Buying guide
How to tell if a chain is real gold, and what you cannot tell online
The home tests rule things out. Only a proper test at a jeweller rules things in.
Zayr Studio4 min read
Updated
You cannot prove a chain is real gold at home; you can only find reasons to doubt it. Check the stamp, check whether it is attracted to a strong magnet, compare its weight with its size, and look for wear showing a different colour underneath. To actually confirm gold and its karat, have it tested by a jeweller, either on a touchstone with acid or with an electronic karat tester.
1. Read the stamp, but do not trust it alone
Look near the clasp or on a small tag by the clasp. Gold purity is stamped either in karats or as parts per thousand.
| Stamp | Means | Gold content |
|---|---|---|
| 24K or 999 | Pure gold | 99.9% |
| 22K or 916 | 22 karat | 91.6% |
| 21K or 875 | 21 karat | 87.5% |
| 18K or 750 | 18 karat | 75% |
| 14K or 585 | 14 karat | 58.5% |
| GP, GEP, HGE, RGP | Gold plated, electroplated or rolled gold plate | A surface layer only |
| GF | Gold filled | A thicker bonded layer over a base metal |
| 18K GP | Gold plated, not 18 karat | A surface layer only |
Two warnings. A stamp is easy to add, so a fake chain can carry a perfect 916. And many genuine chains made by local karigars carry no stamp at all, because stamping is not applied consistently across the market. A missing stamp is a question to ask, not proof of a fake.
2. The magnet test, and its limits
Gold is not magnetic. If a strong magnet, such as one from old headphones or a hardware shop neodymium magnet, pulls clearly on the chain, it is not solid gold. It may be gold-plated ordinary steel or iron.
That is where the test ends. Brass, copper, silver, aluminium, 316L stainless steel and many other metals are also non-magnetic or nearly so. A chain that ignores a magnet has passed one filter, not been confirmed as gold. Clasps sometimes contain a small steel spring, so test the links, not the clasp.
3. Weight and size
Gold is very dense, more than twice as heavy as steel and brass for the same volume. A solid gold chain feels surprisingly heavy for its size. If a chain described as solid 22k looks wide and chunky but weighs about what a steel chain of that size would, it is either hollow or not gold. Jewellers weigh on a precise scale, and the weight on your receipt should match what the scale shows.
4. Look for wear
- Check the clasp, the jump ring and the insides of links where they rub. Plating wears there first.
- A different colour showing through, such as coppery, pale yellow, grey or silvery, means a surface layer over something else.
- Green or black marks on your skin under the chain suggest copper or brass alloy, though sweat and cosmetics can also cause marks.
- Real gold scratches but the scratch is the same colour all the way through.
Why jewellery turns your skin green explains the chemistry behind those marks.
5. Home tests to skip
- Biting it. Soft metals other than gold dent too, and you may damage the chain or a tooth.
- Scratching it on ceramic or a tile. It removes metal from your chain and a thin plating can leave a gold-coloured streak.
- Vinegar or bleach. They can damage genuine gold alloys and plated chains alike without telling you anything reliable.
- Floating tests and lighter tests. Neither is reliable for jewellery, and heat can damage plated pieces and stones.
6. Tests that actually confirm gold
- Touchstone and acid test. The jeweller rubs the chain on a dark stone, called a kasauti, and applies testing acids of known strength to the streak. How the streak reacts indicates the karat. It is quick and traditional, and it leaves a tiny mark that is usually invisible.
- Electronic karat testing. Many sarafa markets have X-ray fluorescence (XRF) machines that read the metal composition without damaging it, and give a percentage. Plating can sometimes mislead a surface reading on a thick layer, so a good tester will check more than one spot.
- Selling or exchange quotation. A jeweller who offers to buy the chain has had to decide whether it is gold and what karat it is. Ask two jewellers if you are unsure.
What an online seller can and cannot prove
A photograph cannot show karat, a video cannot show density, and a stamp in a close-up proves only that a stamp exists. An online listing for real gold jewellery is only as good as the seller's willingness to state weight, karat and making charge in writing, and to accept the chain back if a jeweller's test disagrees.
Be very careful with advance payment for any gold sold online, particularly through social media. How to spot a fake online jewellery seller covers the warning signs.
To be clear about our own position: Zayr does not sell real gold. Our gold-tone men's chains are 316L stainless steel with a PVD gold finish, and we describe them that way. If a listing anywhere calls a gold-tone chain gold without naming the base metal, ask. For how gold chain pricing works in the first place, see gold chain for men price in Pakistan.
If you are buying real gold, do it in person at a jeweller you can return to, get the weight, karat and making charge written down, and have it tested elsewhere if you are in any doubt.
Home tests tell you what a chain is not. A jeweller's test tells you what it is.
Common questions
Does real gold stick to a magnet?
No, gold is not magnetic. If a chain is clearly pulled by a strong magnet, it is not solid gold. But many non-gold metals, including brass, copper and stainless steel, are also non-magnetic, so passing the magnet test does not prove a chain is gold.
What does 916 mean on a gold chain?
916 means 91.6% gold, which is 22 karat. 875 means 21 karat and 750 means 18 karat. Stamps are easy to fake, however, so a stamp should be backed up by a jeweller's test and a receipt showing weight and karat.
How do jewellers test gold in Pakistan?
Traditionally with a touchstone, or kasauti, and testing acids, which indicate karat from how a streak of the metal reacts. Many markets also have electronic XRF karat testers that read metal composition without damaging the piece. Ask about any charge before testing.
Can a gold-plated chain pass as real gold?
At a glance, yes, and sometimes even with a fake stamp. It usually fails a magnet test if the base is steel or iron, feels light for its size, and shows a different colour where the plating wears. A proper jeweller's test will identify it.
Does 18K GP mean the chain is 18 karat gold?
No. GP stands for gold plated. An 18K GP chain has a thin layer of 18 karat coloured gold over a base metal, usually brass or steel. The gold content is tiny and the colour wears with use.
Ready when you are
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