Distinguishing Brass from Gold: A Professional's Guide

Differences Between Brass and Gold in Design

Lustre and colour: Gold and brass can be told apart by their colours. Solid, warm, rich yellow gold covers its whole surface. For example, brass is a more muted reddish-yellow colour. Metallic things can't compare to the bright, reflected shine of gold. Brass turns a brown colour, but gold stays shiny.

Surface evenness and smoothness: Examine the item's surface carefully. Gold is a soft metal, so it usually has small scratches from being used. Most of the time, the surface is smoother and more even. Because brass is harder, it may look smooth at first, but it gets rougher over time. Discoloration or green rust are signs of brass, but never gold.

The weight and density: Weight may show things that can't be seen. Due to its higher density, gold feels heavier than brass of the same size. Larger objects make this difference stand out more, letting you tell these two metals apart before they are tested further.

Techniques to Tell the Difference Between Gold and Brass

Utilize a strong magnet for a simple but effective solution. Because gold isn't magnetic, the magnet won't pull it in. Copper-zinc mixture brass might be magnetic. Be careful, because some gold alloys contain small amounts of magnetic metals.
Make sure you're sure by using the acid test. Somewhat covertly drop a small amount of nitric acid somewhere. Gold doesn't respond with green foam or discoloration, but brass does. Nerium nitrate is acidic, so this test should be done carefully and with safety gear on. Look for stamps or signs that say "14K," "18K," "22K," or "24K of gold". The 24k gold price in Canada is more than lesser karats. Things made of brass may have "BR" or similar marks on them to show that they are brass.

Expert Advice on Telling the Difference Between Brass and Gold

1 ounce of Gold is heavier than brass. Compare how heavy the thing is to how big it is. Gold that is the same size as brass feels heavy. Make the comparison more exact by using a jeweller’s scale to find the object's specific gravity. Gold has 19.3 specific gravity, while brass has 8.4–8.7.