New Delhi: Dhanteras is the first day of the festival of Diwali and it is considered to be an auspicious occasion to buy new things. The day is considered to be extremely auspicious to make new purchases and people mostly buy gold or silver articles and new utensils. It is believed that purchasing wealth on this day is a sign of good luck. In modern times, Dhanteras is seen as the most auspicious occasion to buy gold, silver, and other metals, especially kitchenware. On this day, people also purchase heavy appliances and automobiles.
How to check the purity of gold?
On Dhanteras, people mostly buy gold and it is important to check its purity before purchasing. It must be kept in mind that the purity of gold is denoted by Karats and the purest form is the 24-karat gold. If the gold is 18 karat, it means that the jewellery has 18 components of pure gold and 6 components of other metals. The purity of 24-karat gold is 99.9 per cent while the purity of 18-karat gold is 75 per cent. The markings will be present in jewellery showing the gold’s purity in the ornament.
The hallmarks in gold jewellery
On June 16, 2021, the government made hallmarking of gold jewellery mandatory. On July 1, 2021, it revised hallmarking signs. On April 1, 2023, the government stated that jewellers cannot sell any gold jewellery unless it has a 6-digit Hallmark Unique Identification or HUID number. The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has been appointed for hallmarking. It is a certification of the purity of gold in a piece of jewellery. Hence, before buying any gold ornament, check for the BIS certification.
How to check the purity of gold manually?
One can check for the purity of gold at home as well. Here are some of the methods to do so:
- Colour Test: A gold that is genuine will retain its colour. If the colour of the gold jewellery fades, it may not be pure.
- Float Test: Gold’s density is heavier than water and hence, it sinks. If a piece of gold floats, then it may not be pure gold.
- Magnet Test: Gold has no magnetic property. Hence, if the jewellery is attracted to a magnet, it likely contains other non-gold metals.
- Vinegar test: According to reports, pure gold will never react to vinegar. So if the gold changes colour after a few drops of vinegar are poured on it, then the object is not made of pure gold.
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