Blog (All About Gold)

Gold Hallmark or Hallmarking

Whenever we have to buy gold (either jewellery or bars), the first concern is to check the purity. But, unfortunately, it’s not in any specific county that purity of gold is the primary concern, but gold buyers worldwide have the same question in their minds. So to clear this ambiguity, you must check the Hallmark embedded on your gold.

Remember!

You must go for two things before buying gold. Gold rate and Hallmark.

What is Gold Hallmark

Gold Hallmarks are the sign on gold by the goldsmiths or their manufacturers that indicates gold has passed through the necessary quality assurance test.

The process of quality assurance is known as hallmarking, and now it is mandatory by almost every country’s government.

So in other words we can assume that Hallmarking of gold is a purity certification and increase the confidence of both buyer and seller. In Addition, this way people will be protected from cheating and their gold will be protected. They can confidently invest in gold.

Benifits of Hallmarking

It will help you with two things:

1- Ensures purity

2- Resale value

These are the Hallmark signs on gold.

Hallmarking plays an important role, and these hallmarks indicate that gold is pure and fulfils international standards. So in this way, it helps you in both things which I have defined above.

Means purity assurance or resale value. Moreover, You can sell gold having Hallmark worldwide without having any problem. That’s the beauty of hallmarking.

Gold Hallmark Symbols- Gold Hallmark identification

As we know hallmark is a sign of purity, now you must have a question in mind what does these symbols indicate?. Ok, let us explain.

These gold hallmark symbols consist of four things and identify the following things:

1- The year of Marking

Year of marking simply defines in which year this particular piece of gold has been hallmarked.

2- Jewellers Identification Mark

It shows the identity of the jeweller. It simply means from which jewellers shop this gold jewellery has been bought. Moreover, In case of any misconduct, the jeweller will be held responsible and you are totally secure in that way.

3- Hallmarking Centre’s Mark

By hallmarking centre we mean which assaying centre identifies the purity of that gold. Moreover, it will be easy to find from which particular centre this piece of gold has gone through the process of hallmarking.
Hallmarking centre after a detailed testing process declared how many carats this particular piece of gold contains. In simple means shows the purity and impurity.

4-Purity and Fitness Grade

Purity and fitness grade shows the purity of the gold. This sign may be as 22K, 24K, and so on. These are the symbol used in gold purity defining.

Gold Hallmark Numbers

999.9 or 999 – 24 karat gold
995
990 – 23 karats
916, 917 – 22 karat gold
833 – 20 karats
750 – 18 karats
625 – 15 karat gold
585, 583, 575 – 14 karats
417 – 10 karat gold (typically the lowest one will find in U.S. markets)
375 – 9 karats
333 – 8 karat gold (typically the lowest one will find in German markets)

These hallmarks are embedded with lessor so that these can not be removed or blurred with the passage of time or its use.

Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery-(Process)

Before embedding hallmarks on gold jewellery, it has been gone through various examinations. These steps are following:

1- First of all, a little part is cut down from a large piece of gold. Then it’s weighed.

2- After this, with the help of a machine, the exact quantity of gold in that part is extracted.

3- Then this part of gold is mixed with silver and led. Moreover, it is weighed again.

4- This mixture of gold, silver, and led is melted in a fire furnace. By doing this with the exception of silver all other impurities are separated.

5- Then this part is cooled down, which takes place as a small particle. After it with help of the hammer and annealing process, it has been shaped into the round cornet.

6- To separate the silver from that cornets, they put them into the acid.

7- After all of it, this small piece of gold is weighed again and then its real purity is found. Moreover, then hallmark signs are ejected on gold with laser technology.

Why is it necessary to buy only Hallmark Gold?

Gold is an expensive metal and also very rare. Therefore, a person with no experience or minor cannot precisely judge its purity merely by seeing it. It is even impossible for the experienced person too. Only an expert person having years of knowledge or observation can do this.

So it gives you a feel of protection when going to buy an expensive product like gold. But, on the other hand, it is also observed that gold-coated jewellery was sold instead of pure gold. And the main thing to be noted, it has no hallmark on it.

A famous jeweller, Kalyan jeweller’s owner Ramesh Kalyanaraman says, “Mandatory hallmarking will standardize the purity of gold jewellery and take the industry a long way towards being more structured, as well as further push the ongoing shift of business and customers from the unorganized to the organized jewellery segment. But, more importantly, the new regulatory framework will ensure that customers get a fair value for their new jewellery purchases as well as their exchanged or collateralized old gold”.

So that’s why Hallmark is important as it gives the feel of purity and satisfaction to both buyer and seller. It will be an outstanding initiative to legalize Hallmark as it is in the USA.

How to Tell if Gold is Real- Gold Testing Methods

by Luke Austin

Buying gold is a difficult task for an inexperienced person. Having little or no knowledge will only lead you to a worthless deal. Because it’s not child’s play rather it’s a tough job to tell if gold is real or not. But in case you are buying it from a trustworthy or reputable dealer like (your family jeweler), you can rely on them.

