IN TIMES past, the popular way to check if a gold coin was real was to bite it. These days, there are easier ways to tell real from fake gold without risking losing your teeth.

Most gold jewellery bought in Singapore will have an engraved hallmark in the form of a lion's head. They are also engraved with the jewellery's gold content such as 916 (91.6 per cent pure gold) or 24K (which is 99.9 per cent pure gold).

The black test stone: The gold jewellery is rubbed onto a well-sanded, black test stone. Real gold will leave bright yellow markings. Gold-plated jewellery will initially leave yellow markings but when rubbed harder, will reveal its copper or silver core.

To double check whether the yellow markings on the stone indicate real gold, pawnbrokers will drip some acid on the markings. If the gold is real, the markings remain. If it is fake, the markings will dissolve.

The 'heft' of 100g of gold is different from that of 100g of copper or silver. Most times, experts can tell if a piece of jewellery is gold or gold-plated just by holding it in their hands.

Nur Dianah Suhaimi

*The real gold ring is the one on the right