How to Determine if a Gold Chain is Plated

A quick test is all you need to determine whether your gold chain is real or gold-plated. Thousands, if not millions, of gold-plated chains have been sold to uneducated buyers who thought they were buying solid gold chains. You do not need good eyesight or good light to quickly spot gold-plated chains. And no jeweler's tools are needed.

Instructions

1

Twist the chain in your hands one way and then the other. If the sparkle of the chain goes up and down the chain as you twist it, the chain is plated, not solid gold. (With a solid gold chain, the gold is constant throughout the chain, so there should be no variances of shine or sparkle anywhere along the chain.)

2

Test it with a magnet. If the chain attracts to the magnet, it obviously has a metallic center. Neither gold nor silver pulls toward a magnet. This test can verify you do not have a solid gold chain. Be aware, however, that some gold-plated chains are composed of chromium materials and are not magnetic.

3

Put on gloves and put some nitric acid in a container. Obtain a small scraping of your metal if possible. Jewelry that is at least 18 karats will retain its color, but if the sample turns green, this indicates the presence of a base metal.

4

Look for a manufacturer's hallmark in addition to the karat stamp, such as 14K. The absence of a manufacturer's hallmark points is evidence of a fake.