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Have some platinum you want to test to see if it’s real or fake?
Worried you’ve been scammed?
Or you just have some spare time and some platinum jewelry, coins and bars lying around doing nothing?
So how about testing them to see if they’re real or fake?
My guide will tell you everything you need to know.
- What are Platinum Hallmarks (Markings)? Are They Proof Platinum is Real and not Fake?
- How to Test Platinum With Nitric Acid at Home?
- How to Test Platinum at Home With Water?
- How to Test Platinum at Home With Ice?
- How to Test Platinum at Home With Hydrogen Peroxide?
- How to Test Platinum at Home With Magnets?
- Where To Buy Genuine Platinum Bullion?
Table of Contents
Best Free Ways to Test Platinum at Your Home to See if it’s Real or Fake
Below you’ll find the best and free ways to test your platinum object at home and see if it’s real or fake.
What are Platinum Hallmarks (Markings)? Are They Proof Platinum is Real and not Fake?
Platinum hallmarks are official marks or series of marks that indicate the purity of platinum in a piece of jewelry, coin, bar or any other item.
Your object is made of pure platinum (unless counterfeited) if it has a platinum hallmark or marking stamped on it.
To see the hallmarks you’ll need a magnifying glass or a jeweler’s loupe.
Look for any platinum hallmarks, markings, or stamps indicating the metal’s purity and authenticity.
Platinum items often bear markings such as “PLAT,” “PT,” or “950,” which signifies 95% purity.
How to Test Platinum With Nitric Acid at Home?
It’s simple to test platinum with nitric acid from your home.
All you need to do is get your platinum-made object. It can be a platinum ring, bracelet, necklace, chain, coin, bar or even a spoon or a fork. Place a small drop of nitric acid on it.
The tested object is likely made of pure platinum if the acid remains clear and there’s no reaction to it.
The tested object is not made of authentic platinum if it starts reacting to nitric acid. Most metals will fizz and bubble when exposed to this chemical.
Prolonged exposure to nitric acid will damage the object you’re testing so you need to neutralize any remaining acids as fast as possible.
Mix baking soda and water, and thoroughly rinse the tested area. Pat it dry using a soft cloth or a tissue.
How to Test Platinum at Home With Water?
It’s easy to test platinum with water at home.
Take you platinum item, submerge it in water and observe if there’s any reaction.
Pure platinum is completely inert to water and will not react with it. Your object will tarnish and start to change color if it’s made of fake platinum or is just thinly platinum-plated.
Remember that you want no reaction to happen as authentic platinum will never respond to water in any way. It won’t tarnish, oxidize or change in appearance in any way.
Water testing platinum is not perfect because the object you re testing could be made predominantly with platinum, but also be mixed with some other metal or metals that don’t react to water too.
How to Test Platinum at Home With Ice?
Testing platinum with ice is simple and relies on platinum’s excellent thermal conductivity. Excellent thermal conductivity of platinum means the metal quickly transfers heat and cold.
Here’s how to perform the platinum ice test.
Get the platinum-made object you wish to test and ensure the room you’re testing in has a baseline temperature of 72 °F or 22 °C. This is so you know the room isn’t too hot for the ice.
Gently place the ice cube on a small area of the platinum object. Feel free to use a pair of tweezers to hold the ice in place if needed (especially helpful if the object you’re testing is extra small).
Observe how platinum interacts with the ice cube.
Authentic platinum’s high thermal conductivity will cause the ice to melt rapidly in the area where it’s touching the metal. Because the platinum object will absorb the heat from the ice rapidly, leading to the ice melting significantly faster than its surroundings.
Testing platinum with ice isn’t definitive but combined with the other methods will point you in the right direction.
How to Test Platinum at Home With Hydrogen Peroxide?
This is how you test the fakeness of platinum with hydrogen peroxide from the comfort of your home.
Apply a little bit of hydrogen peroxide on the surface of the object you’re testing. The metal you’re testing is made of platinum if you notice vigorous bubbling on the tested item’s surface.
