Although yellow gold is the most used metal in jewelry, there are other colors of gold that are also gaining ground when it comes to jewelry.
However, it should be clarified that in its natural state gold does not have other colors. So these will be the result of mixing yellow gold with different metals, including silver, copper, zinc, palladium and nickel. Which, in addition to changing its color, will also provide it with the additional strength and hardness it needs to be used in jewelry.
If you love gold jewelry and want to try options other than traditional yellow gold, choosing gold jewelry in different colors will allow you to have fun and experiment with your personal style. So knowing the different colors of gold that currently exist in jewelry and what their composition is, may be what you need to make a decision. Read on then to discover them.
What determines the different colors of gold?
The color of a gold alloy depends on what other metals are included in the mix. However, this color is determined by two factors: the type of metal alloys included and the percentage of each metal alloy. Although the amount of gold and other metals will also affect the karat of the jewelry.
Remember that karats are a fractional measure of the degree of purity of gold, more specifically of the purity of gold alloys, measured by 24 whole parts. That is, a carat is 1/24 of the total mass of gold that the piece contains, so 24-carat gold is pure gold. While, for example, the ratio for an 18-carat gold jewel will be 18/24, which represents 75% gold and 25% other metal alloys. A rule that applies to all colors of gold.
Most used gold colors in jewelry
Since yellow is the original color of gold, any gold alloy that has a different hue is considered colored gold. Here are the most common varieties of colored gold:
Yellow gold
Yellow gold is the most commonly used type of gold in jewelry. However, it should be noted that although yellow is the natural color of gold, yellow gold is not the same as pure gold.
Since this metal is very soft, it is not suitable for jewelry making unless it is mixed with other metals to make it harder. The yellow gold jewelry that we see in stores has different degrees of purity depending on the amount of real gold it contains, measured by its karats.
The lower the percentage of gold content in a piece, the lower its karat number. In general, lower karat gold jewelry has a yellow color that is less intense than higher karat pieces. Low karat items are also harder and more durable than purer gold jewelry.
White gold
This is the most popular gold alloy used in jewelry. To achieve a white color, gold is mixed with metals such as palladium or nickel.
However, adding white metals is not enough to get a perfect white color, and a white gold alloy still looks a bit yellowish. This is why it is rhodium plated, which actually gives white gold jewelry its color and shine.
gray gold
Gray gold alloys are usually made from gold and palladium. But a cheaper alternative that doesn’t use palladium is made by adding silver, manganese, and copper to gold in specific proportions.
rose gold and red gold
Rose gold owes its color to the copper that is mixed into the alloy. The more copper there is, the more pronounced the color of the rose becomes.
Rose gold alloys with a high copper content have a deep reddish hue and are therefore also known as “red gold”. Rose gold varieties that contain less copper have a subdued color; for that reason, those alloys are also called “rose gold”.
Rose gold is more affordable than other gold colors because it uses cheap copper for its coloration. Due to its copper content, rose gold is also more durable than yellow or white gold.
A key point to keep in mind with rose gold and other types of colored gold is that since gold must be combined with other metals to transform color, it is impossible to achieve 100% purity or to have colored gold of 24k.
More exotic gold colors
black gold
Although quite rare in jewelry, black gold is still the most widely used exotic gold. A gold alloy can be turned black using various methods. One way is to simply cover the part’s surface with a black compound (such as black rhodium).
Another option is to treat the surface of the item with certain chemicals so that it changes color. It is also possible to change the color of a gold alloy containing cobalt, copper, titanium, or iron by oxidizing its surface using heat.
Green gold
Also known in the old term of electrum. Green gold is actually an alloy of natural gold and silver. Its reflections range from yellow with light green reflections to the most pronounced green.
It actually appears as greenish-yellow instead of green.
The element Cadmium can also be added to gold alloys to create a green color, but there are health concerns regarding its use, as cadmium is highly toxic. The alloy of 75% gold, 15% silver, 6% copper and 4% cadmium creates a dark green alloy.
purple gold
The purple color of this alloy is achieved by adding aluminum and pure gold together. However, purple gold is not very durable and can easily break because the compound is relatively brittle. Therefore, it is mainly used in inlays in more conventional gold jewelry.
blue gold
One way to produce blue gold is to mix indium with pure gold. Like purple gold, the resulting blue gold compound tends to be brittle.
An alternative way to make blue gold is to mix gold with iron or rhodium and treat the resulting alloy with heat so that the mixture oxidizes and forms a blue layer.