. This mark can only be of a BIS-certified jeweller or jeweller manufacturer. The list of which can be found on the BIS website.

5. Magnet Test: Real gold doesn't attract magnets, but other metals do. If you have a relatively strong magnet, you can easily test if your gold is real by placing the magnet near the piece and seeing if it is attracted to the magnet.

6. Vinegar Test: This experiment uses a popular kitchen item, vinegar! Just put a few drops of vinegar on your gold item. It's not true gold if the drops change the color of the metal. The drops will not change the color of your item if it is real gold.

7. Skin test: This test requires a little more time than the other tests as you have to wear it regularly. Real gold will never make your skin turn green. If your jewelry changes your skin color to a bluish or greenish tint, it's not real gold.

8. Float Test: Gold is a thick, hard metal. so, checking its weight or density is a reliable way to test if it's real. Drop your gold jewellery into a container of water-if it's genuine, it will sink.

9. Acid Test: With nitric acid, gold does not react. Test the jewellery by scratching gently on it and adding a small drop of nitric acid. If your jewellery becomes green, it may be gold-plated. If your gold contains sterling, a milky material emerges. And, if there is no reaction or change in colour, the gold is authentic.

10. Make-up Test: Apply foundation to your hand and rub the gold against it. Observe if there is any colour change on your hand. After rubbing, if it leaves a black colour on your hand, then it is not real gold.

You can test gold purity at home using things like water, magnets, or vinegaras mentioned above. But these tests aren't always reliable. It's best to trust professional methods, and an experienced jeweller can give you the most accurate results.

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