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Colored gold
Colored gold is the name given to any gold that has been treated using techniques to change its natural color. Pure gold is slightly reddish yellow in color,[1] but colored gold can come in a variety of different colors by alloying it with different elements.
Colored golds can be classified in three groups:[2]: 118
- Alloys with silver and copper in various proportions, producing white, yellow, green and red golds. These are typically malleable alloys.
- Intermetallic compounds, producing blue and purple golds, as well as other colors. These are typically brittle, but can be used as gems and inlays.
- Surface treatments, such as oxide layers.
Pure 100% (in practice, 99.9% or better) gold is 24 karat by definition, so all colored golds are less pure than this, commonly 18K (75%), 14K (58.5%), 10K (41.6%), or 9K (37.5%).[3]
- ^ Encyclopædia of Chemistry, theoretical, Practical, and Analytical: As Applied to the Arts and Manufactures. J. B. Lippincott & Company. 1880. pp. 70–.
- ^ Cretu, Cristian; van der Lingen, Elma (December 1999). "Coloured gold alloys" (PDF). Gold Bulletin. 32 (4): 115–126. doi:10.1007/BF03214796. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-07-30.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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