Hi! We're Arden Jewelers, a family owned jewelry business in Sacramento, CA. We are dedicated to providing exceptional value and education on engagement rings, diamonds, jewelry gifts, and all things fine jewelry. We would love to hear from you, so feel free to contact us with any questions, video requests, or comments you have.
Arden Jewelers 2800 Arden Way Sacramento, CA 95825 (916) 481-8006 www.MyGemologist.com
❤ Thank You. I enjoyed your video. I recently bought a gold testing kit Because I wanted to test my gold flakes and Placer gold....DO you use it the same way on those ( ? ) And do you just use the neutralizer for cleaning the bar ( ? )
@@rachellbarnes799 there are a lot of reliable diamond testers out there. The really cheap ones are hit or miss but the nice ones are close to 100% reliable
@@suteners2111It's true there are many less destructive ways to test gold that are much more reliable too. These are just some inexpensive ones that can help at home, pawn shops should have gold testing equipment that they can use to prove what they're selling to you is legitimate.
Thanks! In our experience, box chains are kind of in the middle. They're not as strong as rope or cable chains, and they're not as weak as a bead or snake chains. We'll have to film a follow up video later with some of the styles that we missed in this one.
@@ArdenJewelers Thank you! The reason I ask is because I used to have a 2mm 18k one and I'd always sleep in it with no issue (except for the pendant to always end up behind my neck somehow) and my girlfriend at the time always warned about kinks. My 5mm herringbone is one of my favorites but I've only worn it 3 times or so due to it being so delicate, and luckily learned before purchase that I can't sleep in it. A 7mm rope is usually what I sleep with, and no issue. Since tennis chains be it with moissanite or diamond are so popular, I suggest testing those, as well as francos which are constantly being pushed online. Thank you for the fast reply and I look forward to the follow up video as well.
@@SCARREDENT Box chains can kink but less often than some other styles. I always recommend taking jewelry off while sleeping, but as long as you understand the risks, then that's your choice. Those are all great options to include in part 2, I appreciate your insight.
Thanks for reaching out. This particular ring is more of a fun idea than a practical self defense tool. That said we could definitely make something for you that would be stronger in sterling silver or gold if you would like. Feel free to text/call us and we can talk ideas: www.mygemologist.com/about-us/contact/
Thank you for your comment. I asked around a bit and we're not familiar with that stamp. It may be indicative of the maker but I don't think that helps narrow down if it is real or fake.
The toothpaste does not work for telling if it is fake or not, because I use toothpaste and a toothbrush and toothpaste has baking soda in it and that is what I used to clean gold jewelry
Thanks for commenting. The magnet is a great first step, but just keep in mind that there are fakes that are not magnetic. So, it can't catch everything.
in my opinon best tests are the one that not destructive - chemical tests no go, then gold must have unique properties that hard to fake - weight to volume ratio + electro-magnetic properties, this should probably be enough
Generally I agree with this, the hard part is that most people aren't able to test for those at home with things they may have laying around. But yes if they had an accurate scale and a volumetric flask that would be a good way to determine authenticity
Great question! Almost all testing methods from the most professional XRF machine to the toothpaste trick only test the surface of a piece. So, if the plating is thick enough, it will register as gold. That's why you see us filing in to each piece before we test it. You need to get through the plating to the metal underneath. Now, filing is destructive, so we try not to file a piece in real life if we can help it. Also, we try to file in an inconspicuous area, and we always get the customer's permission first. If you are testing your own jewelry, try to test an area that naturally has some wear on it. If you need to be sure, file into it first like we do in the video.
Thanks for the feedback. Just keep in mind that many pieces of fake gold jewelry are plated. If you don't file them, you will just be testing the outer plating, and you'll miss that it's fake. Also, just so you know, when we test jewelry in our store, we always start with non-destructive tests (like the electronic tester), and we will only scratch a piece if absolutely necessary with the customer's permission.
not all fake jewelry will stick to magnets, but no real gold jewelry should (except for clasps which always have a steel spring in them) So it won't definitively tell you if it IS gold, but it can tell you definitively if it is not. Hopefully this helps
Sorry to correct some information I've seen countless times that is improperly provided to viewing audiences. Gold alloys ARE magnetic, this includes 18k, 16k, 14k, 12k, 10k and 8k and all the percentages of gold alloys in between ALL DEPENDANT on the size of the item, the strength of the magnet and the base metal used to achieve the percentage or karat that the item is. 😅 But your video was genuinely entertaining and informative. Thank you!😊
While they can technically be slightly magnetic, you won't see any gold alloy jump to a magnet, or stick to it strong enough to pick the item up which is what we were implying here that being said yes, gold alloys can be slightly magnetic on occasion so that could have been stated clearer. I appreciate the compliment thank you!
Totally understandable, we were referring to the test itself not working. Since we were trying DIY tests not all of them are definitive. That could have been stated clearer though thanks for the feedback.
