How to Check a Natural Gold Nugget’s Quality
The city of Skagway is popular for many things among which, their gold nuggets sit at the very top. The gold nuggets from Skagway are very popular and commonly sold in several jewelry stores around Alaska. However, one thing that plagues the minds of most people is whether the gold nuggets they buy are made from real gold or not.
So, let us look at how to check a natural gold nugget from Skagway.
Techniques to Verify Gold Authenticity in Gold Nuggets.
Weigh the Gold Nugget
When it comes to heavy metals, gold is surprisingly one of them. This is thanks to the high density that gold has compared to most other metals. A gold nugget that is not made from gold will have to be much larger to match the weight of a real gold nugget.
If you have another gold nugget with you, this is the easiest way to tell whether a gold nugget is made of real gold or not.
Use Magnets
Gold is not magnetic in nature. A real gold nugget will never have a magnet attached to it unless the gold nugget is comprised of other metals. If a magnet does attach itself to a gold nugget, it means that the nugget is made from several metals other than gold, reducing its actual value.
Do a Sound Test
Thanks to its high density, gold makes a very high-pitched sound when it experiences some force on its surface. This sound also will remain present for a longer time than other metals which produce a noticeably lower pitched sound.
To perform a sound test on your gold nugget, hold it in a position where it is not covered too much and then strike it gently with an object made from another metal. This should allow you to tell the difference between the two metals.
Drag Over a Ceramic Plate
If you have a spare ceramic plate that you do not use for any purpose, you can use that to check the validity of your gold nugget. To do this, simply drag the gold nugget over the ceramic plate while applying small pressure on the plate. A gold colored mark will confirm that your gold nugget is made from gold.
Nitric Acid Test
Dipping your gold nuggets in Nitric Acid will allow you to instantly confirm if your gold nugget is real or not. Nitric acid can cause corrosion on any metal with highly reactive properties. As many of you may know, gold is a highly unreactive metal which is what allows it maintain its shape and color for centuries.
If you have access to Nitric acid, dipping a real gold nugget inside it will not cause any damage however, fake gold nuggets will corrode very easily.