The Real vs. Fake Sparkle: How to Tell if Your Jewelry is Genuine

The Magnet Test
Give it a little pull – with a magnet, that is. Most real precious metals are not magnetic. If your jewelry strongly attracts a magnet, it's likely made of a base metal, not genuine gold, silver, or platinum. Keep in mind, though, that some fake gold can also be non-magnetic, so this isn't a foolproof test on its own.