White or black base metal beneath (sometimes leaving green or black stains on your neck or clothing). This shell wears off, rubs away, chips or pits. Do you see tarnishing? Discoloration? Layers chipping or peeling off? Gold plated items are a shell that covers the outside surface.

Grab yourself a 10x jewelerвЂ™s loupe and scope the entire piece.

So always look closely around the links and inside the crevices for more detail. ItвЂ™s bubbled up (like spray paint), missing in sections (leaving some parts yellow, some parts white). The plating is normally not even or smooth either. Is the item incredibly yellow? Gold plated pieces generally are over-yellow. The color of gold can be a good clue too. They arenвЂ™t very durable, and I wouldnвЂ™t advise them. They usually dent easily, crush, or break. So weight isnвЂ™t always a positive, but itвЂ™s a good start. This is to reduce cost, of course (think gold hoop earrings). Many manufacturers produce hollow (also called semi-hollow) chains that are real gold, but just a 1/4 of the weight. NowвЂ¦ It is important to note that an item could be hollow and could be real at the same time. Does it feel light and airy (like a balloon), or does it fall with substance? Also, listen to the sound it makes. So take the item in question in the palm of your hand and bounce it. How does it feel? How heavy is the peice? Gold has a nice weight to it. They are hollow, gold plated, worth just a fraction of the price. Huge chains (many filled with czвЂ™s all the way down) would be worth a fortune if real. Is the piece massive in size? Like a huge gold 30mm chain as seen in the music videos? If itвЂ™s that big and thick, chances are itвЂ™s not the real deal. Is it justifiable? Price is a dead giveaway. So look at the item, then look at the price. Even selling the item at scrap metal value would bring you more greenbacks. No one is going to sell it cheaper than what itвЂ™s worth.

Real or fake 4k down