| How to Tell if Gold Is Real Posted: 23 Jun 2021 01:00 AM PDT Gold is a valuable metal, so it is often imitated in fake jewelry and metal blends. By most international standards, anything consisting of less than 41.7%, or 10 karats of gold is considered to be fake. If you're wondering whether your gold is real, the most reliable test is to take it to a certified jeweler. If you aren't ready to do that yet, you can form an opinion by inspecting the gold and testing its basic properties. You could also try doing a density test or nitric acid test for more accuracy. Go through several tests and, if they all come out well, you can rest assured knowing that your item is the real deal. [Edit]Doing a Visual Inspection - Look for an official number marking on the gold. The marking, or hallmark, tells you what percentage of gold an item consists of. The hallmark is often printed on jewelry clasps or the inner bands of rings. It is usually visible on the surface of coins and bullion. The stamp is a number from 1 to 999 or 0K to 24K depending on what kind of grading system was used.[1]
- Use a magnifying glass to help you identify the hallmark. It can be tough to make out by eye, especially on smaller pieces of gold such as rings.
- Older pieces of jewelry may not have visible hallmarks. Sometimes the hallmark wears off over time, while in other cases the jewelry never got a stamp. Hallmarking became common in the 1950s in some areas, but in India for instance, it only became mandatory in the year 2000.[2]
- Use the number marking to determine how much gold is in your piece. Most coins and jewelry are not pure gold, so they have other metals mixed in. There are 2 different scales used to indicate this through the hallmark. The number rating system used in Europe runs from 1 to 999 with 999 meaning pure gold. The U.S. uses a scale from 0 to 24K, where 24K is pure gold.[3]
- The number rating system is easier to read than the karat rating system. For example, a rating of 375 means your item consists of 37.5% gold.
- What number means gold depends on the country you are in. In the U.S., for example, anything 9K and under is not considered to be gold, even though a 9K bracelet consists of 37.5% gold.
- Counterfeit pieces may have markings making them look authentic, so don't go solely on the hallmark unless you're certain you are holding gold.
- Check for a letter marking indicating that the gold isn't pure. Some of the common letters you may see are GP, GF, and GEP. These letters indicate that your gold piece is plated, which means the maker put a thin layer of gold over another metal, such as copper or silver. Your item has some gold in it, but it isn't considered to be real gold.[4]
- GP stands for gold plated, GF means gold filled, and GEP means gold electroplate.
- The markings vary a little depending on where the gold is from. For instance, gold from India contains a small triangle symbol indicating the government council responsible for the rating system. It then has a number rating and a letter code, such as K, for the jeweler.
- Find any noticeable discolorations where the gold has worn away. Gold is pretty soft for a metal, so plated gold often rubs away over time. The best places to check are around the edges of jewelry and coins. These spots often rub up against your skin and clothing throughout the day. If you see a different metal underneath the gold, you know your item is plated and not considered real gold.[5]
- For example, a silver coloring might indicate silver or titanium. A red coloring could mean copper or brass.
- Note any discolorations on your skin from wearing or holding the gold. Pure gold doesn't react with sweat or oil from your skin, so if you see black or green marks, they are from other metals. Silver leaves behind black marks and copper leaves behind green marks. If you see a lot of these marks on your skin, your gold may be less pure than you expect.[6]
- Keep in mind that most gold items are blends of gold and other metals. Even something like a 14K piece of jewelry, 58.3% gold, can leave these marks. Use other tests as well to ensure your gold is authentic.
[Edit]Testing Magnetism and Other Basic Properties - Drop gold into a jug of water to see if it sinks. Get container big enough to hold both the water and the gold you wish to test. The water temperature you use doesn't really matter, so lukewarm water is fine. Real gold is a dense metal, so it falls directly to the bottom of the jug. Imitation gold is much lighter and floats.[7]
- Real gold also doesn't rust or tarnish when wet, so if you see a discoloration, you probably have plated gold.