It’s because platinum acts as a catalyst for the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide, causing it to rapidly release oxygen gas in the form of bubbles.
Fake platinum will not respond to hydrogen peroxide and there won’t be any bubbles. Consider it a major clue that your tested object is not made of authentic platinum.
How to Test Platinum at Home With Magnets?
It’s easy to test platinum at home with magnets.
Pure platinum is not magnetic. And as long as the object you’re testing doesn’t react to a magnet, it’s made of genuine, 100% pure platinum content.
To test, get a strong magnet and place it close to a platinum-made object. Observe whether the magnet attracts it or not. your tested object is not made of platinum if it reacts to the magnet.
This could mean the object is platinum-plated and most of it is made from cheaper base metal. Or it could mean most of the object is made of platinum, but some other metals are present as well and they’re the ones reacting to your magnet.
Where To Buy Genuine Platinum Bullion?
The best place to buy genuine platinum bullion is from one of the many legitimate precious metal dealer companies.
The three that stand out are Augusta Precious Metals, Birch Gold Group and JM Bullion.
All of these US-based gold investment companies are safe to buy from. And all three of them shine with excellent service, superb customer support and thousands upon thousands of glowing customer reviews on popular consumer watchdog websites.
As for Augusta Precious Metals and Birch Gold Group, they’re primarily gold IRA companies that also sell physical platinum (+real gold, real silver and real palladium) bullion.
JM Bullion are an online precious metal dealer where you can buy platinum coins and bars in bulk, or individually piece by piece. The choice is yours.
How To Tell If Platinum is Real or Fake? Simple Home Tests to Test Platinum Coins, Bars and Jewelry (FAQ)
Does a Magnet Stick To Platinum?
Magnets don’t stick to platinum because platinum is is a non-ferrous metal (doesn’t contain iron).
Platinum will become magnetic if it’s not pure but mixed with other magnetic metals
For example, platinum mixed with cobalt will be magnetic because cobalt is magnetic. However, platinum mixed with ruthenium, iridium, or palladium will not be magnetic.
Are Platinum Rings Always Stamped?
All genuine platinum rings will always be stamped. The law requires they be stamped.
Platinum is a very rare and expensive metal and therefore, all platinum jewelry will be marked to show authenticity. It’s a standard practice to hallmark any jewelry made of genuine platinum.
You can look for the words “Platinum,” “PLAT,” or “PT” (which are followed or preceded by the numbers “850” “950” or “999.”) to check the purity of platinum your ring is made of.
These numbers refer to the purity of the platinum, with “999” as the most pure.
However this is not foolproof as counterfeit platinum rings will also be stamped in order to dupe more unsuspecting buyers.
What Does Pure Platinum Look Like?
Platinum is a metallic white to silver-gray color. Its streak is a shiny silver-gray. Platinum, especially when formed into platinum bars also have substantial, weighty feel to it.
Do Platinum Rings Scratch?
Platinum rings do scratch.
You can gently scratch platinum rings to perform a scratch/acid test. Since your ring is small with small surface, any scratch you make in it will be highly visible.
How To Know if a Bracelet is Made of Platinum?
Use the free methods I described above to see if your platinum bracelet is real or fake.
Doing several test at once will give you an almost definitive answer to your question.
Take your platinum bracelet to a jeweler to have it professionally appraised if you really need to be 100% certain.
How to Tell if Platinum Coin or Bar is Real or Fake?
Use one of the platinum testing methods I described above to test whether your platinum bar or coin is real or fake. I suggest combining testing methods for more conclusive results.
For example, you can first test with water. Then proceed to do a magnet test and finish with a hydrogen peroxide test. You have authentic platinum in your hands if your coin or bar passes all three tests.
What Platinum Symbols are Common on Jewelry?
The commons platinum symbols engraved on jewelry are the words “Platinum,” “PLAT,” or “PT” followed or preceded by the numbers “850” “950” or “999.”
