How to Test Scrap Gold

Current gold prices shock those who lived before prices were variable. Gold was $35 an ounce in the United States through the 1950s and 1960s---up until 1971 when President Nixon ended fixed-price gold. With gold prices high, scrap gold has new meaning, and it can make you money---if you can identify it. Not much gold is pure or 24-karat gold. Common gold percentages are 10-karat, 14-karat and 18-karat. A 10-karat gold ring is 10/24 gold---not quite 50 percent gold content. You can test scrap gold for gold content in different ways.

Senses

• 1

  Use your senses for preliminary testing on scrap gold. Feel it. Gold feels very smooth, and it flows when heated, so it does not have sharp edges.

• 2

  Look at it. Check the color. The color is not a gaudy yellow like some imitation jewelry. Look for gold marks. Although this is not foolproof, items incised with a gold content mark are more likely gold.

• 3

  Check the scrap gold with a loupe or magnifying glass on the edges where wear is most likely. If the edge shows wear, your piece is probably plated gold or costume jewelry.

Acid Test

• 1

  Purchase an acid test kit. This kit for testing scrap gold comes with a stone and various bottles of acid that test for different karats of gold.

• 2

  Find a spot that is least visible for scraping. This test is invasive and does some damage to your jewelry or scrap gold. Rake the scrap gold across the stone to make a visible line.

• 3

  Drop a tiny amount of one of the acids on the line on the stone and watch for the result.

• 4

  Check to see if the acid dissolved the line, or if the line held without dissolution. If the acid dissolves the line, use the 10-karat acid to test again. If the 10-karat acid solution dissolves the metal line, the scrap is not gold or is less than 10-karat gold. Some old gold is 9 karat, but American standards no longer consider less than 10 karat as gold.

Electronic Test

• 1

  Purchase an electronic gold tester. This tool operates on batteries and uses a gel to make a seal for testing. If you intend to buy and sell much gold, it is faster and more accurate than the acid test kit, and worth the purchase.

• 2

  Connect the testing pen and clipboard to the electronic tester.

• 3

  Turn the pen top counterclockwise to place a small amount of the gel on the end of the pen.

• 4

  Place the edge of the scrap gold under the clip, and turn the tester on. Touch the pen to the gold and push the "test" button.

• 5

  Wait for the result. A number will show on the screen. The number translates to a karat amount as shown on the front of the gold tester, so you can determine if your item is 10-karat, 14-karat or 18-karat gold---or somewhere in between those fractional amounts.