- Hold a strong magnet up to see if the gold sticks to it. For this test, you need a strong magnet capable of pulling even metal blends. Move the magnet over the gold and observe how it reacts. Gold isn't magnetic, so don't be fooled by anything that sticks. If the magnet pulls the gold toward it, your item is either impure or a fake.[8]
- Regular kitchen magnets won't do. Buy a powerful neodymium magnet from a home improvement store.
- The magnet test isn't foolproof, since counterfeit gold can be made with non-magnetic metal like stainless steel. Also, some genuine gold items are made with magnetic metals such as iron.
- Rub the gold on a unglazed ceramic to see if it leaves a streak. Make sure you're using an unglazed piece of ceramic since anything with a glaze could affect the test results. Drag your item across the plate until you see some fragments coming off the gold. If you see a black streak, that means your gold is not real. A gold streak usually indicates authentic gold.[9]
- Try getting an unglazed ceramic tile or a plate online or from your local home improvement store.
- This test scratches the gold a little bit but doesn't typically leave much noticeable damage. It is much safer than other tests involving scratches or acid.
- Another way to do this is by spreading some cosmetic foundation on your skin and dragging the gold across it after it dries. Fake gold usually reacts with the foundation, leaving a green or black streak in it.
[Edit]Performing a Density Test - Weigh your piece of gold on a scale. If you have a decent kitchen scale, place the gold on it. Otherwise, jewelers and appraisers often can do it for you for free. Call around to different jewelry or appraisal stores to see which ones offer this service. Make sure you get the weight in grams rather than ounces.[10]
- You need the weight in grams to use in a calculation later. If the weight is in ounces, you won't get an accurate result.
- Fill a graduated cylinder halfway full with water. Choose a cylinder that is big enough to hold the gold. It needs to have measurement markings in milliliters (mL) or cubic centimeters (cc). If you don't have a regular graduated cylinder, you could try using a kitchen measuring cup.[11]
- Vials with frequent millimeter markings on the side are useful for getting a more accurate measurement during the test.
- The amount of water you use doesn't matter that much as long as you leave plenty of space for the gold. If you fill the vial to the top, dropping the gold into it causes the water to spill.
- Read the starting water level in the cylinder. Look at the markings on the cylinder, then record the water level. This measurement is very important for the test, so write it down. Make sure you have the vial on a flat, level surface in order to get as accurate a reading as possible.[12]
- Keep in mind that it doesn't matter if your vial is marked in milliliters or cubic centimeters. They are the same measurement, so either unit can be used in the test.
- Drop the gold into the vial and record the new water level. Gently lower the gold into the cylinder to avoid losing any of the water. Let go of it right above the water to prevent splashing or getting your fingers wet. Then, read the markings again to get the second measurement.[13]
- Write the second measurement down on a piece of paper. Note that this is the second measurement, not the initial one.
- Subtract the measurements to find the difference in the water level. Perform a simple calculation to figure out how much water the gold displaced. Subtract the initial measurement, the smaller number, from the final measurement. This gives you an answer in milliliters or cubic centimeters, depending on what measurement your vial lists.[14]
- For example, if you started with of water that rose to , that leaves a difference.
- Divide the gold's weight by the difference in the water level. The density of the gold equals its mass divided by its volume. After calculating the density, compare the result to the standard density of gold, which is 19.3 g/mL. If your number is way off, chances are you have a fake. Keep in mind, though, that some combinations of metals in fake gold can have a density similar to real gold.[15]
- For instance, you have a gold item that weighs and displaces of water. Divide 38 by 2 to get 19 g/mL, which is very close to the density of gold.
- The standard density differs a little depending on the type of gold you have. For 14k yellow gold, it's about 12.9 to 13.6 g/mL. For 14K white gold, it's around 14 g/mL.
- A piece of 18K yellow gold has an average density from 15.2 to 15.9 g/mL. A piece of 18K white gold has a density from 14.7 to 16.9 g/mL.
