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Tungsten-filled gold bars: the fake that almost weighs right
Tungsten is dense like gold. That is the trick. Weight alone is not enough. Dimensions, ultrasound, XRF, and a shop that has seen this before are.
Most fakes are light or magnetic. Tungsten is the annoying one.
Tungsten is about as dense as gold. A bar with a tungsten brick inside and a gold jacket can weigh close and still be a problem. People buy a kitchen scale, see the “right” number, and stop thinking.
What actually catches it
- Dimensions that are wrong for the stated ounce size
- Seams, corners, drill-and-plug jobs
- Ultrasound or specific gravity at a shop that owns the tool
- XRF that says gold on the skin while the middle is something else
- A seller who needs cash tonight on a “great deal”
What the tests mean. How to avoid counterfeits. What .999 guarantees.
Coins are harder to tungsten well than fat bars. That is one reason shops like government coins. Eagles vs bars. Government vs generic. Good Delivery is a different animal — a 400-ounce London bar, not your 10 oz retail piece.
If you already bought one
Bring it in. Do not argue with the first test. Ask what failed. Get a second shop if the dollars are ugly. Do not list it again as genuine because you “don’t believe it.” A shop that declines a bar is trying not to eat a tungsten sandwich.