Since Postal Gold only purchases items that actually contain gold, below are a few easy tests to determine whether your jewellery is real or not.
Test 1: Magnetic or not?
High grade gold, silver and metals from the platinum group are non-magnetic. Even if the jewellery is not pure gold, the amount of other metals that are contained in the alloy will not be enough to make the item stick to a magnet.
Simply run an ordinary refrigerator magnet over your items before sending them in. If your jewellery sticks to the magnet it is most likely not real gold and you should not send it to Postal Gold.
Test 2: Check for a hallmark
Most countries require that real gold jewellery be hallmarked. This means that when the item is produced it receives an official stamp indicating what grade the gold is that was used in the item. Usually the hallmark will be in an inconspicuous place such as the inside of a ring or on the back of a bracelet clasp. The hallmark usually consists of a small seal and the grade info which is either given in carat (1-24) or in finesse (1-1000 or .1-.999).
Please note that some real jewellery is not hallmarked. At the same time, there are forged items that bear an official looking stamp. Therefore, if possible please also use the magnet test to determine whether your gold jewellery is real or not.