How to tell real gold from fake
Gold fraud usually means a lower karat than stated, a gold-plated piece, or fake liras with missing weight. These steps reduce the chance of buying fake gold, and none of them needs special tools.
1. Buy from a licensed shop
Licensed shops in Jordan follow the syndicate bulletin and have their pieces hallmarked. Offers well below the syndicate price are a reason for caution: a shop cannot sell at a loss unless the karat is lower than stated.
2. Check the hallmark
Pieces sold in Jordan carry a karat hallmark from the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization. The hallmark is a small stamp showing the karat in carats or in parts per thousand:
- 24k: 999
- 22k: 916
- 21k: 875
- 18k: 750
- 14k: 585
Where to find the hallmark
Use a magnifier or your phone camera. On bangles and chains the hallmark is usually near the clasp; on rings it is inside the band. Do not buy a piece with no hallmark at all.
3. Ask for an itemised invoice
The invoice should show the weight in grams, the karat, the gram price, the workmanship and the shop name. It is your evidence if the piece turns out to be fake, and you need it to sell or exchange.
4. The magnet test
Gold is not magnetic. If a piece is strongly attracted to a magnet, it is not gold or contains a lot of another metal. A piece that is not attracted is not proven to be gold, because many other metals are not magnetic either; the test only rules out obvious fakes.
5. Watch the weight and the colour
Gold is heavy; a real piece is clearly heavier than a fake of the same size. On plated pieces the plating wears at the edges and where it rubs against skin; if copper or silver colour shows underneath, the piece is plated, not gold.
6. Liras and bars
Fake liras are common. Buy liras from a known shop and compare the weight with the original: 7.99 g for the English lira and 7.22 g for the Rashadi. Certified bars show the refinery name, purity, weight and a serial number, with a certificate matching that number.
7. Avoid home tests that damage the piece
Acid, scratch or fire tests can damage a piece and lower its value. If you doubt a piece, ask another shop to test it with a metal analyser, or file a complaint with the Jordan Standards and Metrology Organization with your invoice.