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Is gold magnetic? Can real gold truly be magnetized or not?
What about gold jewelry, white gold, rose gold, green gold, black gold and fools gold? Can these be magnetized or not?
Learn right below in my guide.
- Is Real Gold Magnetic? And When Can Gold Become Magnetic?
- Is it Possible to Test Gold Purity With Magnets?
- Is Gold Magnetic? Is it Really Possible to Magnetize Authentic Gold (FAQ)?
- Is Plated Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 24K Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 9K Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 10K Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 14K Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 18K Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is Gold Jewelry Magnetic?
- Is Gold Titanium Alloy Magnetic?
- Is White Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is Rose Gold Magnetic?
- Is Fools Gold Magnetic?
- Is Green Gold Magnetic?
- Is Black Gold Magnetic?
- Is Raw Gold Magnetic?
Table of Contents
Is Real Gold Magnetic? And When Can Gold Become Magnetic?
Real gold is not magnetic.
Gold is diamagnetic, meaning it has a weak repulsive force to magnets. Gold’s atoms are arranged in a way that prevents unpaired electrons from forming. And unpaired electrons are necessary to create a magnetic field.
Gold becomes magnetic when mixed with other metals to create alloys like white gold, rose gold, or jewelry. These alloys may have magnetic properties depending on the metals used in the alloy.
For example, white gold may contain nickel in small amounts, but just enough to make it magnetic.
Whether your gold item can be magnetized or not tells you whether you have an authentic-gold item or a fake one.
See below for details.
Is it Possible to Test Gold Purity With Magnets?
Yes, it’s possible to test gold purity with magnets.
Pure gold is immune to magnets so any reaction you get tells you that your gold item is not made of 100% gold.
For example, let’s say you bought some gold coins and bars from a gold IRA enabler called Augusta Precious Metals, (a premier US gold investment company).
Take a store bought magnet and bring it close to your coins and bars. The magnet should not be touching the surface of your gold bullion.
You don’t have pure gold if coins and bars start to magnetize. And this is a problem if you bought IRA approved gold coins and bars which must be at least 99.5% pure.
Testing gold with magnets is an imperfect test, but worth taking because it’s easy and fast.
You can use it as preliminary test before taking your item to a jeweler for professional appraisal.
You can also read my guide to identifying fake gold in any shape and form. It’s the most thorough guide on the internet.
Is Gold Magnetic? Is it Really Possible to Magnetize Authentic Gold (FAQ)?
Is Plated Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, plated gold is not magnetic because the base metal underneath the gold plating is usually not magnetic.
However, if the base metal used in the plating process is magnetic, then the plated gold piece could be attracted to a magnet.
For example, nickel mixed with gold in the gold plate makes the whole object magnetic, even though it’s only nickel being magnetized.
Is 24K Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, 24K gold is not magnetic. Pure gold, including 24K, is not attracted to a magnet in normal circumstances because it does not have the necessary magnetic properties.
24K gold is 100% authentic gold, meaning it contains no other metals. It’s also known as 999 gold because it’s at least 99.9% pure.
Is 9K Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, 9k gold is not magnetic when yellow gold is mixed with other non-magnetic materials like silver, palladium, platinum and rhodium. 10k gold becomes magnetic when gold is mixed with ferro-magnetic metals like iron, nickel, cobalt and some forms of stainless steel.
9k gold has the strongest magnetic reaction among all other karat gold types (10k, 14k, 18k and 24k gold) because it’s an alloy that contains the most magnetic material mixed with gold (9k gold is an alloy composed of 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% other metals).
Is 10K Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, 10k gold is not magnetic when gold is mixed with other non-magnetic materials like authentic silver, palladium and rhodium. 10k gold becomes magnetic when gold is mixed with ferro-magnetic metals like iron, nickel and cobalt.
10k gold has the second strongest magnetic reaction among all karat gold types ( less than 9k gold, but more than 14k, 18k and 24k gold) because it’s an alloy that contains the second most magnetic material mixed with gold (10k gold is an alloy composed of 41.7% pure gold and 58.3% other metals).
Is 14K Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, 14k gold is not magnetic when gold is mixed with other non-magnetic materials like authentic platinum (pure platinum repels magnets) silver, palladium and rhodium.
14K gold becomes magnetic when gold is mixed with magnetic metals like iron, nickel and cobalt.
Is 18K Gold Magnetic or Not?
