Authenticating Gold: Testing Antique Items & Identifying Real Gold

Question
we have some old antiques like porcelain and other with gold platings. some of them looks like a real gold. I tried to scrape it with a stone but it still the same and some rust colored bright particles was still left and stuck on the stone. How will I know if it is really gold? thanks

Answer
Hi,

Are you talking about porcelain with gold trim?  Could you send a picture.  There are ways to test for gold but not easy for just anybody.  For example a scratch test of a suspect item.  You scratch they item onto a piece of emery sand paper. Then you take a know gold item say 14k and scratch next to it.  Then you need a bottle of nitric acid (70%) with a glass rod in the lid.
You swipe the acid across the two scratch marks and watch how fast the acid dissolves the metal.
If it does nothing it is pure gold and then dissolves to various degrees depending on the karat purity of the gold.  They sell kits that have the sample gold in various karats and a small bottle of nitric and emery.

Other ways involve XRF (Xray Florescence) this would have to be done by someone who owns one such as gold buyers.  There are other ways but they are destructive. The XRF may be your best bet if you can find someone to do it for you.  They may charge you.

Good Luck,

Steven D.Covey