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You tin can test gilded, platinum, and palladium jewelry to decide if an unmarked piece you lot've caused is genuine. There are like shooting fish in a barrel ways to test jewelry yourself and thus eliminate the demand for a professional appraisal. Past using chemic agents, namely acids, it's simple to approximate a reaction for a particular precious metal. Always utilize protective, disposable latex gloves, or if allergic, non-latex gloves, in case of spills.

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Examine your jewelry for any marks before testing. Utilise a regular magnifying drinking glass or a professional heart magnifying tool to look your piece over. X-karat aureate is marked 10k, xvi, 417, or 10KP; 14-karat gold is marked 583, 585, or 14KP; xviii-karat golden is marked 750 or 18KP; 22-karat aureate is marked 916 or 917; and pure golden, 24 karat, is marked 999. Marked platinum will say 900 Plat, Plat 900, Pt900, or 900Pt. Modern palladium is commonly marked Pd950. If you can't find a mark, you'll take to exam the slice.

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To test for gold, purchase nitric acid. Y'all can obtain this solution, along with other acids for jewelry testing, from a jewelry-supply company (many can exist found online).

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Wearing disposable gloves, follow the directions on the exam kit. Typically, you'll rub the aureate onto a piece of stone, so apply the nitric acid to the stone over the rub marking. The acid will deliquesce onto the stone and completely misemploy when it'due south not genuine gilt. Any colour change, though, indicates gold. The lighter the color change the higher the karat weight. A darker color modify can indicate 14k gold or less.

Magnet Attracting Metal

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To exam for platinum, use a magnet. This is the simplest way to test platinum jewelry without causative acids. If the magnet sticks, there is iron in the piece, and the piece is not pure. Other tests for platinum are the scratch-test method (similar to the one for gilded); a melting-signal test that looks for tarnish when flame is applied to the metal; and a density test, which involves weighing the platinum. Both the melting-betoken exam and the density exam are best done by professionals with the proper equipment.

To exam palladium, beginning make sure your piece is not platinum. Weigh the piece—this is the easiest way to determine that palladium is non platinum. Most palladium is lighter than platinum. Pure palladium is rare in vintage jewelry because it was used merely equally a filler metallic for other jewelry. Modern palladium is 12 percent lighter than platinum and more durable. A professional density-weight test may exist required for palladium.

Tip

Go to a professional jeweler when in uncertainty for an appraisal on platinum jewelry, because platinum and white gilt look identical. Accept your jewelry to a professional for a exam if your results are inconclusive, or if your pieces are fragile, and intricately designed with gemstones.

Warning

Always wear plastic disposable gloves when handling jewelry kit testing acids.

References

Writer Bio

Linda Stamberger began writing professionally in 1994, as an entertainment reporter for "Good Times Magazine." She has written online copy for The Volusia Community website and is the author of "Antiquing in Florida." Stamberger studied creative writing at Southampton College, where she won a fractional writing scholarship.

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