It will minimize your risk of spending money. One more thing, you must check the gold rate before making any decision. Some international standards say gold must be considered fake if it’s less than 41.7% or of 10 Karats.

In this article, We are going to tell you several ways that are not only easy but also authenticated when there is a need to know how to check real gold at home.

After reading it you will be able to buy gold with full confidence. But before buying gold, you must check the Gold rate today to get an idea about the gold price in the market.

Gold Testing Method-How to test gold at home

Here is a list of some simple gold testing methods to be performed at home to check if the gold is real or fake.

Through Hallmark

Hallmark is the easiest or free method to check gold’s purity. Hallmarks are different signs like (Numbers or Symbols) embedded in gold. It will not only help you in purity checking but will tell you when and where this piece of gold was manufactured and its weight too.

how to tell if gold is real-Hallmark test

This mark will also help you to identify the manufacturer of that piece of gold and its content. Hallmarks are different and vary from county to country. If it is absent then gold might not be pure. Because real gold always carries a hallmark.

As we mentioned above, different countries have different hallmarks, gold manufactured in America will show the letter “ K” that represents Karat. 24k means 100% pure gold. Moreover, it will change according to the purity of gold

European gold will represent it with a decimal number like “.999” or ”.583”. (.999) will represent 100% pure gold while. (.583) means gold has some other mixtures.

However, It is not necessary that you will find hallmarks on every piece of jewelry because some antique gold jewelry and some countries before the year 2001 have no concept of it. It happens most of the time that the hallmark is very small so, you must have a magnifying glass with you to check it.

Vinegar Test

Vinegar is the most common and popular kitchen item and is probably found easily in everyone’s kitchen. If not then you can buy it from the market.

Now we will tell you how to perform this test in three simple steps.

1- Take vinegar and put it into a little dropper

2- Hold the piece of gold which you want to test in your hand.

3- Now drop some drops of vinegar on the gold.

Conclusion of that result

If after dropping vinegar the gold changes its color then it will not be pure. But, if remains the same as before then it’s a 100% pure form of gold.

You can also use a bowl for this test. Simply put vinegar in that bowl and place a piece of gold in it for 10-15 minutes. Then wash it with water. It shines then it is pure otherwise it is not real.

Also Check: Guide on how to buy gold jewelry

Through Magnetization Test

Yes, you hear it right, if you have a question in mind that how to check the purity of gold in a simple way at home then a magnet is one of them. we are going to tell you how to perform these simple steps:

1- Bought a strong magnet from a hardware shop

Why a strong magnet, only a strong magnet is applicable to pull gold pieces toward it.

2- Now move the magnet above the gold in a clock, anti-clock, up, and downward towards the magnet.

3- So if the gold shows some attraction toward the magnet while performing the test, then it may be fake. The reason behind this is gold is not magnetic. If it shows any, then probably you have bought something other than gold.

The recommendation is that you must pass gold from multiple tests because it might happen that gold was made of some stainless material. Then magnetization test will not be helpful.

The Float Test

Float test, density test, and water test are the same name called for this test. It is a quick and very simple test to perform. For this, you have to:

1- Take a clear glass bowl and fill it full of water.

2- Now all you need is to drop your piece of gold into the water bowl.

3- The third step will lead you to the conclusion that whether your gold is pure or not. So the conclusion is that the density of gold is high, which means its weight is heavy. When you drop the real gold into the water it will sink to the bottom of the bowl due to its weight.

If it is fake, then it will float above the bottom of your bowl. However, it is not guaranteed that gold is real or fake. It may happen sometimes that some sort of material is mixed with gold and increases its density automatically.

Moreover, gold will also not rust, so if you notice any kind of rust on your gold piece after some time of performing this test, you will know its purity. As we mentioned above if you want to know if your gold is pure or fake, you must pass multiple tests.

The Skin Test–How to check if gold is real

A skin discoloration test is an easy test to perform if you have bought gold jewelry or don’t know how to test gold at home. This test will take some time as its procedure is a little bit time taking but, it’s a guaranteed method to check gold’s purity.

In this method, all you need is to hold your jewelry piece in hand for some time until your skin produces some sweat. When you feel some sweat or wetness on your skin lose your hand and keep jewelry aside.

Now you have to look if your skin color changes to greenish or some bluish tent. If skin color changes then it is not pure, and if doesn’t show any change in skin color, then it indicates that your gold is pure.

Precaution

To perform this test you have to wash your hands and make them clean. Any kind of liquid foundation like lotion, cream, or moisturizer should be removed first.

The Scratch Test-To check if the gold is real

how to tell if gold is real-Scratch test

A quick method to perform, all you need is a ceramic unglazed piece of tile. You can find it at any home improvement store. scratch your gold piece gently on that tile and see if the gold is real then it will leave its mark on the ceramic tile. Otherwise, it is fake.

The Nitric Acid Test

Because of its Nobel properties gold shows resistance to acid, oxidation, and corrosion. In simple meaning, it must not change its color as a result of interaction with vinegar or nitric acid.

