These are just a few of the reasons why gold is so amazing.

Plasticity

Gold is a soft yellow metal with a beautiful lustrous shine. It is the most malleable and ductile of all elements. Gold is so malleable that it can be rolled into semitransparent sheets and so ductile that it can be drawn into wires small enough to be used in semiconductors. One ounce (28 g) of gold can be churned out to 300 square feet. You could say that gold is the Play-Doh of metals.

conductivity

Gold is a very good conductor of heat and electricity. Among all precious materials, silver has the highest thermal conductivity and the highest light reflectance. Although silver is the best conductor, copper and gold are more often used in electrical applications because copper is less expensive and gold has a much higher corrosion resistance. Since gold never corrodes and can be molded into any shape, it is used to make long-lasting electrical connectors on all kinds of devices.

Reactivity

Gold is one of the least reactive elements on the periodic table. It does not react with oxygen, so it will never rust or corrode. Gold is unaffected by air, water, alkalis, and all acids except aqua regia (a mixture of hydrochloric acid and nitric acid) which can dissolve gold. In fact, the acid resistance of gold is one of the reasons our acid tests are so accurate. Gold reacts with halogens. For example, it will react very slowly with chlorine gas at room temperature to form gold chloride, AuCl3. If gold chloride is heated gently it will decompose to release the pure elements again. Gold is also resistant to most bases with the exception of potassium cyanide.

energy reflectance

The reflectance of a material’s surface is its effectiveness in reflecting radiant energy. It is the fraction of incident electromagnetic power that is reflected at an interface. Gold is a good reflector of electromagnetic radiant energy, including radio waves, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. The characteristic optical properties of gold, combined with its complete resistance to attack in any environment and its ability to be applied as very thin films, make gold a highly versatile material for applications in various industries. For example, gold is often used in aerospace applications to provide protective coatings for satellite components and space suits.

As a refinery, we handle large volumes of gold in all kinds of shapes, weights, and purity levels. Thanks to our technologies, we can take advantage of various types of assays to authenticate the fusion value of anything a customer brings us.

However, there are also several quick and easy ways to identify the alloy from pure gold.

Discoloration: Pure gold does not tarnish, so please check carefully for discoloration. Even slight variations in tone can reveal fake gold.

Magnets: Gold (like most other precious metals) is not magnetic. If the piece in question reacts to the magnet, it can only mean that the iron, nickel, or other ferromagnetic material is alloyed with the gold, so it may be one karat lower than advertised.

Scratch – Even without acid, a simple scratch test is enough to uncover many types of fake gold. A porcelain scratch test can be performed by using an unglazed tile or ceramic plate and scratching the object on the tile. If it leaves a black streak, the item is not gold. If the streak is gold in color, the item is likely gold. This may scratch the piece, but it shouldn’t cause much damage.

Float Test: Test the buoyancy of the item by dropping it into a glass of water. Real gold is dense and will sink, but many alloys will float. Also, if your piece rusts or discolors then it is either plated or fake. Of course, this test is most effective on small samples, such as jewelry or alluvial flakes. Keep in mind that many metals designed to look like gold are still dense enough to sink, so even if the piece passes the float test, you should still attempt additional testing.

If you are not sure, it is always a good idea to request a consultation with a specialist.