How To Spot Fake Jewellery?

Jewellery shopping is not as simple as it seems to be. One has to be really aware and cautious about various things to ensure that genuine jewellery is being purchased. It is quite interesting to see that the market is now flooded with fake jewellery, which are almost exact replicas of the originals. At the very first glance, it is sometimes impossible to spot the differences. However, the person with the right eye and knowledge will be able to make the difference right away.

Owning genuine gold, platinum or diamond jewellery might not seem affordable for many people. They usually settle for replicas of original jewellery as they come at quite low rates when compared to the original ones. It is baffling to see the intricate works that are done on the fake jewelleries to give them the look of the original thing. But if you are looking to purchase authentic jewellery, it is important to assure that you purchase the right product.  

Mentioned here are some tips that will help in spotting fake jewellery right away:

How to tell if jewelry is real or fake ?

1. Check The Hallmark Or The Original Stamp

While purchasing a piece of jewellery, make sure that you check the original stamp and the hallmark on the piece of jewellery. Some of the common stamps are that of ‘9-carat gold’, ‘18 carat gold’, ‘24 carat gold’, ‘22 carat gold’, ‘950 silver’, ‘950 platinum’ and so on. The hallmark signs change from one metal to another. The hallmark sign of authenticity for gold jewellery will be different than that of platinum or silver jewellery. Nowadays fake stamps are also being used. If you have doubts, ask the jeweler for instant electronic measurements for ensuring the genuineness of the jewelry.

 

 

2. Magnet Test 

 

This is one of the oldest tests that have been carried out on jewellery pieces to find out whether they are authentic or not. Bring a piece of a magnet near the pieces of jewellery. If the metal is genuine white gold, yellow gold, or real platinum, it will never ever stick to the magnet. However, any kind of imitation jewellery will cling to the magnet as it has some iron content in it.

 

 

3. Test On Ceramic Plate

 

This test is exclusively valid for gold jewellery items only. The piece of jewellery that needs to be tested is placed on a ceramic plate across the whole surface of the plate. If a black streak appears on the plate it indicates that the jewellery is not genuine. However, if a gold streak appears, it means that the jewellery is genuine.  Gold bars can be tested really well with this technique.   

4. Bite Test For Pearls And Gold 

 

This might sound really ridiculous but the bite test is truly effective for understanding whether the jewelry is authentic or not. Original gold is very soft in nature. This is the reason that for making jewelry some ‘additions’ are made to the metal to make it strong and a little hard. Put a bite on the gold and if it makes an impression, the gold is genuine. The same applies to pearls as well. If the pearl has an ultra-smooth surface on biting, it is fake. Real pearls have a grittier feeling to the teeth.

To avoid being duped with fake jewelry, it is always recommended to purchase such expensive stuff from authentic dealers. Also, keep all documents and papers safely for the purchased pieces of jewelry.