To perform this test you have to take some safety measures as nitric acid is harmful. So you must use butyl gloves as they are made up of synthetic rubber and will keep you safe from the hazardous reaction of nitric acid. Moreover, the room must be well ventilated and wear black glasses.

Now take a clear, plain, and smooth black stone. Rub your gold piece on it with a very gentle effort until it leaves a visible mark on the stone. Then drop some nitric acid on that area. If the mark is dissolved by acid then it’s not pure gold, because pure gold will not be dissolved with nitric acid.

How to check if gold is real with lighter

A method that can be performed easily at home. For this, you need a good lighter that provides a constant flame. Now hang your piece of gold and blow the flame of the lighter under it for about 1 minute.

During this process, if your gold changes color like some blackish stains appears on it then you must have something else than gold.

Remember that, during interaction with flame and heat gold starts to melt and get brighter and brighter. It’s the primary quality of pure gold.

Size and Weight Test

For this test, you must have a pure gold piece that you have tested before. Now if you are going to buy a new one then compare its weight with the old one. If it is the same then no problem you can buy it without any hesitation.

Another thing is that you must compare its weight with its size. As we told you before that gold is denser in weight, so if you feel any difference in its weight as compared to size, then it may not be pure. It must justify its weight according to its size.

So these are some simple and quick gold testing methods if you were not aware of how to tell if gold is real. You must perform a test to check gold’s priority and to save yourself from financial loss. You must also check the gold price before buying. The price you can check here is the Gold rate in Kuwait, the Gold rate in Dubai, the Gold rate in Pakistan, and many other countries. checking the gold rate will help you to estimate the exact price of gold.

What is Gold

by Luke Austin

Gold is a metal substance that is desirable, valuable, or very rare. It is orange-yellow in color, shiny, and extremely malleable. One of its most likable properties is that it’s a very good conductor of electricity and heat. It’s a precious metal and is widely used in jewelry. It is accepted all over the world. Its appeal is almost universal across cultures and times, and from the very earliest time, It has played a leading role in human history.

History of Gold

We all know gold is very precious, and its rate changes constantly. You can see the gold rate today here. It is mostly used in monetary reserves. Half of its consumption in the world is in jewelry and other investments, but do you know about its history, from where it originated? Who discovered the gold? When was gold discovered? How was it found? If not, then you will get answers to all these questions.

Here is a brief detail about who, when, where, and how it was discovered. I have done a lot of research and then presented this blog to you.

When and where gold was discovered- Who discovered Gold?

An American carpenter James W. Marshall On January 24, 1848, discovered gold in Coloma, California. He found it unexpectedly when constructing a Sawmill on a partnership basis with Captain John Shutter on the American River. During construction, he saw some little pieces of metal in the water. At first, he was unaware of it, but later on, when Marshall’s crewmembers performed different tests on it like, boiling it using some chemicals like lye soap or trying to shape it using the hammer, they confirmed gold.

His words at that moment were the following:

“I went down as usual, and after shutting off the water from the race, I stepped into it, near the lower end, and there, upon the rock, about six inches beneath the surface of the water, I discovered the gold. I then collected four or five pieces and went up to Mr. Scott (who was working at the carpenter’s bench making the mill wheel) and the pieces in my hand and said, ‘I have found it.’

‘What is it?’ inquired Scott.

‘Gold,’ I answered.

‘Oh! No,’ returned Scott, ‘that can’t be!’

I replied positively, ‘I know it to be nothing else.'”

So from then, gold was the first metal discovered by humans in history.

Check: Gold vs. Cryptocurrency

According to an international geologist team led by the University of Arizona, in the United States, about 40% of the world’s gold is 3 billion years old.

How old is Gold?

It is widely used over the world not only because it’s a precious metal but also extremely malleable in nature. It can be easily shaped into the desired form, even with a hammer or other simple tools. Gold is not only the safest asset for investment but also serves the purpose of a Monetary Asset for countries.

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FAQ’s

When and how did gold become valuable?

It was not very expensive at an earlier time as it was used only means of exchange but, later on, as the world’s population increased, its demand became higher and higher. And now it’s also commonly used in jewelry, so it became scared which directly boosts its price.
Another reason is that in the 12th century, people started to hoard it, and its availability in the market was reduced before, which directly hit its price.
Moreover, during the 12th century, the European banks started to manipulate their prices which became the major cause of changing prices. That’s the reason why gold became valuable.
So 12th century was the time when gold first became valuable.

What is the history of gold prices?

In 643 BC, it was first used as money, and the Roman Emperor Augustus set it at 45 coins to the pound. Later on, its price goes on changing with time. Here you can see the 100-year gold prices chart.

Are gold prices change every day?

Yes, they change every day. you can check gold prices every day which include the gold rate in Kuwait, the Gold rate in Dubai, and the Gold rate in Pakistan.

What is the use of Gold?

It is most widely used in making jewelry. People also invest in it by buying it at a low price and then selling it when the price is high. Nowadays, various digital modes are available to invest in gold