How To Tell If A Door Handle Is Real Gold

This the size of the hole that was drilled in the door for both the handle cylinder itself and the.

How to tell if a door handle is real gold.

This is only a problem in much older homes and on exterior doors most standard doors are 1 3 8 1 3 4 inch thick backset. The following items for example are all lacquered. To tell if gold is real try dropping it into a glass of water. Choose a spot that is not noticeable if possible.

Building door door hardware age. Generally items that are unlacquered will specifically say so. If it doesn t do one further test just to be sure it s not actually brass plating on top of another non magnetic metal. If it sticks it probably isn t real gold since gold isn t magnetic.

Use a dropper to apply a small drop of nitric acid to the scratch. By hand by machine by later generations of machine. No matter how skilled a counterfeiter is they can only plate the surface of fake gold with color. Real pure gold should be continuous.

If the gold does not react with the acid this is a proof that we re dealing with real gold. If you have a piece with less than blingy brass here s a primer on how to polish it to perfection or fake it to fabulous kate from centsational girl is one of our favorite people for how to tips around the home. She has a thing for brass details and wanted to restore the hardware from a dresser and a campaign desk. You can also try holding a strong magnet like the kind you can find at hardware stores up to the metal to see if it sticks to it.

If it floats it s probably not real gold since gold is very dense. How far over horizontally your handle will be installed on the door. The way to tell if something is solid brass or only brass plated is with a magnet. If that necklace leaps to the magnet your.

Other stuff you need to keep in mind. How thick your door is. Brass hardware is making a big comeback. If there is no reaction then the piece is probably made from real gold.

Test by scratching an inconspicuous area with a sharp knife. However if a green or milky coloration is observed this indicates either fake gold or a gold over sterling silver product. If the magnet sticks to the piece it s brass plated. Door window hardware knobs latches hinges screws nails.

This article describes and illustrates antique modern hardware. Real gold is not magnetic fake gold on the other hand will stick to the magnet. You may also be able to tell from the price as items in unlacquered brass tend to have a higher price tag even as compared to the same item being offered in other finishes. While choosing a doorknob color might seem like a minor task it is just as important as choosing paint and furnishings because doorknobs also add personality to your space.

To perform this test to check if gold is real make a light tiny scratch on the item using a small nail file. 2 3 8 2 3 4 inches is standard bore sizes.