Do You Think Gold Is Only Yellow? Here’s Every Colour It Comes In and What Makes Them Different

Gold is known to be associated with its classic golden color, but it has much more colors than what people often know. There are various types of gold including white, rose, green, black, blue, and purple among others. However, some colors may be more common than the others. According to the International Organization for Standardization and the World Gold Council, the color of gold depends on the metals used in the alloying process rather than on the gold color alteration itself.

This information is especially useful for those who buy jewelry in order to understand why there may be differences in durability, care requirements, skin compatibility and other things depending on the color of gold.

What Gives Gold its Different Colours?

Gold in its pure form, 24 carat, has a natural golden colour and is too soft for use in jewelry. It is therefore combined with other metals to create alloys which can also alter its color.

Copper makes gold look pink or red and gives us rose gold. White gold is usually produced by mixing gold with white metals like palladium and silver, and may have a rhodium coating to give it a brilliant white finish. Green gold contains a higher percentage of silver, but there are certain black, blue and purple golds which use special surface treatments and oxides in addition to alloys to obtain their unique colors.

There is a standard, ISO 8654:2018, which classifies very few colored gold alloys and offers a way to quantify and designate them.

Does colour affect gold purity?

Colour and purity are two different aspects.

Gold purity is determined by the number of carats. 24-carat gold is known as pure gold, whereas 18-carat gold contains 75% gold. The fourteen-carat gold consists of 58.3% gold, denoted by 585, whereas ten-carat gold consists of 41.7% gold.

The same purity can be found in different colors since the remaining part consists of other metals. An 18-carat white gold ring and an 18-carat rose gold ring will consist of equal parts of gold, but the rest of the metals differ to get the color.

Which gold colour is best?

There is no such thing as a “perfect color” of gold since it is determined by the way the jewelry is supposed to be worn. Yellow gold is still the classic choice and does not need much maintenance since its color is natural for the alloy itself. Rose gold has become increasingly popular due to its warm color and because the alloy gets its strength from copper too.

White gold is the preferred choice for bridal jewelry and especially prevalent in the US, according to the World Gold Council which calls white gold a dominant material for wedding rings in the country. Nevertheless, being plated with rhodium, it can get old and eventually need repolishing.

People who have an allergic reaction to metals should consider what alloys the gold contains, especially white gold which can sometimes include nickel.

Not all coloured gold is the same

Though yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold are common, other colors, like black, blue, and purple, are not and usually considered specialty items. According to the World Gold Council, there are certain colors which require specialized surface treatments and are not a result of the metal alloy and thus their color may alter due to usage.

This aspect is significant since exotic colors are often advertised together with common gold alloys despite the difference in manufacture process and durability.

Also Read: Gold Rate Today (July 23): Check 18K, 22K, 24K Gold Prices In Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai And More

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