It is not by chance that gold, or rather alloys based on it, is called a precious metal. However, in appearance it is easy to confuse it with other yellow metals that are resistant to corrosion. Unscrupulous craftsmen take advantage of this. How not to make a mistake? I heard about magnet testing. Indeed, some chains were attracted to him! But is this good? We need to figure it out!
Gold chain is magnetized: reasons
Testing the products will tell you their composition. For jewelry, alloys are used that range from 37.5% noble metal (pale yellow metal) to 75% (white gold). Silver in the alloy is from 5 to 15%, palladium from 3.8 to 20%, the rest is copper.
Important! All these metals have diamagnetic properties and do not react to a magnetic field. Chains made of certified alloys are not attracted.
There are messages on social networks and forums about such properties of the fastener. This is due to the use of a spring latch made of special carbon steel. Jewelry compounds are too plastic and cannot be used to make a good castle. It will quickly fail. If the chain itself is not magnetic, the product can be purchased.
Why is the chain magnetic?
Experts give two reasons why a chain might stick to a magnet.
- Used gold alloy with nickel or cadmium. In some countries they are used to make thick stamped chains;
- This gold plated jewelry. Modern methods of hot application of protective coatings are effective. In this case, a strong film is formed that adheres to the base at the molecular level.
By the way, high-quality gilding of 20–40 microns can withstand chemical testing; only a jeweler can identify a fake.
Is it possible to use a magnet to check the authenticity of gold?
When going shopping for jewelry, some buyers find it necessary to take a magnet with them. In some cases, it helps to identify a fake. Testing is not difficult; it does not indicate the authenticity of the chain.
Important! Experts do not recommend relying completely on a magnet.
Non-ferrous metals that are not attracted
There are non-ferrous metals that look like gold, consisting of elements that do not have special properties.
- Jewelers in Germany and other European countries use it to make professional costume jewelry. goldin, an alloy of copper and aluminum.
- Tin or butt bronze, multicomponent copper-based compounds, have a light yellow color with a subtle greenish tint.
- Some copper-zinc alloys created specifically to create jewelry that is resistant to oxidation and retains its appearance for a long time. These include Hamelton metal, Mannheim, French, mosaic, Turkish, and English “gold”.
- Durametal, a ductile alloy with aluminum, is equally popular in industry and jewelry.
- Tompak, a copper alloy alloyed with nickel and other paramagnets, is often used by jewelers to make fakes in Israel, Italy, China, and the United Arab Emirates.
- Platinor contains only 18% platinum, the main component is copper, it contains up to 57%, the remaining alloying components are silver, nickel, zinc.
All these alloys amazingly imitate different types of hallmarked gold.
Important! A magnet will not help to identify products made from them, so such testing does not give 100% results in identifying counterfeits. Additional testing is needed.
Many of the listed alloys are used to apply gold-like coatings to copper products, which are passed off as inexpensive imported jewelry chains, rings, and earrings.
How not to make a mistake and not overpay for the alloy as if it were a jewel? Now we know that color and neglect of the magnet are not an indicator. This means that we buy jewelry only from a trusted seller, in a reputable jewelry store. And we don’t hesitate to ask for a certificate.
We wish all your jewelry to be real!
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“For jewelry, alloys are used that range from 37.5% noble metal (pale yellow metal) to 75% (white gold). Silver in the alloy is from 5 to 15%, palladium from 3.8 to 20%, the rest is copper.” The color of the ash depends on the composition of the alloy.White gold also exists, but it is rare and exotic; the white color of jewelry gold is given by silver and palladium. Nickel can also be used, but due to its high allergenicity, it is usually not used in jewelry. It is not clear why the author focuses specifically on white gold. It is used mainly for setting diamonds or black pearls. Usually 375 gold is red due to the large amount of copper, 750 is usually light yellow, greenish.
Nickel is used less for technological reasons; it imparts excessive hardness to gold and is certainly not allergic. white gold is far from rare and certainly not exotic.