With gold and silver prices hitting record highs, many people are selling or buying precious metals. Whether you’re a coin collector, investor, or simply cleaning out old jewelry, now is the right time to make sure your items are authentic. One of the fastest tests for authenticity is using a magnet.

Why Use a Magnet to Test Gold or Silver?

Genuine gold, silver, and platinum are not magnetic. That means if a magnet attracts your jewelry, coins, or bullion, the item likely contains other metals such as iron, nickel, or cobalt, which are often used in fakes or plated pieces.

A keychain magnet from Apex Magnets is a small yet powerful tool that is perfect for testing jewelry at home or on the spot at a coin shop, pawn shop, thrift store, or antique show.

 

How to Test Your Jewelry or Coins

  1. Place your jewelry, coin, or watch on a flat surface.

  2. Hold the magnet just above the item.

    • If the item sticks to the magnet, it likely contains non-precious metals.

    • If it does not react, it may be genuine gold or silver.

This test is a great first step (especially for eliminating obvious fakes), but keep in mind that not all counterfeit items use magnetic materials.

Additional Testing for Accuracy

Magnet testing helps you quickly identify impostors made from ferrous metals, but it’s not the only way to verify authenticity. To confirm the metal content of a piece, experts often use additional methods like:

  • Visual Inspection to look for marks that indicate the piece is sterling silver or gold. Silver will often be marked 925 or STERLING, while real gold should have a stamp of "14K" or "18K". You may need to use a magnifying glass to pick out these small stamps, which are usually located on the inside or near the clasp of jewelry.

  • Scratch Test involves scratching the metal on a testing stone and then applying acids of varying strengths to the resulting streak. Genuine gold will produce a consistent color streak that remains unaffected by the acid corresponding to its karat. Conversely, fake gold or alloys will react with the acid, causing the streak to dissolve or change color. This test is best left to professionals.

  • Spectrum analysis uses an advanced machine, an XRF analyzer, to shine X-rays on jewelry. The jewelry's atoms then send out their own X-rays, each with a unique energy pattern for that element. The analyzer reads these patterns to determine which elements are in the metal and how pure it is. It can also tell if something is gold-plated and how thick the plating is by seeing how much the signal changes. 

 

Buy and Sell Precious Metals with Confidence

Using a strong neodymium magnet is a simple way to quickly determine whether gold or silver is real before making a purchase or sale. Always go to trusted, reputable buyers who conduct thorough testing to avoid scams.

Our keychain magnet is a handy everyday tool for quick checks, organizing, or even retrieving small metal objects. And it makes a thoughtful and affordable gift for coin collectors, jewelers, or anyone interested in gold and silver. 

 

Magnets can be dangerous. Neodymium magnets, especially, must be handled with care to avoid personal injury and damage to the magnets. Fingers and other body parts can get severely pinched between two attracting magnets. Bones can be broken by larger magnets. 

 

Visit our Magnet Safety page to learn more.