Gold: look-alikes and how to tell
Short answer
Gold is commonly confused with plated and gold filled, pinchbeck and gilt brass, silver gilt (vermeil).
The metal. Colour is not a fineness, and a mark can be forged.
Look-alikes
- plated and gold filled
- pinchbeck and gilt brass
- silver gilt (vermeil)
What to look at
A different-coloured metal showing through on edges, clasps and wear points gives away plating. A fineness mark tells what the maker declared.
What settles it
- Magnet: if it sticks, it is not solid gold (not sticking proves nothing).
- Jeweller: touchstone and acids, or X-ray fluorescence, in two minutes.
Frequently asked
What can gold be mistaken for?
plated and gold filled; pinchbeck and gilt brass; silver gilt (vermeil).
How can I tell gold from its look-alikes?
Magnet: if it sticks, it is not solid gold (not sticking proves nothing). Jeweller: touchstone and acids, or X-ray fluorescence, in two minutes.