- Any 22K piece of gold has a density around 17.7 to 17.8 g/mL.
[Edit]Using a Nitric Acid Test - Purchase gold-testing kit to get the acid you need for the test. Testing kits include various bottles of nitric acid for different types of gold. Some tests also include a flat rock called a touchstone you can use to scratch off some of the gold on your item. You may also see needles with samples of yellow and white gold to use as a comparison to your item.[16]
- Testing kits are available online. Also, check with local jewelry stores. Most jewelers use this test for its accuracy.
- Create a small scratch on the gold using a sharp tool. Choose an inconspicuous location on the jewelry to make the scratch, such as underneath a clasp or an inner band. Then, use a sharp tool such as a jewelry engraver to dig into the gold. Scratch until you get underneath the top layer of gold. Expose a fresh layer of gold or any other metal underneath it.[17]
- Nitric acid tests require you to scratch your piece of gold. If the gold has personal value to you or you plan on keeping it, take it to a professional jeweler instead of doing the test yourself.
- Add a drop of nitric acid to the scratch. Put on latex gloves and work in a well-ventilated room to avoid any issues with the dangerous acid. When you're ready, look for the bottle of acid labeled for 18K gold. After setting the gold in a stainless steel container, place a drop of the acid directly on the scratch you made, then watch for it to turn a shade of green. If it turns green, you know right away your gold is fake.[18]
- Regular gold does not react to the acid, so your item might be gold plated or a low-purity blend of metals.
- A milk-colored reaction usually indicates gold-plated sterling silver. If the acid turns gold, you have gold-plated brass.
- Scratch the gold on a touchstone to test its purity. If you think you might have real gold, rub it along the touchstone to create a streak of gold flakes. Add a drop of 12K, 14K, 18K, and 22K nitric acid to different parts of the streak. Check back after 20 to 40 seconds. Find the spot where the acid doesn't dissolve the gold to figure out what karat rating your item is.[19]
- The acids all increase in strength, so the acid used for 22K is stronger than the 12K one. If the 18K acid dissolves the gold but the 14K one doesn't, you know your item is probably around 14K.
- Most gold tests are imperfect, so you may need to go through several tests in order to decide if your item is authentic.
- You may have heard of the bite test where gold is real if your teeth leave a mark on it. Since most gold items consist of blends of harder metals, avoid the bite test to protect your teeth.
- When jewelers say that gold is 24K, they mean that the gold is 99.9% pure with minimal traces of other metals. A piece of gold that is 22K is 22 parts gold and 2 parts another metal.[20]
- In items that are less than 24K in quality, the other metals give the gold its hardness and color. Gold on its own is very soft, so metals like silver and copper are added to make gold items more durable.
- Jewelry made with white gold, yellow gold, red gold, and rose gold are all combinations of gold and other metals.
- If you ever need help determining whether gold is real, take your item to a professional jeweler or appraiser.
[Edit]Warnings - Nitric acid is strong and can burn your skin in addition to damaging a valuable piece of gold. If you're worried about this, you can do a home test with vinegar, which is a milder acid, or you can let a professional jeweler or appraiser handle the nitric acid test.
[Edit]Things You'll Need [Edit]Doing a Visual Inspection [Edit]Testing Magnetism and Other Properties - Gold
- Jug
- Water
- Neodymium magnet
- Unglazed ceramic plate or tile
[Edit]Performing a Density Test - Gold
- Scale
- Graduated cylinder or measuring cup
- Calculator
[Edit]Using a Nitric Acid Test - Gold
- Gold-testing kit
- Nitric acid
- Stainless steel container
- Touchstone
- Latex gloves
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Grow Your Own Fishing Worms Posted: 22 Jun 2021 05:00 PM PDT Buying live bait can put a serious dent in your wallet if you're an avid angler. A more thrifty solution is to raise your own worms in your very own worm bed (also known as a "composter"). It's as easy as drilling some holes in an ordinary foam or plastic container, putting down a layer of shredded paper, filling it with a few inches of potting soil, and adding a little water. The end result will be a moist, nutrient-rich, sealed environment that's perfect for continuously breeding new batches of your bait worms of choice. [Edit]Building a Worm Bed - Pick out a suitable location for your worm bed. You have the option of starting your worm bed either indoors or outdoors, depending on the weather conditions in your area. If you want to build it outside, choose a spot with plenty of shade, preferably one that's covered to divert rainfall. If you'd prefer to keep it indoors, set aside a little space in your garage, basement, garden shed, or screened-in porch.[1]
- You can keep an outdoor worm bed going year-round, provided it's in a spot that isn't susceptible to freezing during the winter months.
