Gold jewellery is not simply an accessory — it is a representation of beauty, tradition and even wealth. But how can you determine if the gold you own is real or fake? To safeguard your investment and appreciate its true value, we need do verify it’s authenticity. For that you don’t always require professional testing — there are many simple methods to check your gold’s authenticity at home. Check Hallmarks on Jewellery The quickest way to tell if your gold is real is to look for hallmarks, these marks indicate the purity of the gold and often located on the inner bands of rings, clasps of chains, or back of pendants. Hallmark purity is expressed in karats (K) or millesimal fineness. 24K – 99.9% Pure gold 22K – 91.6% gold 18K – 75% gold 14K – 58.3% gold 10K – 41.7% gold If your jewellery lacks a hallmark, then it may not be real gold. Some older pieces may not have these marks. So additional tests can assist in authenticity confirmation. Check Letter Markings on Jewellery Other than hallmarks, pay attention to letter markings that suggest if your jewellery is pure gold, or just gold-plated. Common markings of letters are: GP (Gold Plated) – Very thin layer electroplated on metal GF (Gold Filled) – A heavier coating, but not solid. GE (Gold Electroplated) – Electrolytic application of gold plating. RGP (Rolled Gold Plate) – A gold-filled process where there is less gold. HGP (Heavy Gold Plated) – A heavy coat of gold plating. If you observe these markings, then your jewellery is gold plated.
