How to Tell Real Gold from Fake

It could be worth something or it could not. Knowing how to tell real gold from the fake stuff can easily be done.

Gold has been around since the ancient Egyptians and was the first metal to be considered precious by humankind. Ancient civilizations such as the Greek, Roman, and Egyptian empires led their own conquests for gold. Gold became the first standardized coins for currency and quickly became a sign of wealth and prosperity.

Fast forward to the Gold Rush of 1840, Americans quickly found themselves searching and panning rivers and streams for the natural beauty in search for their own road to wealth and success.

How did fool’s gold come about?

Not all miners struck it rich though. Many miners believed they found true gold, when in reality they found an abundance of iron pyrite, a mineral that upon initial visual inspection looks like real gold. The name “fool’s gold” was coined by prospectors and gold-buyers who were given this look-alike shiny mineral who believed they found real gold. Knowing how to tell real gold from fool’s gold was crucial in assessing the true value.

Safe Test on How to Tell Real Gold from Fool’s Gold

There are a few ways to tell the difference between real gold and fool’s gold. If you are unsure about whether or not your gold is real, then try these methods.

1. Shape: One of the easiest ways to determine whether or not your gold is real is to look at the shape of the stone itself. Real gold is smooth and rounded while pyrite is generally sharp and has angular edges.
2. Color: When comparing pyrite with true gold, pyrite looks more brassy. It is darker than true gold. Gold will always be a true golden color with hints of yellow. Sometimes, though, true gold may have a white-ish yellow color.
3. Check for grooves: The face of pyrite will always have grooves, or striations, along the face of the stone. Gold has no grooves.
4. Weight: Gold weighs more than fool’s gold. In fact, real gold weighs around two to three times more than pyrite.

Value of Real Gold

Even now, gold is a great way to invest. Many cash out their gold valuables when the market payout reaches high levels. In fact, real gold hit a long-time high in January of this year (2020). According to JM Bullion, gold is measured in spot price. “The spot price of gold — or any commodity for that matter — represents the price at which the commodity may be exchanged and delivered upon now.”

Get your stones and jewelry appraised

Now that you know how to tell the differences between real gold and fool’s gold, you may be curious on what you can get for any real gold you have. Sometimes that’s scrap gold (such as a combination of gold chains and rings), or gold coins, even gold bullion. Gold is reaching historical highs for its value right now. We strive to pay top dollar for gold items. So, if you are curious on what you might be able to get for your gold, let us make you an offer and then you decide if you want to sell.