- It's generally not a good idea to raise worms inside your actual home. Not only will your bed likely emit an unpleasant odor, there's always a chance that one or more worms could find their way out of the container.
- Select a simple foam or plastic container to use as your bed. A compact foam cooler is ideal for this purpose, as the insulated walls will protect your worms against drastic changes in temperature. However, you can also use any ordinary plastic or polyurethane container, as long as it has a lid that locks down tight.
- If you know your way around a toolbox, consider constructing your own customized worm bed to your preferred specifications using your materials of choice.[2]
- The exact dimensions of your worm bed aren't important. All that matters is that you provide an enclosed space with enough room to house your worms comfortably.
- Drill a series of holes in the top and bottom of the container. Fit your drill with a hole saw attachment and bore a hole on the upper part of each of the container's walls. Then, switch to a bit and drill 2-3 holes in the bottom of the container near each corner, leaving of space between each hole.[3]
- Avoid using a bit larger than about , or smaller species of worms may be able to squeeze their way out.
- The large holes at the top of the container will allow your worms to breathe inside the lidded container, while the smaller holes at the bottom will filter out excess water and waste products.
- Create a layer of preliminary bedding from shredded paper. Tear sheets of newsprint, printer paper, or thin cardboard into pieces and scatter them over the bottom of the empty container. Try to distribute the bedding as evenly as possible so that there are no noticeable mounds or bare spots.[4]
- A paper shredder can quickly reduce your bedding material to fine, consistently-sized strips, if you have access to one.
- Steer clear of scrap paper printed with colored dyes. These can be toxic to many species of worms.
- Cover your bedding material with of potting soil. The exact amount of soil you add will depend on the overall size of your container. Sift in the soil until the container is at least a third of the way full, then spread it out so that it's nice and flat. Make sure there's enough soil for your worms to tunnel through.[5]
- Any type of well-balanced organic potting soil will work just fine.
- Break up any large clumps of soil or peat moss by hand.
- Add just enough water to the soil to thoroughly dampen it. Pour the water into the container little by little, turning the soil with your fingers or a hand trowel as you go. By the time you're done, the soil should be moist but not soggy. You'll know it's reached a good consistency when it clumps easily.[6]
- Be careful not to add so much water that it begins pooling on the surface of the soil. Too much water could put your worms at risk of drowning.[7]
- Following your initial watering, you'll want to give the soil a good dousing periodically (at least once every few days) to keep it moist.
[Edit]Maintaining Comfortable Conditions for Your Worms - Stock up on your desired species of bait worms. There are a number of ways you can procure worms for your composter. The simplest and least expensive option is to dig them up out of your own yard or garden, if you know what you're looking for. If that's a no-go, you can also purchase them from your local tackle shop, or place bulk orders for oversized beds online.
- Red worms and nightcrawlers are the 2 most common varieties of worms used as live bait.
- If you're not sure what type of worms to buy, research the feeding habits of the fish you're hoping to catch. Trout and perch, for example, are drawn to small, manageable bait like mealworms, while fat red worms and nightcrawlers are a favorite meal of catfish, walleye, bass, and other big swimmers.[8]
- Spread your bait worms evenly over the surface of the bedding. Introduce the worms to their new home and allow them to begin acclimating. Once you've got all of your worms situated, place the lid on top of the container and check to make sure it's secure.[9]
- Be gentle when transferring the worms from one container to the other. If you're not careful, you could hurt them.