No, 18k gold is not magnetic when gold is mixed with other non-magnetic materials like silver, palladium and rhodium.
18K gold becomes magnetic when gold is mixed with magnetic metals like iron, nickel and cobalt.
18k gold contains a minimum of 75% pure gold and 25% other metals. This means that 18k gold that’s magnetic will be less so than 14k gold. It’s because 14k gold contains up to 41.7% of magnetic metals which is much higher than 25% of 18k gold.
Is Gold Jewelry Magnetic?
No, pure gold is not magnetic. This means pure-gold jewelry is also not magnetic. However, pure gold jewelry is virtually non existent because yellow gold is extremely malleable and ductile precious metal that’s not suitable for jewelry making.
So, gold jewelry can be magnetic if it’s alloyed with ferro-magnetic metals (iron, cobalt, nickel…).
Is Gold Titanium Alloy Magnetic?
No, pure titanium+ gold alloy is not magnetic. However, titanium and gold alloy can be magnetic under certain conditions.
A crystalline form of titanium and gold can become magnetic when cooled to 36 kelvins, or about minus 395 degrees Fahrenheit.
TiAu is the first itinerant antiferromagnetic metal made from nonmagnetic elements. Itinerant magnets are not bonded to a single atom, and can extend their influence over more than one atom.
Is White Gold Magnetic or Not?
White gold can be both magnetic and non-magnetic depending on the circumstances.
White gold is not magnetic when yellow gold is mixed with authentic palladium or silver. It’s because palladium is not magnetic, and neither is silver.
White gold is magnetic when gold is mixed with nickel. The amount of nickel in the alloy dictates how magnetic white gold will be. 5% of nickel won’t make white gold magnetic. 25%+ nickel content will make white gold and jewelry made from it visibly responsive to magnets.
Is Rose Gold Magnetic?
No, rose gold is not magnetic because it’s made from gold and copper, both non-magnetic metals.
Typical rose gold alloy is 75% gold and 25% copper. This alloy is known as 18k rose gold. The higher the copper content, the more pinkish-red the color (rose gold is also called pink gold).
Is Fools Gold Magnetic?
No, fool’s gold (also known as pyrite or iron sulfide) is not magnetic.
Fool’s gold is paramagnetic. This means fool’s gold is weakly attracted to magnets but doesn’t have its own magnetic domains.
Is Green Gold Magnetic?
No, green gold is not magnetic
Green gold, also known as electrum, is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver. Neither gold nor silver are magnetic, hence green gold is not magnetic as well.
Is Black Gold Magnetic?
No, black gold is not magnetic.
Black gold is an alloy made of yellow gold and rhodium to give it a charcoal gray color. Neither gold not rhodium are magnetic, hence black gold isn’t magnetic as well.
Is Raw Gold Magnetic?
No, raw gold is not magnetic.
Raw gold is the natural form of gold found in the earth. Upon extraction it usually contains impurities like silver and other minerals. Silver is not magnetic, but some of these other minerals and metals are.
However, the amount of these ferromagnetic materials in raw gold is so small that it can’t cause a magnetic reaction, even if you use the strongest magnet possible.
Is Gold Magnetic? Is it Really Possible to Magnetize Authentic Gold (Conclusion)?
My guide to magnetizing gold is now done.
You’ve learned that real gold is not magnetic. Fool’s gold, rose gold, black gold and white gold also aren’t magnetic.
All of these materials can become magnetized when solid gold is mixed with ferro-magnetic materials like, iron, cobalt and nickel.
There are also tests to prove whether something is real gold or not.
- Magnetic gold is evidence of relativity- https://cosmosmagazine.com/science/physics/magnetic-gold-is-evidence-of-relativity-study-finds/
- Is gold magnetic?- https://www.bullionbypost.com/index/gold/is-gold-magnetic/
- Is gold and solid silver magnetic materials?- https://hyab.com/blog/post/Is_gold_and_silver_magnetic_materials/1848/en
- Why are metals like solid gold not magnetic? And is there something similar to a magnet that would work for such metals?- https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/1vwmsj/why_are_metals_like_gold_not_magnetic_and_is/
- Gold has an unpaired electron. But still gold is diamagnetic. Why?- https://www.researchgate.net/post/Gold_has_an_unpaired_electron_But_still_gold_is_diamagnetic_Why
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.
