QuestionQUESTION: Can you test for slid gold and silver with a magnet?
ANSWER: Dear Jacqueline,
Only a few metals are magnetic and are attracted by a magnet. Gold and silver are not magnetic and a so-called "magnet test" is useless. This is just another one of the old tales of ways to do things which is not accurate. The best testing is by a jeweler or someone who has testing equipment to tell what the metal is.
Metals attracted to a magnet almost always are iron based metal, such as iron itself of steel. Cobalt will also be attracted but this metal is not common in normal living.
Some platinum metals will react to a magnet but this is only if the metal contains cobalt. Cobalt is a metal like iron which will react to a magnet. When a magnet attracts a piece of platinum, the test is to see if the metal contains cobalt and not to see if it is platinum. If any gold item should react to a magnet, it means the gold recipe contains cobalt or iron in some quantity and does nothing to prove the metal is gold. I have not found any gold yet to react but if it did it would only prove another metal was present and not prove gold was present.
I do hope this answer helps you. Thanks for asking. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Let me rephrase the question. If it attracted to a magnet then is it NOT gold or silver?
AnswerDear Jacqueline,
Considering the experimental nature of iron/gold alloys and the absence of gold or silver cobalt alloys in jewelry, I agree with your rephrased statement. Gold mixes with iron like water with oil and is very problematic, remaining essentially an experimental substance of the laboratory.
I have seen one sterling chain with an unknown white plated surface which was attracted to a magnet but this was once only and the reason was the plated surface made of some unknown metal. Any odd results such as this chain should be tested with other means using standard and accepted methods.
Thanks for this follow-up. God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
