July 28, 2021
The modern market is rich in a variety of jewelry and investment proposals. Such abundance greatly complicates consumer choice. Increasingly, attention is paid not only to the appearance of the precious metal, but also to its quality and country of manufacture. So which gold is better to buy?
999 gold or red gold
The most expensive type of metal is 999 gold. This means that 1 kg contains 99.9% pure metal. This is the purest gold on the planet and is available only to the state. Bullions of this exact standard are stored in the gold and foreign exchange funds of each country. This standard is not available in jewelry not because of its high cost, but because of the softness of the metal. It is simply impossible to create jewelry from 999 samples that can be worn for a long time. The popular or trade name of the alloy is red. It is called so because of its reddish hue. It especially manifests itself when heated. This indicates the high quality of the metal. In Ancient Rus', wedding rings were made from this alloy.
What is special about gold as a metal?
Characteristic features of gold as a metal:
- Softness (only 2.5-3.0 on the Mohs scale). To the touch it can be compared to a fingernail.
- Natural sunny yellow color (sometimes with a greenish tint);
- High resistance to water, air, acids and alkalis;
- Plasticity and low resistance (1 gram can be rolled into a sheet up to 0.0001 mm thick or into a wire 3000 meters long).
For many centuries, the yellow precious metal has had an irresistible power over people: it was worshiped as the Sun God, they fought and killed for it, they sealed destinies and promises with it. And this is still the case today. Gold is perhaps the only metal that has retained all these qualities since BC.
Today, the scope of use of gold is not only jewelry. This includes medicine (surgery, dentistry), electronics.
White and yellow gold
The most common shades are white and yellow. Yellow is a natural shade with the addition of copper and silver. Depending on the concentration of a particular metal, the shade of yellow changes. For example, the reddish tint is due to a higher proportion of copper. Lemon - because of the silver.
White gold becomes this by adding palladium or platinum. These metals also add strength to the alloy.
Black gold
The most refined type of precious metal is black. Its popularity is only gaining momentum. Jewelers and store clerks call it blackened gold. Its cost is slightly higher than usual, but this does not detract from its attractiveness to buyers.
There are several ways to make black gold.
To achieve black color, jewelers use 3 methods:
- Addition of chromium, sulfur and cobalt to the alloy.
- Rhodium plating.
- Use of amorphous carbon.
In the first method, each metal makes its contribution. Cobalt gives a silvery tint. In addition, it increases the strength and wear resistance of gold. Chrome is the key element in this alloy; it gives the desired black color. Sulfur acts as a binder.
Rhodium plating also imparts the desired color to the metal. In addition, rhodium creates an additional protective film, which further protects the jewelry from damage. A laser is used to perform rhodium plating. Similarly, you can make a metal black by coating it with amorphous carbon.
Blackened gold becomes more dense, resistant to impacts, scratches and external influences. Most often, black jewelry is encrusted with diamonds. Emerald, opal, and ruby are also used. Such products look very elegant and stylish. They decorate any outfit and emphasize a person’s status.
However, the color black is not the same on all jewelry. Depending on the jeweler's decision, the shade can vary between light grey, brown and resin black.
You can also divide aurum into types not only based on the shade, but also on the country in which it was produced. Today we have access to any store that is on the Internet and it is not necessary to go to Spain to buy jewelry there.
Which country is better to buy gold?
Each country makes its own adjustments to jewelry production. The main goal is to reduce costs and add beauty and originality to design solutions. But sometimes additives affect durability, and sometimes cause allergic reactions. Many began to purchase Turkish gold based on considerations of cheapness.
“My wife’s friends were bragging about how cheap gold they bought in Turkey. Now my wife dreams of going to Turkey to buy cheap gold trinkets there. But why can you buy gold so cheaply in Turkey? It seems that the purity of Turkish gold is good, but it is much cheaper than ours. What is the reason for this phenomenon with gold?” - quote from the forum.
Indeed, the price of gold items from this country is low, and in appearance they are no different. But often the carat measure of the precious metal content differs significantly when tested, not in favor of gold. Therefore, such products have a low cost.
Italy is famous for its 750 standard jewelry. It should be noted that in this country it is not customary to wear gold jewelry as an everyday accessory. Jewelry predominates there.
In Switzerland, products below 750 are prohibited.
Russian jewelers keep their mark. The products correspond to the specified sample. A tag is attached to each piece of jewelry, which indicates the characteristics, as well as information about the inserts - precious and semi-precious stones.
When purchasing jewelry, you should not chase cheapness. This often means counterfeit or theft.
Gold from Europe
Spain. This country is one of the largest exporters of its jewelry to other countries. The most famous brands are “Tous”, “Carrera”, “Masriera”, “Yanes”. In Spain, products are made from 750-grade metal.
Italy. Italian products are also made from 750 standard, they are distinguished by high-quality polishing and lightness. The jewelers' works are always refined and each is a work of art.
