How do I know if my jewelry is gold ?

Cash Your Gold has received numerous questions from customers who do not know if their jewelry is gold or not. We have put together a small guide to help you determne whether your jewlery is gold or not.

Tip 1

Use a magnet. It is a simple method to determine if your jewelry is of metal, because most precious metals are not magnetic.

Tip 2

Look for a stamp. Real gold is usually stamped with the carat number. This stamp is often located in discreet places, such as the inside of a ring or near the lock on your bracelet or necklace. The stamp should say 18 k or 750 (if it is 18 carat gold), 14 k or 585 (for 14 carat gold), and so on. For silver or platinum, the percentage usually refers to the pure precious metal content, such as (900, 925, 950, 850, 800).
Sometimes the stamp has the precious metal written (silver, sterling silver, platinum, plat, or pt).

Remember that even if the jewelry has a stamp, it does not necessarily mean it is genuine. There are many who can easily forge a fake stamp on a piece of jewelry. It is easiest to fake the stamp 14 k on fake bracelets..

Tip 3

The best way to find out if your jewelry is genuine is to let them be valued by a professional. A professional generally knows how to perform an acid test or how to use an electronic instrument to determine the gold content in an object. When we receive your items, we use both those methods to determine the gold content. This is an effective way to know if your object is genuine or not.

If you have not purchased your jewelry from a trusted source, we suggest you look over the two first tip above before sending us your items.

Finally, a last safety reminder to avoid misunderstandings : Any jewelry or articles we receive will be systematically photographed. We advise you to do the same thing before you anything to us. This will prevent possible misunderstandings between Cash Your Gold and you, and it will be easier to compare in case any goods are damaged during transport.