How to Determine if a Ring Is Solid or Plated Gold

When buying a gold ring from a personal seller, a used jewelry shop or some other source, you want to be sure that you are getting what you are paying for. Gold-plated jewelry, while it can be attractive, is far more likely to wear and lose its luster than solid gold jewelry. There are some telltale signs and tests you can perform at home that can indicate whether a ring is gold-plated or solid gold.

Instructions

1

Determine the weight of your ring. Solid gold jewelry is generally heavier than jewelry that is gold-plated. Try to find a comparable ring that you know is solid gold or gold-plated and compare the weights. Although this won't definitively determine whether or not the ring is solid or plated gold, it will give you a place to start.

2

Identify markings on the ring. The letters HGE (gold electroplated) or RGE (rolled gold plating) tell you if a piece of jewelry is gold-plated, but not all plated jewelry has markings. Some, but not all, solid gold jewelry carries a "maker's mark," which indicates the karat of the jewelry. Although these marks help, the absence of a mark does not indicate whether the ring is gold-plated or not.

3

Use nitric acid to test whether a ring is solid gold or gold-plated. Make a small scratch on the inside of the ring where it will not be visible when the ring is being worn. Wear gloves and use a wooden stick to apply nitric acid to the scratch. If there is no reaction, then the ring is probably gold.

4

Buy an electric gold jewelry tester. These testers can generally be bought from a jewelry store or an online store.