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With gold prices spiraling upwards, it’s critical to make sure that the jewelry you are considering purchasing is real, and made of solid gold. And this undertaking can be even more mysterious when inspecting white gold jewelry. Taking your gold jewelry to a local jewelry store is the most convenient way to know your gold is legit. Luckily, there are a few proven ways of checking the gold content of your jewelry yourself.

The first way of checking is by using acid. When a jeweler tests gold, they use very specific acids of certain strength, and the stronger the acid is, more likely it’s able to dissolve away at the more purer alloys of gold. Since you aren’t able to measure something that well, you can merely use nitric acid. First make a modest scratch on the jewelry with a file in an area won’t be too visible. Then using a dropper, place a couple drops of nitric acid. If the jewelry is simply plated, the base metal underneath will change color or bubble as the acid dissolves it . If it’s real gold , there should be no noticeable difference before or after it was scratched. For gold chains, it’s easier to test on the clasp at the end of the chain.

The second approach is by inspection . Simply hold it in your hand and feel the weight. If it feels heavy, there’s a good chance it’s gold or platinum. On the other hand, silver alloys weigh approximately 70% that of gold, so if it’s gold plated silver, it will be a noticeable difference. Tungsten is roughly the same weight of 14 karat gold , however tungsten is a darker gray metal.

Getting cash for gold in this tough economy is a reality for a lot of people these days. But the most important thing that you should do is to make sure that your gold jewelry is not fake. You don’t want to get embarrassed, right. I simply did not have time to parade all over the city trying to have my jewelry appraised. I had fallen on hard times so I needed to sell my gold jewelry for a little extra money. I needed to be really be sure that my jewelry was genuine so I could have some idea of how much it was worth.

Have you ever heard of the magnet test? You won’t have to run to the hardware store for this test.

The first test that you need to do is to try out the magnet test. This test is easy and here is how it works. First of all, precious metals like gold and silver are not attracted to magnets. Or another way to say it is they are not magnetic. But steel is magnetic. But be wary of this test. It will sometimes yield a false positive.

But where are you going to find a magnet for this test? Head to the kitchen. Why the kitchen, because you probably have some refrigerator magnets in there. This type of magnet should work great for most people. But if you have some of the cheap plastic type, they may not be strong enough.

People have been fascinated with gold for centuries; it is mentioned in repeatedly in the Bible and the ancient society of Aztecs called it ‘god excrement’, such was its significance. Since 25BC it has been mined and due to the high demand for this precious metal most of the gold ever mined has stayed in circulation. From the gold rushes of the nineteenth century to its usage in jewellery, the fascination with gold has ceased to wane for hundreds of years. There are other precious metals, such as silver, palladium and platinum, so why is it that gold continues to be so popular across all cultures and traditions?

There are many uses for gold but arguably one of its most significant is its place within the history of currency. Gold was used as a standard economic unit from the Byzantine era onwards and since then has been used variously as currency or an investment. However there are more romantic notions associated with gold, namely its use in jewellery.

Gold as a jewellery-making material was first pioneered by the Egyptians who incorporated coloured glass into gold settings to make pieces they wore in both life and death, signifying everything from fertility to power. As gold is fairly soft and pliable, therefore meaning it is easy to create exactly whatever jewellery you desire, it is partly for practical reasons that its use in jewellery arose. Its famous bright yellow colour and lustre, however, are also why people just cannot get enough of gold.

A popular choice in the landscape for 24 karat gold coins has been the American Buffalo. Each coin includes one troy ounce of fine gold and its specifications guaranteed by the United States government. Amidst the steady interest in the series, releases have been interrupted by the overall surge in demand for physical precious metals.

A section of the Presidential Dollar Coin Act served as the Congressional authorization for the new series of coins. The American Gold Buffalo was first available for purchase by the general public on June 22, 2006. On this date sales of the bullion coin began to the US Mint’s network of authorized purchasers. The proof version of the coin could be purchased directly by the public, albeit at a higher premium.

After selling more than 700,000 of the one ounce gold bullion coins during the first two years of release, the United States Mint decided to expand the collectible offerings for the coin. For 2008 the Gold Buffalo was available in either proof or collectible uncirculated finish across a range of four different bullion weights. The coins were available either individually or as part of a complete set. The additional offerings failed to generate significant sales and were subsequently canceled.

The following year was a turbulent one for the United States Mint’s bullion and precious metals offerings. Amidst surging demand, the US Mint was failing in their mission to meet full public demand. In an attempt to satisfy as much demand as possible, the production of Gold Buffalo coins was delayed, while production was focused on the 22 karat Gold Eagle. The US Mint narrowly managed to produce 2009-dated Gold Buffalo coins and release them in October.