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Different Colors of Gold
Have you ever wondered where gold obtains its wide array of colors?
If it is yellow by nature, how do you make it white? The answer lies
in it's highly malleable property that allows a skilled jeweler to
create new colors and designs. Jewelers prefer gold to other metals
not only for its brilliance, but ease in which it can be molded and
mixed with other metals. However, pure gold is easily scratched and
slightly dull in color, which limits durability in every day golden
jewelry. Instead, it is alloyed with other metals, such as copper,
silver, nickel, palladium, and zinc, which increase its strength and
its color.
In its purest form of 24 karats, the metal dons a deep, orange shade
of yellow. When fused with other metals, however, its shade will vary.
Copper, being red, will cause gold to become redder. Silver, zinc,
and other white/gray metals will cause it to become paler. Alloying
gold with other metals follows the principle of mixing colors; therefore,
lower karat gold often has a wider array of colors than higher karat
gold because more alloying metals are added.
| Color |
Composition |
| Bright Yellow |
Pure Gold, Copper, Fine Silver |
| White |
Pure Gold, Copper, Nickel, Zinc |
| Rose |
Pure Gold, Copper |
| Deep Green |
Gold, Fine Silver, Copper, Zinc |
| Bright Red |
Pure Gold, Aluminum |
In today's jewelry, traditional yellow gold remains the most popular,
followed by white gold, two-tone gold, and tri-color gold. Two-tone
gold
jewelry is comprised of yellow gold and white gold. It is versatile
because it can match with any combination of yellow gold, white gold,
and platinum. Tri-color gold is comprised of yellow gold, rose gold,
and white or green gold. Tri-color was popularized by Black Hills
gold, which is made in South Dakota. The use of three colors tends
to make designs more distinct. Whether it is radiant yellow, polished
white, or a shade in between, the natural characteristic of gold is
that it shines brightly in any hue and looks exquisite in every ray
of light.
Example of tri-color earrings.
Homestake Gold Mine
This large gold mine lies in the Black Hills of South Dakota in North
America. It began producing during the rush in 1876 and has been working
continuously ever since, except for three years during World War II.
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