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Is gold magnetic? Can real gold truly be magnetized or not?
What about gold jewelry, white gold, rose 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 Plated Gold Magnetic or Not?
- Is 24K 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?
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 can become 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.
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 a authentic-gold item or a fake one.
See below for details.
Is it Possible to Test Gold Purity With Magnets?
It is 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.
If said items magnetize then it means they’re not pure gold. 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 could make 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 10K Gold Magnetic or Not?
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 strongest magnetic reaction among all karat gold types (10k, 14k, 18k and 24k) because it’s an alloy that contains the 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?
14k gold is not magnetic when gold is mixed with other non-magnetic materials like authentic platinum, 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?
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 magnetic 14k gold. It’s because 14k gold can contain up to 41.7% of magnetic metals.
Is Gold Jewelry Magnetic?
Pure gold is not magnetic, but gold jewelry can be magnetic if it’s an alloy that contains ferro-magnetic metals (iron, cobalt and nickel)
Is Gold Titanium Alloy Magnetic?
Pure titanium and gold alloy is not magnetic. However, titanium and gold alloy can be magnetic under certain conditions.
A crystalline form of titanium and gold that 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 is not magnetic when gold is mixed with authentic palladium or silver. Both palladium and silver are non magnetic precious metals.
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?
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, which 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. Paramagnetic 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?
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 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 and white gold are not magnetic as well.
All of these materials can become magnetized when mixed with ferro-magnetic materials like, iron, cobalt and nickel.
There are also tests to prove whether something is real gold or not.
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.
