Using a magnet is a good way of identifying whether your jewelry is authentic or not. If your jewelry sticks to the magnet, it may be fake or not pure gold — this is because real gold is not magnetic at all, and even with a strong magnet it will not be attracted.
If that new “gold” ring is attracted to your most powerful kitchen magnet, it's not real gold. That's not to say that if your piece doesn't cling to the magnet, it's 100% real (silver and other metals also aren't magnetic). The magnet test is simply one way to test for gold content.
If it's real gold it will not stick to the magnet. (Fun fact: Real gold is not magnetic.) Fake gold, on the other hand, will stick to the magnet. If that necklace leaps to the magnet, your significant other has some explaining to do.
Gold is not a magnetic metal, so if they pull towards the magnet, the beads are fake. However, if they don't react to the magnet, it doesn't necessarily mean they are real, as non-magnetic metals are used in counterfeit pieces as well.
First off, if your "pure gold" is magnetic, then there is iron inside (or maybe nickel). In fact, this is one way to tell if jewelry is actually gold. If it's not attracted to a magnet then there is no iron - but it still might not be gold. Scammers have been known to coat lead, copper, and aluminum.
Gold is not magnetic, so there should not be any attraction to magnets. If there is, you most likely don't have real gold. However, some of the base metals that can be mixed with gold are also non-magnetic so you can get a false read.
Costume jewelry is often made with base metals, such as brass, aluminum, or copper. These inexpensive metals become tarnished easily and can even cause irritation or allergic reactions. Jewelry that is plated with precious metal, like gold-plated jewelry, is also considered costume jewelry.
The Magnet Test
"Silver is not noticeably magnetic, and exhibits only weak magnetic effects unlike iron, nickel, cobalt, and the like," says Martin. "If your magnet sticks strongly to the piece, it has a ferromagnetic core and is not silver." Fake silver or silver-plated items are generally made of other metals.
Conclusion. Many pieces of jewellery are not magnetic because they are produced with diamagnetic material and alloys to keep them free from corrosion. A few pieces of jewellery are made of magnetic stones and materials attracted by the magnets.
Pure gold on its own cannot stick to a magnet. However, if you have an alloy of gold, then it could stick to a magnet. An example of a gold alloy that may stick to a magnet is gold with over 20% of its atoms replaced by iron. In very cold temperatures this alloy of gold may magnetize all on its own.
Using the Float Test
A cup of water is all you need for another important test. Any size piece of genuine gold will immediately sink to the bottom of any liquid. Imitation gold floats or hovers above the bottom of the container. In addition, real gold will not rust or discolor when wet.
Gold, in its pure form, is not magnetic. It is known as a diamagnetic material because it has a weak repulsive force toward magnets. But when gold is alloyed with metals like zinc, copper, nickel, iron, cadmium, aluminum, silver, platinum, and palladium, it may display magnetic properties.
Debunking the myth of magnetic bracelets
Scientific studies have ultimately shown that there is no evidence to support any healing or therapeutic claims other than a placebo effect.
It can still be a low-purity solid gold alloy that contains magnetic metals. On the other hand, a piece may be gold plated, but it will not attach to a magnet because its core metal is non-magnetic.
If the magnet sticks to the piece, move along, it's not gold or silver. Now, you can't automatically assume it's made of precious metal if the magnet does not stick, but it might be. Further testing might be needed on a piece to which a magnet does not stick.
Gold, silver, and other metals are actually not magnetic. With that being said, certain spoof materials are, in fact, attracted to magnets.
No, silver is not magnetic. Test your jewelry with a strong magnet. Slowly move the magnet closer. If your piece snaps to the magnet, then it is not true sterling silver.
Nearly all precious metal jewelry has a mark of some kind. On chains the marking is usually on the clasp or right next to the clasp and on rings the markings are on the inside of the ring. Often times, people find the stamp but don't know what the stamps mean.
Chains will have a karat stamp on an end tab or clasp, and earrings carry their karat stamp on the post. Finding a karat stamp doesn't always mean that the piece is solid gold, and not finding one doesn't always mean that its fake. Really old pieces of jewelry don't always have a karat stamp on them.
If your gold piece doesn't have a stamp, that doesn't necessarily mean it's fake. Older pieces of gold may not be stamped because stamping wasn't required in the past.
For better accuracy, buy a powerful neodymium magnet from a home improvement store. The magnet test isn't foolproof, since counterfeit gold can be made with non-magnetic metal like stainless steel.
Check if your gold is real by performing the magnet test. Real gold will not attract a magnet. To test if 18k gold is real, hold it next to a magnet. If the magnet sticks to your jewelry, then it does not have a high percentage of gold but is made up of other, more magnetic metals.