- A good rule of thumb is to add about 2 dozen worms for every of available bedding space.
- Keep the temperature inside your worm bed above freezing at all times. Aim to maintain a minimum temperature of . This may require you move plastic containers indoors on particularly cold days or nights, or reposition them so that they're sitting in more direct sunlight. Heat lamps are another useful resource to have on standby, particularly in cold indoor spaces like garages and basements.[10]
- If you're using an insulated foam container, you shouldn't have to worry about your worm bed getting too hot or cold, even during the height of the summer and winter seasons.
- Worms will attempt to evacuate soil that's below freezing, and can shrivel and die in soil that's or warmer.[11]
- Add compost materials to your container regularly to feed your worms. Worms extract most of the nutrients they need from soil, but since fatter worms make better bait, you'll want to give them a little something extra. Supplement their diet by scattering items like banana peels, coffee grounds, egg shells, cornmeal, and wet leaves over the upper layer of soil. Try to throw in a few items every 4-5 days, or simply add new compost as you generate it.[12]
- Some anglers with experience growing their own worms recommend mixing the compost into your bedding before adding your worms to the container to ensure that the soil is full of nutrients.
- Another option is to purchase a premade worm food that's specially formulated to plump up your bait worms. You'll find packages of worm food at any bait and tackle shop. of compost material for every of worms in your bed.}}
- Replace half of the soil in your worm bed every few months. As the materials in your composter climb closer to the holes in the top of the container, begin placing your composted food on one side of the bed for 1-2 weeks to encourage the worms to migrate in that direction. Scoop out the soil in the unused half of the bed and refill it to its original level with fresh potting soil and shredded paper.[13]
- If you don't want to wait for the worms to move on their own, you can also comb through the soil by hand or with a small rake to carefully coax them to one side of the container.
- Recycle the nutrient-rich soil you remove by using it in your garden or flower beds.[14]
- Worms should be kept out of direct sunlight, as a general rule. If you discover that your worms are trying to escape by crawling out of the top of the bed, however, positioning an artificial light source directly overhead will help discourage this behavior.
- If you end up with more worms that you can handle, share them with friends and family members who like to garden or sell the surplus to a bait shop to make a little extra money.
- Fashion your worm bed out of a durable material like polyurethane, wood, or even metal if you plan on taking the whole container with you on your next fishing trip.
[Edit]Things You'll Need - Lidded foam or plastic container
- Power drill with hole saw attachment and drill bit
- Newsprint, printer paper, thin cardboard or similar bedding materials
- Organic potting soil
- Water
- Bait worms of choice
- Compost materials
- Hand trowel
- Peat moss (optional)
- Heat lamp (optional)
- Small rake (optional)
[Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
| How to Descale a Kettle Posted: 22 Jun 2021 09:00 AM PDT Kettles tend to build up a terrible-looking limescale over time. This build-up causes water to take longer to boil and can even lead your kettle to burn out in the long run. Fortunately, if you begin to notice limescale build-up in your kettle, you can easily use vinegar or lemon juice to get rid of it. [Edit]Descaling with Vinegar - Mix of vinegar and water and pour them into the kettle. If the volume of your kettle is too small for this mixture, fill it about halfway and place any leftover solution to the side. For best results, use white vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio.[1]
- If yours is an electric kettle, make sure it's unplugged before pouring in the water and vinegar.
- It's a good idea to check the owner's manual for your particular kettle to make sure that it's safe to add vinegar to the interior.
- Turn the kettle on and bring the vinegar solution to a boil. Plug in the kettle if it's electric or turn on the stove underneath a stovetop kettle to boil the solution. Let the solution boil for about a minute or so.[2]
- Feel free to use a high heat setting to bring the solution to a boil as quickly as possible. It shouldn't take longer than 5 minutes to get it boiling.
