Wondering if real gold is magnetic? A common question for someone just getting to learn more about gold. The truth is, 24k gold is not magnetic. That might sound heartbreaking if you have a piece of jewelry you thought was 24k gold and you stuck a magnet to it, but there is a caveat.
Nuances of Gold
If you use a magnet on your jewelry and it sticks, it’s not necessarily a bad sign. What you have might not be pure gold, but rather a gold alloy. We have covered the most common types of gold alloys found in jewelry in the past, but as a brief synopsis, there are 4 commonly found gold alloys: green gold, yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold.
These types of gold alloys are magnetic for the reason you might expect… it’s the other element in them. Iron and nickel, for instance, are metals that attract magnets. They naturally have magnetism to them because a majority of their electrons spin in the same directions, creating a strong magnetic field.
So when gold alloys with iron or nickel interact with a magnet, thump! They should stick to the magnet as expected. If this happened to you, it’s not a terrible sign. Though you might not have 24k gold, you might have gold at a lower karat rating which is still quite valuable. There is still a significant portion of gold in 18k, and 9k gold jewelry, enough that it retains its known properties like its high durability and conductivity.
With this information in mind and you have gold jewelry at home, be sure to grab a magnet and test to see what you have. Of course, by the end if you aren’t sure you have gold jewelry or not, take it to your local jeweler. And, if it is real gold, you now know a gold refinery that will take it for cash!
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Established in 1892, we have more than a century of experience in refining precious metals. We serve various industries, including dental offices, private individuals, jewelers, pawnbrokers, and more!
Call us today at 888-677-9254 to find out why Garfield is a premier precious metals refinery.