How can I tell the difference between real gold and fools gold when I find it?

Question

I'm not talking about jewelry; I mean raw gold in a creek. Is there a seceret to figuring out which is real and which is not?

Answer 1

Sun Test:Note the color and brightness of the gold in your gold pan. Now shadow your Gold pan. Anything that is not Gold will become dull or fade. Gold will retain its color and luster – it will still be golden, just Gold in the shade.

Look at the material in the sunlight if it is all a glitter it is a 99.999 chance it is not gold.

Pin test: stick a pin in the “gold”. If it breaks or fractures or crumbles it isn’t gold. Gold is malleable and ductile meaning you can bend it and dent it. Lesser minerals will crack, break or crumble.

Consider the source and location. If you found your “gold” on top of other dirt it probably isn’t real gold. Gold is extremely heavy and will always seek the lowest place to rest - often on top of bedrock or other hard material such as clay or limestone.

Answer 2

fools gold is pyrite which contains sulphur. wet it and put it in the heat is if begins to smell then its foold gold. real gold doesnt have a smell and real gold is just made of the one element.it is also al lot yellower and rarer to find.

Answer 3

Drop it.  Gold stifles its noise and clunks flatly.  Pyrite will not sound as "flat".

Gold has smooth, rounded edges, pyrite will show angles.

Gold can be deformed by biting.  Pyrite can not.

Gold has a distinct luster, not quite metallic, pyrite is metallic and usually "yellower."

Scratch test, on the back of a piece of tile(unglazed), gold scratch is gold, pyrite scratch is green, greenish brown.

If big enough gold's density is dead give away, it will be heavy compared to a comparably sized piece of pyrite by a lot.

Whack with a hammer, pyrite will shatter, gold will not.

Heat and drop into a small amount of water, and immediately retrieve it.  Gold will be cooled off instantly, pyrite will still be hot (use some sense here)

Drop both into a glass of water, gold will hit bottom first (because of its much greater density).  They do not need to be the same size for this test.

Gold will disappear (amalgamate)into mercury, pyrite does not.

Practice some or all of the above methods, if any two indicate the same then you can be fairly certain of what you have.  Three tests that agree is enough to be sure-  if you can manage to not lie to yourself.

There are plenty of other tests but they require too much heat or chemicals to be used easily in the field.

Answer 4

If you find it, it will almost certainly be fools gold (iron pyrites) because gold is not all that common.   If you are in the right place and find small lumps, a pair of pliers will deform real gold, but more likely you will be picking up rocks with traces of yellow in it, which makes it much harder to test since the differences in density and softness are overwhelmed by the mass of rock.  You need to look into using a touchstone to see if that will help.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchstone

Answer 5

By the difference in weight

Answer 6

bite it.... real gold is soft, if you bite it, and see teeth marks, more than likely its real... but to be on the safe side, take it to a jewler.

Answer 7

you should go to someone who does jewels like a jewelry store.just dont go to a random person because they will jak(steal)it

Answer 8

Fools Gold is the same as Pyrite (FeS2) or Iron Sulfide.  You can see crystals in pyrite, with a magnifying glass look for square-shaped forms with striations (close together parallel lines).  If you have enough of it, it should not feel very heavy like gold or lead (if you can get your hands or lead).  Pyrite also has a streak - rub some on a piece of tile, like the kind you find in bathrooms.  It will leave a mark.

Answer 9

Pure gold is much heavier than fake one.

Answer 10

Easiest way to tell is to bite it. Gold is the most ductile of the metal family and will give under teeth pressure, leaving a mark. That is why in all those old west movies, the miner always bites what he finds.

Answer 11

bite it,gold are pure metal and so it's softer than other metals

if you do find one..bring it to a jeweler..

i'm sure he can identify it

Answer 12

Quite simple, they have massively different densities....

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_is_gold_di...