Real or Fake Gold? How Gold Is Checked in the UAE — and What Actually Works
Buying from an established shop in the UAE is safe. The real risk comes when you buy gold from an individual, online, or second-hand.
This guide explains how we check gold across our own counter every day — and which popular tricks you can safely ignore.
1. What the stamp on your gold means
The first thing we look at is the karat stamp. A three-digit number tells you how many parts out of a thousand are pure gold:
- 18 karat: 18K or 750
- 21 karat: 21K, 875 or 21C
- 22 karat: 22K or 916
- 24 karat: 24K or 999
Some manufacturers also add their own mark in very small letters next to the karat — for example, PG750 on an 18K piece.
But a stamp can be faked. It is the first check, not the final proof.
2. How jewellers test gold
- Look and stamp: if everything looks right — the shape, the weight in the hand, the colour and the stamp — that is usually enough.
- The touchstone: if anything looks suspicious, we rub the piece on a special black stone and apply acid. Within seconds it shows whether it is gold, and roughly what karat. In about 90% of cases, this is all that is needed.
- Electronic testing: when we want an exact answer, we test it with an electronic machine.
And a large part of telling real gold from fake is experience. An experienced jeweller can often tell just by looking at a piece and holding it.
3. Home tests don't work
The magnet test, biting, vinegar or rubbing on ceramic are not accurate, and you cannot rely on them. Gold is not magnetic, for example — but neither are many cheap metals. And a gold-plated piece will usually pass any test that only touches its surface.
If you are unsure about a piece, take it to an established gold shop.
4. The most common problems
Most of the time the problem is not "fake gold" in the full sense. Usually a piece is gold-plated and sold as solid gold, or its stamp shows a higher karat than the metal really is.
5. How never to buy fake gold
Buy from a reputable shop, and ask for an invoice that states the weight and the karat. Keep that invoice — you will also need it when you sell. For bullion, sealed packaging and a serial number matter; we cover that in our guide to bullion and jewellery.
The bottom line
The stamp, a touchstone test, and — most important of all — buying from a reputable shop with a proper invoice. With those three, you never have to worry whether your gold is real.