3 Ways to Tell if Gold Is Real [Updated 2023]

“Spark it Up: Can You Test Real Gold with a Lighter Flame? Here’s the Fiery Truth!”

You have to just hold the flame beneath the jewelry. If the jewelry gets brighter then it is the original gold, and if it starts melting, then it is a duplicate one.

There is no doubt that gold is a very expensive metal, and that is why people always try to replicate it, especially when making jewelry. And with the naked eye, it is very tough to tell whether the jewelry you are seeing is made of original gold or duplicate gold.

Yes, it is weird but true. Do you know how to tell if gold is real with a lighter? But there are a few methods by which you can test whether it is original gold or not. And you do not need to be an expert for this!

Steps To Tell If Gold Is Real With A Lighter

Now it is the time when I shall tell you the method of testing gold jewelry with a lighter to tell whether it is real gold or fake.

Take A Fire Torch Lighter

The right kind of lighter for this test is a lighter than can produce a constant and tall flame. An ordinary disposable lighter can work for you but these kinds of lighters are not ideal for this particular test. And if you use a butane lighter, first fill it with fuel fully. Note that this fuel must be lighter fluid. Other gasses will not work in this case.

Hang The Gold Jewelry

Hang the gold jewelry that you want to test from an item that does not catch fire. Because if the item is flammable, then there is a chance for it to burn or melt. You can hang the jewelry from a nail, or simply hold it using a plier. Cover the end of that plier using tape so that your jewelry remains safe.

Apply The Lighter’s Flame To Your Jewelry

And now the most important step of this method – light up the lighter and hold its flame beneath the gold jewelry for at least 1 minute. After 1 minute, the color of the jewelry will start changing.

Check whether it is darkening or brightening. If it is brightening, then you can be sure that it is pure gold. But if it is darkening, then the jewelry is made of fake gold. Jewelry made from fake gold, copper, brass, or iron usually darkens under flames.

If you see the jewelry melting, then it is not made of gold but gold-plated. The flame will melt the gold plating and the real metal will come up. So this is how you can test whether a piece of jewelry is made of pure gold or fake gold by using just a lighter.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What’s the easiest way to tell if something’s real gold?

The easiest way to tell if something is real gold or not is – just to hold a flame of a lighter beneath the jewelry. If the jewelry gets brighter, then it is pure gold. And if the jewelry gets darker, or it starts melting, then you can be sure that it is fake gold jewelry.

2. What happens if you burn real gold?

If you start burning real gold, the immediate effect that you will see is, you will see the gold is getting brighter. This is how you can test real gold.

3. How do you tell real gold from fake gold?

Just hold a lighter flame beneath the gold-made product. If it darkens, then it is fake gold, and if it brightens, then it is real gold.

4. Is real gold heavy or light?

Real gold is quite heavy. Real gold will sink in water.

The Final Words

Many people around the world love gold jewelry. Gold is an expensive metal, and that is why people make fake gold jewelry to cheat on gold jewelry buyers.

That is why many people keep asking how to tell if a piece of gold jewelry is real or fake on the internet. And that is why I wrote this article where I depict how to tell if gold is real with a lighter. I hope this article will help you to check whether the gold you have is real or fake. All the best!

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