- Turn off the kettle once the solution is boiling and let it sit for an hour. The vinegar solution will do work its descaling magic simply by sitting in the kettle, so you don't necessarily have to boil it for a set amount of time. If you don't want to wait an entire hour, allow the solution to sit for at least 30 minutes before pouring it out.[3]
- If yours is an electric kettle with an automatic switch-off feature, feel free to let it switch off on its own instead of watching to see when it boils.
- Pour out the solution after an hour and rinse out the kettle. Be sure the kettle is cool to the touch before handling it. Thoroughly rinse the inside of the kettle under the sink faucet to get rid of any leftover vinegar solution. For best results, rinse out the kettle 2 or 3 times to get as much of the vinegar out of the inside as possible.[4]
- If your kettle has a removable lid, take this lid off to make it easier to rinse out the interior. You can rinse the lid by itself to make sure it's also clean.
- Use a clean, damp cloth to wipe away any leftover limescale. The vinegar solution will probably not have removed all the limescale, but any leftover build-up should be easy to remove by hand. If a damp cloth isn't cutting it, add a little bit of baking soda to a damp sponge and use that to clean out the inside of the kettle.[5]
- For best results, use a microfiber cloth or a cleaning brush with an elongated handle. Make sure you get all the corners as well.
- Run a plain water cycle to get rid of any lingering vinegar taste. Fill your kettle halfway with plain water and bring it to a boil. Pour this water out once it starts to boil. You may have to do this 2 or 3 times in order to completely deodorize the interior.[6]
- Repeat this cycle until you can't smell any vinegary odor in your kettle. You may also want to "test" your kettle by preparing a beverage in it and seeing if it tastes at all like vinegar.
[Edit]Using a Lemon - Squeeze a lemon into of water and mix it together. Once you've squeezed the juice out of the lemon, cut it up into small pieces and add these pieces to the water as well. If you don't have a whole lemon, you can also use lemon juice; just mix it in a 1:3 ratio with water.[7]
- Check the manufacturer's instructions for your particular kettle to make sure it's safe to add lemon juice or pieces of lemon to your kettle. It probably is, but it doesn't hurt to double-check.
- You can also use limes, although you'll probably see better results by using lemon.
- Pour this mixture into your kettle and bring it to a boil. Fill your kettle about halfway full with the lemon and water mixture. Plug in your kettle or turn on the stovetop underneath to heat up the lemon water. Discard any leftover solution you may still have.[8]
- Turn off the kettle and leave the solution to sit for an hour. Allow the solution to boil for about a minute or so before turning it off. Unplug your kettle or remove it from heat and set it aside on a cool surface. Leaving it for an hour is ideal, but let it sit for at least 30 minutes if you're pressed for time.[9]
- This will give the solution enough time to descale the kettle, while also allowing enough time for the kettle itself to cool down.
- Pour out the lemon mixture and rinse out the kettle once it's cool. Make sure the kettle is cool to the touch before handling it. Rinse the kettle in the sink to remove any remnants of the lemon water before continuing. Rinse it out 4 or 5 times for best results.[10]
- You may want to remove the kettle lid, if possible, to make it easier to rinse out under the sink faucet.
- Wipe down the interior of the kettle and run a plain water cycle. If there is any limescale left in the kettle, you can wipe it down with a small amount of baking soda on a damp cloth or sponge. Then, fill the kettle halfway with water and bring it to a boil. Pour out the heated water and remove the kettle from heat. Repeat this process as necessary until there's no more limescale in your kettle.[11]
- You may need to repeat this cycle several times to completely remove any leftover limescale or lemony odor inside your kettle.
[Edit]How Should You Clean A Copper Kettle? [Edit]Things You'll Need - Water
- Cloth
- White vinegar or a lemon
[Edit]Related wikiHows [Edit]References [Edit]Quick Summary |
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