Purchasing Gold Jewellery: how to tell the Genuine from the Fake

Gold has been used to make jewellery for thousands of years and it’s easy to see why. This precious yellow metal is soft enough to be worked into the most intricate designs yet it is also durable and never tarnishes. Wearing a piece of beautiful gold jewellery has always been a desirable way of displaying status and wealth.

Unfortunately for purchasers, fake gold jewellery has been around for almost as long as the genuine thing. Although there’s nothing wrong with wearing a piece of imitation jewellery if you know that’s what it is, nobody wants to unwittingly buy fake gold that has been passed off as real, ‘solid gold’ that is only gold-plated, or 9 carat gold sold as 22 carat.

Many professional jewellers and gold dealers develop a sixth sense that alerts them to suspicious items, but even experts can sometimes be fooled. The only certain way of proving something is made of gold, and determining the quality of that gold, is by scientific testing using acids or specialist electronic equipment.

So how can an inexperienced buyer tell the difference between genuine and fake gold jewellery? Here are a few signs you should look out for:

Hallmarks

In the UK all gold items offered for sale, and over 1 gram in weight, are legally required to be tested and hallmarked. This can be done by one of the UK’s four independent assay offices or by an assay office in one of the European countries that are recognised by the UK as having the same high standards.

A hallmark isn’t a guarantee of authenticity as a piece of fake jewellery can have a false hallmark, but if you familiarise yourself with genuine hallmarks you might be able to spot a fake.

To confuse the issue, if you are buying antique or second-hand jewellery the hallmark might have been worn away or removed during repair work. The lack of a hallmark could also indicate gold that was originally bought abroad.

Look and feel

Gold is a heavy metal so be suspicious of a piece that seems light for its size.

On second-hand jewellery small areas of gold plating might be rubbed away to reveal a different metal below.

A piece of jewellery that is attracted to a magnet is definitely not gold, but the magnet test is not 100% accurate as other metals including copper, silver and lead are also non-magnetic.

Workmanship

Good quality gold jewellery is usually made by skilled craftsmen. Rough edges, crude engraving or anything that looks as though it hasn’t been carefully finished could be a fake. Links in gold chains are always soldered shut so they cannot accidentally slip apart, and clasps are firmly attached.

Source

Who is selling the jewellery? With today’s high gold prices there are few genuine bargains around so beware of anyone offering very cheap gold jewellery. Be especially careful about buying at markets or car boot sales where the trader does not display any contact details. If you later find you have been sold a fake your chances of recovering your money are practically nil.

For complete peace of mind buy your gold jewellery from a reputable jeweller, preferably one that is a member of a recognised trade organisation such as the National Association of Goldsmiths. A professional jeweller will be happy to answer your questions and give advice if needed. Take your time to properly examine each piece. Purchasing genuine gold jewellery is not something to rush if you want to be sure of selecting a piece that is exactly right for you or the person you intend giving it to.