All That Glitters Is Not Always Gold

In a real, classic of a cautionary tale one of our customers handed us the pictured “gold” bar the other day – looking shiny in it’s capsule and worth a substantial sum of money – if only it was real. Sadly this was not the case. We conduct a number of tests on all the items we purchase and this 1 oz of pure gold fell at the first hurdle; clamping itself to out test magnet like a limpet to a rock at low tide. Despite it’s fine looking credentials and outside appearance it was as fake as it gets.

Naturally it failed every other test too. It was gold plated but that was as close as it got. The innards were 100% steel and the total value the square root of nothing. Purchased far too cheap off a well known auction site it was plain and simple a nicely made fake.

The lesson to be learned here is that if something appears to be cheap compared to what it is meant to be then run away fast in the opposite direction.

If you would like to test your items then please do get in touch. We cover Plymouth, South East Cornwall, West Devon and the South Hams in a broad radius taking in Torbay, Exeter, Okehampton, Launceston, Liskeard and Looe with all areas in between. Straightforward, honest advice given freely and fair prices paid on the spot for your (real!) items.