999 standard gold and silver: properties of the highest standard, pricing on the international market, use of metals, recommendations for selection and care

Post updated: Jun 6, 2020

Gold of 999 standard does not actually contain any impurities; since ancient times it has been called red gold. Gold marked 999.9 fineness is not hard, is easily deformed, and is susceptible to chips and scratches during use.

Therefore, it is rarely used in jewelry making, preferring its investment potential.

To level out these shortcomings, various metals, the so-called alloy, are added to the alloy containing 999 fine gold. Materials such as platinum, silver, palladium, copper, nickel are used, which in different proportions in the gold alloy give it different shades. The sample size of the product depends on their percentage in the precious metal alloy.

Areas of application

This metal alloy is almost pure gold. Therefore, it is very rarely used for the production of jewelry. Products using such a sample can rarely be found on the counter and they will all be quite bulky. However, some manufacturers make part of the jewelry from pure gold and the rest from lower grades.

The best use of this gold sample is in the production of bullion. Of course, bullion is also highly susceptible to external influences, but much less so than jewelry. People have long understood that gold is an excellent investment. And for these purposes, 999 gold is always used.

Also, gold bars of this standard are used as the main gold reserve of the country. After all, at all times this metal has been valuable, and its price has never been low.

Often used as gilding. For example, for medals, cups or just jewelry. At the same time, the product itself is not deformed, the ornament is not erased during use, but looks quite impressive. The cost is also significantly reduced compared to a product made from pure material.

Can pure gold oxidize?

Since this sample of gold is an almost pure material. It is practically not susceptible to chemical attack. Oxidation of a metal of this purity occurs only due to heating. At the same time, plaque does not form, as with some other alloys. Gold simply turns red, which indicates the authenticity of the alloy. Such gold is also called “red” precisely because of this feature.

Many alloys are actively affected by chlorine, hydrochloric acid, a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids, but this does not apply to the 999 sample. It is absolutely not susceptible to oxidation by elements such as acids and alkalis.

Technologies for obtaining other samples of alloys and shades of gold

To change the color, it is enough to deviate from the standard scheme for obtaining a gold alloy. The introduction of copper gives a reddish tint. Previously, such material was called red. But initially this was the designation for an alloy with the maximum content of precious metal. Chervonets were made from it in Tsarist Russia. If you add 999 silver or platinum, the yellow precious metal will turn white.

Important: When choosing a different alloy production technology, you need to remember that changing the composition can negatively affect the properties of the metal: brittleness will increase and ductility will decrease.

Self-cleaning of a product made from Red Gold

After a long period of time, even such a gold alloy can lose its original luster and brightness. However, this happens very slowly.

To help the product maintain its appearance, it is necessary to perform the following actions:

• Wipe regularly with a suede cloth;
• Be sure to store in a special box that does not contain dust;
• When washing dishes or cleaning, it is advisable to remove jewelry, since this sample is easily exposed to external influences, scratches and chips may appear. This also applies to playing sports, taking a hot bath and other actions that will lead to deformation of the product. Pressure and other types of mechanical stress are especially dangerous.

In addition, the jewelry must be constantly polished. In this case, you can use special pastes. Products of this alloy usually do not darken or become covered with plaque, but if this does happen, you can use regular toothpaste. It will quickly remove various types of contaminants from the surface. Table vinegar will also help you remove plaque easily. Simply apply it to a cotton pad or cotton wool and wipe the product. These methods will help keep your property in excellent condition for many years to come.

Advantages of pure gold "five nines"

The purity of the metal is sometimes 999.99 g per 1 kilogram of alloy. This is the highest possible figure, taking into account the conditions that are created during refining. Advantages of gold alloy:

• high liquidity;
• the opportunity to invest funds (a form of investment);
• A deposit account is opened in the bank, and gold is the currency (accounted for in euros, dollars or rubles), since a standard interest calculation mechanism is used.

Gold bars

How to distinguish from a fake yourself when buying or at home

When purchasing a product, the most obvious sign of pure gold is the reddish tint of the product. This is what in the old days indicated the purity of the alloy and the quality of the metal. The product must also bear a state mark confirming that all technical standards were met during production.

It is almost impossible to determine the purity of gold on your own; only jewelers can do this. However, there are several methods that can help. For example, the drip method. It uses acidic reagents. The sample will depend on the color the drop acquires. At 999 fineness gold, the drop should become very bright, and the lower the brightness, the lower the fineness.

