Testing for gold with a magnet

[Neil_]

I've been looking into testing for gold with a magnet, specifically to check the authenticity of gold sovereigns. I read you need a "stronger than average" magnet, but with thousands online, it's overwhelming. What pull strength should I really be aiming for 500g or more? I would love to hear from anyone who's actually done this, I am trying to avoid buying something that turns out useless

 

[Ag.]

I've been looking into testing for gold with a magnet, specifically to check the authenticity of gold sovereigns. I read you need a "stronger than average" magnet, but with thousands online, it's overwhelming. What pull strength should I really be aiming for 500g or more? I would love to hear from anyone who's actually done this, I am trying to avoid buying something that turns out useless

What you're looking for is a neodymium magnet with at least 500g pull strength, but honestly, the stronger the better. I previously used a 10-pound pull one and it worked great! I don't know if it can confirm real gold though...

 

[SeriousJoker]

What you're looking for is a neodymium magnet with at least 500g pull strength, but honestly, the stronger the better. I previously used a 10-pound pull one and it worked great! I don't know if it can confirm real gold though...

Pure gold isn't magnetic, but some aloys are, so this kind of test can help eliminate not authenticate. For example, if it doesn't stick or there isn't a strong attraction it could be gold. I wouldn't rely on this method too much

 

[complete pear]

Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical about the magnet method for gold testing, like what @SeriousJoker metioned, real gold isn't magnetic, so even a strong magnet won't do much unless there are mixed metals involved. You can try looking into diff tools like a digital scale or an acid test instead