Buying or investing in precious metals like gold and silver is considered auspicious on Dhanteras, the first day of Diwali, which for 2024, happens to be celebrated today, Tuesday, October 29.

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However, it is also important to test the purity of the metal before purchasing. As a result, the following are some simple tests to check the purity of gold:

Skin test

For this, all you have to do is hold the gold object in your hands for a few minutes so that your palm sweats as a result.

If the sweat reacts with the metal and turns your skin green, blue or black, it’s not the real deal.

Real gold, called a “noble” metal, will never react to sweat or discolor the skin.

The distinctive test

Typically, a piece of gold will have a distinctive engraving used to identify its contents or maker.

The hallmark will use the Karat system such as 10k, 14k, 18k, 22k and 24k to show the purity of the gold, with 24k being the purest.

The hallmark may also include numbers such as 333, 375, 417, 583, 585, 625, 750, 833, 875, 916, 958, and 990. Anything other than these is not true.

For silver, the numbers used may include 800, 950 or 925.

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The acid test

Apply a few drops of vinegar to the gold item.

If it is genuine then there will be no reaction. If it changes to a different color, such as black, then it is fake.

This is because vinegar contains acetic acid, but real gold will not react to it, unlike many other metals.

Ceramic scratch test

Rub the gold object on an unglazed ceramic plate or ceramic plate. If the gold is real, a gold mark or in some cases even a trace will be left behind.

If false, the trace or mark will be black.

The magnet test

Gold is not magnetic and therefore if the item is genuine it will not be attracted to a magnet.

However, this method is not completely safe because most gold jewelry is made with a gold alloy that may include other metals, so it is best to test it in combination with other methods.

The water test

Gold is a dense metal and will never float on water or float to the bottom of the container. If it does either, then the item may not be real gold.

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