Pure gold naturally occurs as a shiny, malleable metal with a reddish-yellow hue. It is one of the most precious metals used in currency, jewelry, arts, and various industries.
Gold used in jewelry is not pure 24-karat gold. Instead, it is a mixture of gold with other metals to make it strong and durable. Gold can be mixed with silver, copper, zinc, palladium, and nickel to create different gold colors. The most common gold colors are yellow, white, and pink, but gold can also be found in green and gray.
Common Gold Colors:
Yellow Gold
Yellow gold is one of the most popular and commonly used colors in jewelry, prized for its rich and shiny appearance. Jewelry cannot be made from pure 24-karat yellow gold due to its softness. Instead, yellow gold is mixed with other metals to achieve the desired color and durability.
Depending on the proportion of these metals, different types of yellow gold are produced:
24-Karat Yellow Gold**
22-Karat Yellow Gold**
18-Karat Yellow Gold**
14-Karat Yellow Gold**
White Gold
White gold contains varying amounts of yellow gold and one or more white metals to lighten its color and add strength and durability. The most common white metals used in white gold alloys are nickel, palladium, platinum, and sometimes manganese. Copper, zinc, and silver may also be added. The purity of white gold is expressed in karats, just like yellow gold. However, white gold is more durable and scratch-resistant than yellow gold.
Rose and Red Gold
The color of rose or red gold comes from mixing gold with copper and silver. The difference in the metal blend ratio distinguishes rose gold from red gold. The most common types include:
18-Karat Red Gold: 75% gold, 25% copper.
18-Karat Rose Gold: 75% gold, 22.25% copper, 2.75% silver.
18-Karat Pink Gold: 75% gold, 20% copper, 5% silver.
Green Gold
Green gold (or Electrum) is a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, and sometimes copper. Silver gives the gold alloy a yellowish-green appearance rather than a green color. To achieve green, cadmium is mixed with gold alloys, but it is not commonly used due to cadmium’s high toxicity and potential health risks. A mix of 75% gold, 15% silver, 6% copper, and 4% cadmium produces a dark green alloy.
Gray Gold
Gray gold is usually made from gold mixed with palladium and generally comes in 18-karat. It can also be produced more cheaply by adding silver, manganese, and copper to gold in specific proportions.
Is There a Price Difference for Colored Gold?
The price difference depends on the purity of the gold. For example, 22- or 21-karat yellow gold is more expensive than 18-karat yellow gold because it contains a higher percentage of gold. Therefore, 18-karat yellow gold is priced the same as 18-karat red gold since you are getting the same amount of gold, and the gold content determines the price.
An exception to this rule is white gold. Palladium mixed with white gold is part of the platinum family and is more expensive than silver and copper. As a result, white gold is generally slightly more expensive than yellow or red gold. Additionally, there is often an extra cost for rhodium plating the final jewelry piece.
At Sankari Jewelry, we offer a wide range of colored gold jewelry, Visit our store in Istanbul to explore our collection, or visit our website to see the latest products