An electronic detector will also help you determine the purity of gold at home. In just 5 seconds you will know the sample of your product. At the same time, the price of this device is quite reasonable.

Another way is to use an assay needle and stone. It is necessary to run the product over the stone, drawing a line. Each sample leaves its own characteristic color. 999 standard leaves a fairly bright trace. You can also scratch the product a little and draw a line with this place. Then apply a little nitric acid on top. If it is 999 gold, then the scratch will not react in any way.

Table: correspondence of 999 standard to carats

There are 2 main systems for assessing the quality of metals in the world today:

• carat;
• metric.

Different countries use their own version: USA, Canada, China, UAE - carat, European countries - metric. Gold and silver 999 in Russia are also determined by the second of these methods. The principle of assessing the purity of the alloy: calculate the number of parts by weight of the precious metal per 1000 parts by weight of the material. Sample 999 corresponds to 999 g of 1000 g (1 kg) of alloy.

To convert to the carat system, you should refer to a table containing different methods for assessing the purity of metals.

For gold:

For silver:

999 standard is the highest standard of gold

Important information

Making a decision to create a gold reserve is a very important moment. Before purchasing bullion, you should pay attention to very important aspects:

1. The bank must be reliable not only according to commercials and promises of the manager. It’s a good idea to find out reviews about this financial institution from its clients.
2. The bars offered for sale are 999 fine. Stamped ones are considered to be of the highest quality; cast ones belong to a less valuable group. Among the powder ones you can find fakes.
3. Individual manufacturer certificates. This means that each bar has its own document.
4. Passport of the plant where the precious metal was produced.

If the front surface does not contain all the necessary data: the country of origin, the weight of the ingot, the name of the precious metal, the hallmark or the individual number assigned to the product at the factory, it is better to refuse such a purchase, as it is most likely a fake.

There is a direct dependence of the cost on the physical condition of the precious metal and its certificates. The number of factories producing stamped bars of the highest status - London Good Delivery - includes several Russian enterprises.

The products of the Yekaterinburg Non-Ferrous Metals Processing Plant, the Novosibirsk Refinery, the Prioksky and Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plants have received worldwide recognition in the precious metals market.

Soft, pliable and very plastic aurum requires careful treatment and special storage conditions that eliminate the possibility of damage - chips or scratches.

Price per gram of 999 silver and analysis of exchange rate dynamics

Today, 999 silver is valued lower than gold, but there is an interesting paradox: despite the low exchange rate of the precious metal on the market, there are more frequent investments in it. The average cost on the market is 62 rubles. for 1 gram (according to the Central Bank). The market value is usually lower - 25 rubles.

The price of pure silver, like gold, is constantly changing.

999 silver

Physical and chemical properties:

• Softness. Among the metals we encounter every day, gold is the softest. This property allows you to quickly detect high-purity precious metal; just bite lightly on the product, and teeth marks will remain.
• Density. Gold is one of the densest metals - 19.3 g/m3. A ball with a diameter of slightly more than 46 millimeters will weigh 1 kilogram, which is about half a glass of placer.
• Plastic. High ductility allows you to obtain the thinnest sheets and threads without breaks. This property was used to create church domes in ancient times. To make it more clear, from 1 gram you can get a square sheet with a side of 1 meter or get a wire 2610 m long.
• Inertia. Gold reluctantly reacts with substances, being inert. For this feature, pure metal was nicknamed “noble”. This feature became the basis for conducting an examination of the authenticity of the metal. The product being tested is placed in acid; due to its inertness, the pure alloy does not react to changes in the environment, but other metals begin to oxidize.

The cost of 1 gram of 999 gold today

The Central Bank of Russia sets the exchange rate for precious metals. 999 gold alloy is constantly rising in price. Its current value today:

One gram of gold

Troy ounce of gold of the highest standard, pricing factors and price fixing

Factors that affect the cost of gold alloy:

• determining demand for regular purchase/sale;
• foreign economic policy of the country;
• high cost of gold mining;
• inflation;
• IMF policy.

When determining the weight of a precious metal, a special measure is used - the troy ounce. It corresponds to 1/12 pound. This unit of measurement is used by jewelers and bankers. Considering that the cost of the yellow precious metal is constantly changing, the fixing method is used. It was originally used in the UK by the London Stock Exchange: it involves setting prices on a daily basis.