If you have gold jewelry pieces you no longer wear, you may consider selling them for some extra cash. However, gold is one of the more valuable and widely used metals in jewelry, so it is often imitated, which means you'll need to confirm your pieces are real. In general, a piece must be at least 10 karats, or 41.7% gold, to be considered authentic. Before you go to sell gold, here are some tips to determine if your pieces are genuine.

How to Determine If Your Gold Is Real 

1. Look for an Official Hallmark  

Gold pieces made in the 1950s or later are often engraved with a stamp or hallmark, indicating the metal purity or the manufacturer. These markings are usually located on a jewelry clasp or the inside of rings. If you can’t make out the stamp, try using a magnifying glass to get a closer look. 

The number may be from 1 to 999 or 0K to 24K, depending on whether the manufacturer used the Millesimal Fineness system or Karat system to denote the percentage of gold in the piece. For fake gold pieces, there may be another marking indicating the piece is not pure gold. These include the letters GP (gold plated), GF (gold filled), and GEP (gold electroplate), which denote the piece is gold-plated, not solid gold. 

2. Perform a Magnetization Test 

Gold is not magnetic, so you can test the metal using a powerful magnet that is capable of pulling metal blends. A regular kitchen magnet won’t work. Instead, you’ll need a neodymium magnet, which you can purchase from a hardware store before you go to sell gold pieces. If you hold the magnet next to the piece of jewelry and it sticks, the piece is probably not real. Instead, it’s likely made of nickel, iron, cobalt, gadolinium, or a metal alloy containing one of these magnetic metals, like steel. 

However, this test is not foolproof. Some fake gold is made with non-magnetic metal, like stainless steel, and some genuine gold items are made with a percentage of a magnetic metal, like iron. 

3. Compare the Size & Weight 

If you hold a gold ring in one hand and another ring made of a metal like nickel, copper, or brass in the other, you’ll notice the gold is denser and heavier. If a piece seems too light for its size, it may not be real. You can also try dropping the piece into water. Gold will quickly sink to the bottom.  

To determine if your jewelry pieces are real gold, visit American Trading Company in Cincinnati, OH. For more than 50 years, they’ve been one of the community’s top pawn shops, known as an excellent establishment for selling and purchasing genuine jewelry and collectibles. Call (513) 661-3633 to speak with a friendly team member about how to sell gold or coins. You can also visit the website to learn more about the pawn shop.