Gold Bracelets

Is it real gold For 14k on it???
I have 7 bracelets that are supposed to be together, and none of them have 14k on it. Ive had them for 2 years, they havent scratched or anythng. They still look like gold. They have itching or rashes due. Are they real gold or not?

The absence of a distinctive sign (10K, 14K, 18K, etc.) is not indicative of whether your piece is gold or not. In the U.S., it is against FTC regulations for the jeweler to Hallmark a jewel if it is accompanied by a manufacturer mark. So when I started making jewelry and do not mark my own, I do not characterize my jewelry. Now that I have a machine to score, I score my jewelry with the mark of a suitable metal and mark my creator.

A jeweler could not simply look at a piece and tell you with certainty if it's gold or not, the jeweler will do a test to find out.

To be precise scientfically a sample of the metal in question must be analyzed in a laboratory test, but the following two tests have been used for many years and often are sufficiently accurate for a craftsperson or the owner of the metal in question.

To answer "Is this gold?"

With a small file to a zero in a hidden location. While wearing rubber gloves, use a wood, glass or plastic stick to apply a drop of nitric acid at the location filed. Observe the reaction. When done, just rinse well under running water.

If there is no reaction, it's gold.
If there is a reaction to a bright green metal base that is all.
If it is green in scratching, it is a layer of gold on base metals (gold plated).
If milky reaction in the scratch, it is a layer of gold over silver.

To answer "What Karat Is It?"

Determine carat needs a test kit containing the nitric acid, aqua regia, samples of known karat, and a touchstone of slate or ceramic.

The gold object to be tested is rubbed on the stone ("touched") to leave a trail. A parallel line is made with a specimen of known karat. Both brands are flooded with acid and the reaction are observed. When the sample colors at the same rate as the test line, a connection has been established. Nitric acid is used for low karat golds; aqua regia is needed for more carats.

Please note: these tests are for your information only. They are not specific enough to invoke when a piece is for sale. Most jewelers have testing kits to use for determining whether something is gold or not and about carats. It is probably easier to take the issue to a jeweler to set up the testing kits yourself.

24K gold is pure gold.

contains 18-carat gold coins 18 gold and 6 parts another metal (s), making it 75% gold.

14K gold contains 14 pieces gold and 10 parts another metal (s), making it 58.3% gold.

contains 12K gold with 12 gold medals parts and 12 parts another metal (s), which is 50% gold.

10K gold contains 10 gold coins and 14 parts another metal (s), making it 41.7% gold. 10K gold is the minimum karat designation may still be called gold the United States.

Gold will not tarnish, rust, or corrode, and if it is very strong, it is also the most malleable of all metals.

Pure gold is too soft to withstand the rigors of everyday wear, it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like silver, copper, nickel and zinc to give it strength and durability.

Karatag, noted by a number followed by "k" indicates purity, or how much metal in a piece of jewelry is gold. Karatag is expressed in 24ths, making gold 24k gold 100%.
http://www.california-gold-rush-miner.us ...