Alloys
If you always wanted to know how exactly the different alloys - white gold, yellow gold, rosé gold - are made, you have come to the right place.
Have fun while reading.
Each alloy is based on gold. They differ by the addition of other metals and of course by the price, because the higher the gold content, the more expensive it gets, but the higher the quality of the alloy.
The term carat (abbr. Kt or C) is used to indicate the fine content of gold and indicates the amount of pure gold in the total weight of a gold alloy. Gold is mainly processed together with silver and copper.
Gold with 24 carat contains 24/24 parts of gold.
The purity of processed gold, alternatively to carat is also given in 1/1000 parts.
333 gold a gold share of 333 / 1000 = 0.333 = 33.3% or 8 kt
375 gold a gold share of 375 / 1000 = 0.375 = 37.5% or 9 kt
585 gold a gold share of 585 / 1000 = 0.585 = 58.5% or 14 kt
750 gold a gold share of 750 / 1000 = 0.750 = 75% or 18 kt
999 gold a gold share of 999 / 1000 = 0.999 = 99,99% or 24 kt
Silver is a chemical element with the symbol "Ag" - from the Latin "argentum", derived from the Greek ὰργὀς: "shiny" or "white". The most important alloys today are copper-silver alloys and have a fine cont of 800, 835, 925 and 935 thousandths of silver.
Silver is a soft, white, lustrous transition metal which is easy to work with as a goldsmith. However since it is so soft scratches on the surface while wearing the jewelry are likely to happen.
The most important silver deposits are in North America (Mexico, USA, Canada) and South America (Peru, Bolivia).
Alloy example:
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925 silver: 92.5% silver, 6.5% copper, 0.6% others
Silver
Rosé gold is a gold alloy of pure gold, copper and silver. The relatively high copper content (clearly above that of the silver) is responsible for the coloration and hardness of the material. Often, silver or palladium are additionally added - elements that discolour and improve the durability of the jewelry against external influences.
By varying the individual alloy constituents, a wide range of finely graded colour shades can be produced. Depending on the fineness and composition, the color spectrum of rosé gold alloys ranges from a cool silvery rosé gold to a warm apricot - in some cases, the colour almost even resembles the human skin colour.
Rosé gold alloys generally have higher strength and hardness than yellow gold alloys of the same fineness.
Alloy examples:
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585 rosé gold (14 kt): 58.5% gold, 17% silver, 23.5% copper, 1% zinc
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750 rosé gold (18 kt): 75% gold, 9.4% silver, 15% copper, 0.6% other
Rosé Gold
Gold is a chemical element with symbol „Au“ – from Latin „aurum“.
Yellow gold is the most popular alloy worldwide. In its purest form, it is a bright, slightly reddish yellow, dense, soft, malleable and ductile metal.
It is a combination of fine gold, silver, zinc and copper. The ratio affects the color. As the gold content decreases, the depth of the yellow tone is also reduced.
China is as of 2014 the world's leading gold-mining country, followed in order by Australia, Russia, the United States, Canada, and Peru. South Africa, which had dominated world gold production for most of the 20th century, had declined to sixth place. Other major producers are Ghana, Burkina Faso, Mali, Indonesia and Uzbekistan.
Alloy examples:
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585 yellow gold (14 kt): 58.5% gold, 7% silver, 26% copper, 8.5% other
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750 yellow gold (18 kt): 75% gold, 15% silver, 10% copper
Yellow Gold
White gold often looks like platinum or silver. Compared to silver it does not oxidize and therefore no discoloration occurs.
Here - as well as in yellow and rosé gold - a composition of different metals and precious metals ensures the different shades - white to gray. For white gold, palladium and / or silver are often added to the fine gold. Together with silver, palladium extracts the color from the fine gold. Depending on the proportion of "decolorizing" substances, the resulting alloy may have a silver (8 kt) to gray-white (18 kt) clay. When the alloy is additionally coated with rhodium, it gets a particularly bright shine.
A 750 white gold alloy states that the gold content is at least 75%.
Alloy examples:
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585 white gold (14 kt): 58.5% gold, 17% silver, 12% palladium, 12% copper
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750 white gold (18 kt): 75% gold, 2.5% silver, 13.5% palladium, 9% copper
White Gold