Since we didn't see a reaction on either the fake piece or the real gold piece, those tests didn't work well for us. The idea is that you're supposed to see some kind of reaction when you test a piece of fake gold (and we didn't). Of course, your results could be different. This is just what we were seeing. Hopefully that helps.
If the foundation changes color (gets darker) that's an indication that the piece is genuine gold. I know that definitely could have been more clearly explained in the video.
🙋🏼♀️ Question for who ever has a legitimate answer. Why would someone say that gold has no reaction to all of the tests it went through? Story: My parents had bought us kids jewelry from Mexico one year when they took my grandma to go visit. My brothers got a ring each and matching Jesus head charm for their necklace. When 2 of my brothers passed my mom gave me their 4 pieces to pawn to help with funeral experiences. The 2 jewelry shops I took them to said there was no reaction to any of the tests and 1 guy said that the stamp on the pieces just said Mexico, with both of my brother's initials, RS & GS, so he said they weren't worth anything. The other jeweler offered me $300. for each of the rings and $425. for each of the charms. Why would 1 say they were worthless and the other offered a decent amount. Even though my mom said they only paid like $150. USD For each piece. Was I bamboozled or were the jewelers inexperienced?
It is possible that they weren't experienced. It is definitely possible that one of the jewelers knew for sure and the other made a mistake (I can't say without seeing the item in person which one was correct) It sounds like if they were purchased for $150 they likely wouldn't have offered more unless there was a long time period in between. the gold market typically goes up over time so if they were purchased when gold was much lower that would be a possibility.
Great video however with the foundation test you didn't say if it leaves a black mark doesn't mean it's fake gold or real gold? Or maybe I just didn't hear you say that. Thanks again
Good question. That definitely could have been clearer in the video. If the test is working, real gold should leave a dark mark in the foundation, but fake gold will not. Of course, it isn't foolproof, but it did work pretty well with our test pieces.
pawnshop tells me its real and appraise a good value, but when I test it and scratch it like you did they did not accept it anymore due to dents and scratch.... now I dont have money to pay for the rent..
Lmao what kinda pawnshop you go to? Gold is gold if it's real I ain't ever seen a pawnshop not take gold ,shit some will take scraps ,they gone low ball tf out you of course but that's what they do
Bro your experimentation process is flawed if your going to use at home style testing show how each test reacts to all the fakes not remove one after proven fake you only tested 2 probably gold pieces on test styles that werent used on the fakes how can we accuratly choose a preference or trust what may be at hand at the moment if not fully tested make anothere video with each process on each object
The link the the machine is in the description but I will copy it here as well. The machine needs to be a calibrated on a regular basis as well. We use a ring that is known 18k gold and calibrate it daily at minimum (sometimes more often if needed)
Oh yeah I had another question I remember a long time ago I did a test by taking the piece of jewelry and rubbing it on my forehead and leaving a black mark indicating it was real. Is that still effective? I think it has something to do with the iron in a person's body, so it is not the most reliable. Also I think it might have been for sterling silver if a black mark appears it means it's real sterling silver but I don't remember do you know anything about this? Again thanks for the video it was really great and you were super friendly and very thorough but not too thorough. Which I loved because I didn't have to fast forward.
The black mark on the forehead almost sounds like the liquid foundation test. Maybe that's what it was? I haven't heard of a test that works directly on the skin. I would definitely be skeptical of that. I'm so glad you enjoyed the video, by the way. It always makes our day to read comments like this. :)
Great question. If the foundation turns darker it could be an indication that it is real. in this test the real ring turned the foundation darker, while the fake item did not.
So I have a 4.5mm 10k gold figaro bracelet. I know 10k is a little more durable that 14k but it’s a little thinner and less wide so curious what you think it would take to break it off my wrist since yours did 90 lbs. The circle loop connecting to link and clasp is sodered
Thanks for the comment, that is a great question! Most likely the clasp and the jump ring attaching it to the chain will be the weakest points. the chain itself should hold more than 50 lbs as an educated guess. Clasps and jump rings usually fail around 10-20 lbs depending on how thick they are.
The electronic gold tester is $325 so I'll need to find a way to test cheaply to sell a few items on ebay....even a $25 investment for the acid kit is painful 😣
I agree. In your case, your best bet is probably to ask for help from a local gemologist/jewelry buyer. If you bring us a handful of pieces that you are interested in selling, for example, we won't charge you to test them and let you know what's real and fake. Then, if you like our offer, you can save some time posting on eBay, if not, there's no obligation.
Density is a great way to get an idea if an item is gold or not. The main problem with this method is that you have to be very accurate and most people don't have a way to measure volume accurately at home. If you have access to a graduated cylinder and an accurate scale (or a specific gravity set-up) that can be a strong indicator if the item is gold or not. In our experience we have seen many counterfeits made with high density but low cost materials like Tungsten which has a very similar density to gold and then gold plated on top.
