Gold can be stopped at TSA metal detectors.

True: gold carried by a traveller can be detected by the metal detectors used at TSA airport checkpoints, so it can be flagged and stopped at screening (the claim is about capability, not that it is always stopped). Mostly true: gold can be detected and stopped at TSA screening, but mainly through related equipment (such as X-ray or body scanners) rather than the walk-through metal detector itself, or only above some quantity. Mostly false: gold is detected only rarely or incidentally, and the claim overstates this. False: the evidence shows gold cannot be detected or stopped at TSA metal detector screening.

Set before the research began.

1. E1 Does Gold Set Off Metal Detectors? What To Expect GoldConsul · 9 January 2025

   “It can, but a small piece of jewelry often passes without an alarm. A thick bracelet, large watch, layered necklaces, heavy belt hardware, or several pieces worn together present more metal and are more likely to trigger further screening.”

2. E2 Users' Guide for Hand-Held and Walk-Through Metal Detectors U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice

   “An object is detected if the magnetic field of the HH or WT unit interacts with the object and if the sensor part of the HH and WT units can then detect this interaction. The object must be electrically conductive (see sec. 3.2.1.1) or magnetizable”

3. E3 Will My Gold Jewelry Set Off Airport Security? Robinson's Jewelers · 29 December 2024

   “Pure gold is a non-ferrous metal, meaning it is not magnetic. As a result, small and simple gold jewelry pieces, such as gold stud earrings or wedding bands, typically do not set off standard airport metal detectors.”

4. E4 Can You Wear Jewelry Through TSA in 2026? MyTicketsToIndia · 18 April 2024

   “Gold typically does not set off metal detectors at airport security checkpoints because it is not a ferrous metal.”

E2, a federal technical guide, says walk-through metal detectors detect objects that conduct electricity. E2 states that detected objects must be electrically conductive or magnetizable, but it does not mention gold or TSA by name. E1 says gold can set off airport metal detectors, with larger or multiple items more likely to trigger further screening, while E3 and E4 say small gold pieces, or gold generally, typically do not set off airport metal detectors. Because detection depends on how much gold is carried, this fits the criteria's "mostly true" case ("only above some quantity").