Lear gold is a precious metals dealer that offers rare coins and investment-grade bullion products. It also specializes in helping customers setup or rollover gold and silver self-directed IRAs.
They have a AAA rating from Business Consumer Alliance and are an approved coin grading professional. They also offer competitive pricing and a variety of incentives and special offers.
How to test for gold
Whether you’re buying gold bullion or jewelry, it’s important to know how to test it for authenticity. You may be able to do it yourself with a few simple tests, or you can always call a professional.
One of the easiest ways to tell if your gold is real or fake is to use a float test. All you need to do is put your piece into a glass of water.
If it floats, it’s likely real, while if it sinks to the bottom of the glass, it’s likely not. This is because real gold is heavy and dense, so it will sink in the water.
Another simple test for determining the purity of gold is to rub it against a ceramic plate or tile. It will leave a streak that shows its color if it’s real, or a dark streak if it’s fake.
This test is ideal for jewelry that’s made to a particular weight and size. If the piece isn’t, you can try weighing it to see if it matches the item you are testing.
How to test for silver
If you are trying to determine if an item is silver, there are some simple tests that can help you. Some of these tests are fairly easy to perform at home, while others require the use of expensive professional testing machines.
A great way to test if a piece of jewelry is pure silver is to use an acid test. You can purchase inexpensive acid test kits online and simply apply a drop to the surface of the item.
The acid will react and reveal a few details about the silver content in the item. For example, if the acid turns bright or dark red, it means that it is sterling silver.
Another simple way to test if an item is silver is to take a cube of ice and place it on top of the item. If the ice melts faster than the pan, it is probably real silver because it is a heat conductor.
How to test for platinum
Generally speaking, platinum is a more expensive metal than gold. It is also less liquid and more volatile in the markets.
So it is important to verify if a piece of jewellery you are thinking about purchasing is actually platinum. There are a few ways to do this.
One of the most common is to look for a stamp or hallmark. These markings usually indicate that the jewelry contains at least 90% pure platinum or a certain karat rating.
Another way to test is by feeling the weight of the jewellery in your hand. This is because platinum is much heavier than gold or silver.
In this way, it is a good idea to have a small portable jeweler’s scale on hand when testing for precious metals. This will help you get a more accurate reading of the weight of your jewellery.
How to test for palladium
If you find jewelry that is made from palladium, you may be able to test for its authenticity using lear gold. This is the same method that is used to test for gold.
A lear gold test can be done by placing a streak of the unknown metal on a piece of lear gold and then adding a drop of 18 or 22 karat testing acid. The acid will react with the streak and slowly turn it yellowish green.
Another quick test is to place a small amount of nitric acid on the unknown piece of jewelry. Silver will not react to nitric acid, while palladium will.
When working with palladium, keep your workbench clean and free of debris from gold or platinum projects. Always use high-heat soldering tweezers and pads and eye protection. Also be sure to anneal the assembly before you put it together. This will help prevent the oxidation of the palladium that can lead to the loss of its polished luster.