How to Tell Silver from Platinum?
It’s easy to tell silver from platinum.
The two metals are easily discernible to the naked eye even though both silver and platinum appear silvery in color.
Both precious metals have gray undertones, unlike white gold which has a warmer, yellow undertone. But platinum is much brighter and shinier and silver has a duller, grayish appearance.
Bottom line is that you’ll know the difference between platinum and silver when you put them side by side.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum With Vinegar?
It’s not possible to test platinum with vinegar. Vinegar is a weak, non-oxidizing acid and will do nothing to platinum or most other metals.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum With a Lighter?
No, it’s not possible to reliably test platinum with a lighter. Platinum has an extremely high melting point and a typical lighter flame is not hot enough to significantly affect this metal.
Testing platinum with a lighter and fire is ineffective and I don’t recommend it.
However, testing silver with a lighter is both easy and reliable.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum With Toothpaste?
It’s is not possible to test platinum with toothpaste.
Toothpaste contains abrasives that can permanently scratch the platinum surface, especially if rubbed vigorously.
Toothpaste is formulated for cleaning teeth, not for identifying precious metals. And even if you see a slight reaction with toothpaste, it doesn’t mean the metal is not platinum. Many other factors can influence the result.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum with Makeup?
It isn’t possible to test platinum with makeup. Makeup has no effect on authentic-platinum items.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum with Baking Soda?
It’s not possible to test platinum with baking soda. This home test is highly unreliable and the abrasiveness of baking soda will almost certainly permanently damage your platinum object.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum with Lemon Juice?
It isn’t possible to test platinum with lemon juice. Lemon juice is acidic, but weak and has no effect on genuine platinum.
Lemon juice doesn’t even being to compare with nitric acid in strength.
Is it Possible to Test Platinum with Alcohol?
Yes, it’s possible to test platinum with alcohol.
When fine platinum wire is placed in methyl alcohol vapor, it glows and acts as a catalyst, converting the alcohol into formaldehyde. This effect is used in the commercial production of cigarette lighters and hand warmers.
What is the Quickest Home Test For Identifying Fake Platinum?
The quickest way for identifying fake platinum at home is to use a combination of platinum water testing, testing platinum with hydrogen peroxide and testing platinum with magnets.
You need to do all three tests because any of these home tests in isolation are inconclusive. But when combined they provide conclusive results.
How to Tell if Platinum is Real or Fake? Simple and Free Tests You Can Do at Home (Conclusion)
Don’t get scammed!
You must know whether platinum is real or fake before you start buying something, for example platinum-made bullion or jewelry.
You simply can’t afford to lose your hard-earned money.
Agree?
I hope my guide above has helped you and if you have any new questions, send them in the comment section below.
References:
- Ways to Examine Platinum and Silver Jewelry so You Don’t Get Duped- https://www.byenzojewelry.com/blog/ways-to-examine-platinum-and-silver-jewelry/
- PROCEDURES FOR TESTING Real GOLD, PLATINUM AND SILVER- https://www.eurotool.com/assets/images/Testing_Gold_Platinum_Silver.pdf
- How Accurately Can You Test Precious Metals in a Home Lab?- https://www.specialtymetals.com/blog/2016/6/15/how-accurately-can-you-test-precious-metals-in-a-home-lab
- How to Test Something Made of Platinum at Home: A Step-by-Step Guide (Don’t Be Duped!) https://learn.apmex.com/learning-guide/science/how-to-test-platinum-at-home/
- Hydrogen peroxide reduction on single platinum nanoparticles- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8159481/
- How to Identify Platinum and Silver Jewelry- https://www.wikihow.com/Identify-Platinum-and-Silver-Jewelry
Nikola Roza
Nikola Roza is a blogger behind Nikola Roza- SEO for the Poor and Determined. He writes for bloggers who don't have huge marketing budget but still want to succeed. Nikola is passionate about precious metals IRAs and how to invest in gold and silver for a safer financial future. Learn about Nikola here.
