Test your jewellery
Jewellery can be made from different metals, like gold, silver, iron or nickel. Gold and silver are precious metals – they stay shiny and don’t rust over time. To check if your jewellery is real gold or silver, try using a magnet. Metals like iron and nickel will be attracted, but gold and silver won’t.
Get started
Step 1
Hold the magnet close to each piece of jewellery individually. For larger pieces, try holding the magnet near different parts to be sure.
Step 2
If the jewellery is attracted to the magnet, that’s a sign it containsiron or nickel.
What did you discover?
Iron and nickel are attracted by a magnet. If a piece of jewellery sticks to a magnet, it probably has some iron, nickel or another magnetic metal in it. Gold and silver are not attracted by a magnet.
Jewellery can also be coated with a very thin layer of gold or silver to give it a shiny appearance. This type of jewellery is known as ‘gilded’.