France. In the case of this variety, the word gold is present only in the name. Visually it is impossible to distinguish this alloy from natural metal. It is created from copper, zinc and tin. This is a high-quality alloy, but only suitable for making jewelry. Due to its high quality and visual similarity, the alloy is called the name of the precious metal. It is used to make premium jewelry that is indistinguishable from jewelry.
Is gold used in its pure form?
Pure gold is usually a bright yellow shade of the sun. It is like this by nature and this is its distinctive feature from other metals. But there is a fly in the ointment in this barrel of honey. Gold cannot go through life alone. Excessive softness makes it unsuitable for fine jewelry work.
Products made of pure gold exist, but mostly they are antique jewelry or works of art. In its pure form it can only be used in decoration (gold leaf). In all other cases, yellow aurum is supplemented with alloying components (impurities). The most common “companions” of gold are silver, copper, platinum, palladium, zinc, and nickel. They determine the final properties of the alloy and make it suitable for jewelry work.
Why does gold change color
Sometimes, having bought high-quality jewelry in a trusted jewelry store, people are faced with the fact that it changes color over time. For example, it turns green, red or white. Before specifying the reasons, we should remember the physical properties of aurum. This element is not susceptible to corrosion, the influence of fats, air and water. It also does not react with acids and alkalis. Among those substances that can affect aurum: aqua regia (gold completely dissolves in it), mercury, liquid bromine, potassium iodide and an aqueous solution of cyanide.
It is also worth remembering that pure metal is never used to make jewelry; it always contains other elements, such as copper. It can react with various elements and change the color of gold.
Greening of gold
If the gold turns green, it means that the copper in it has oxidized. This can also happen due to sweating, for example. This can happen with frequent use of cosmetics, oils, lotions, and perfumes. You should remove jewelry before applying such products to yourself. In addition, many cosmetic products contain mercury or iodine. Copper or other metals in the alloy may react with them and cause a green tint.
Reddening of gold
If the gold turns red, this may also indicate a copper reaction. Depending on the percentage of this metal contained in the alloy, the product may turn green or red. Sometimes, wanting to save money and attract a buyer at a lower price, they cover jewelry with a high copper content with an additional layer of gilding. This layer wears off over time and copper begins to actively react with the human body. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict this even with careful examination in the store.
Main types of alloys
Once we have learned that gold cannot be a pure metal in jewelry, and we have also learned from the mark how many parts of the metal are impurities, it is time to learn that there are different types of gold that differ from each other in color. They are perfectly distinguishable by eye, since one or another additive gives a tint effect. Traditional alloys (additives) are silver and copper. They give the alloy the necessary strength. Other ingredients can change the color and characteristics of the metal, so it’s worth getting to know them better.
White gold is a fairly popular alloy for jewelry. It may contain silver, palladium and platinum. It is quite expensive, since platinum now has high price quotes. Externally, its surface is distinguished by a whitish color, its main property is increased strength. This is what makes white gold irreplaceable when it comes to jewelry with precious stones, because it fixes them much more firmly than usual. White gold purity - 750 or 585. It can be used as a decorative element of jewelry, playing on the color of the product.
Yellow gold is the most traditional alloy. The alloy uses silver and copper. Their ratio is not always the same; a slightly larger percentage of copper may give a reddish tint, while a smooth lemon color will indicate the silver content. Samples can be different, from 333 to 958, but most often the most harmonious in composition are 585 and 750 samples.
Red gold is gold with a high copper content. Once upon a time it was quite widespread, but now it has given way to yellow gold, seemingly losing its leadership forever. This gold looks good in jewelry, as it can highlight the hue of a red stone or add a colorful streak to a masterpiece of jewelry weaving. The gold and copper content here can be divided equally. This is a fairly economical option, because copper is the cheapest metal of all that is used in alloys.
Rose gold is an alloy that is also colored copper, but with the addition of silver. Its delicate color has made it the favorite material of many modern jewelry houses.
Rarer alloys
Green gold is an alloy of gold and silver. It was known in ancient times. Here the ratio of metals can be either about 75% gold and 25% silver, or 58% gold, 38% silver and the addition of a small amount of copper. Cadmium is also sometimes used. The secret of the alloy is that it is fragile, and the higher the silver content, the greater the risk of deformation of the green gold product. Of course, the richness of the gold color is worth experimenting with, and types with a rich green color or pale light green are still found, but more often as a detail of a product for decorative purposes.
There is also such a curiosity as blue and gray gold. This is an alloy with steel, and the shade of the metal depends on its percentage. For a more saturated color, silver can also be added to the alloy. This is quite a profitable purchase.
Black gold is a recent invention. There are several options for obtaining it, including exposure to the surface with a laser, alloying with cobalt and chromium, and a special coating. Such gold is already in full swing used in jewelry, opening up new facets of their art for jewelry designers.
