What are the Different Forms of Gold?
Gold when found in its purest form is reddish yellow in colour. This form of hold can be used to produce gold in many other colours. Gold can always be alloyed with different metals like copper, zinc, silver, nickel, and palladium, for creating various colours of gold. The most common colours we can find gold in are white, rose, and yellow.
Yellow Gold
The yellow colour of gold can be achieved when we mix pure gold with copper, silver, or zinc. The composition of an 18K gold bar is 75% pure gold, 12.5% silver and 12.5% copper. This is the purest colour and it is unlikely to cause an allergy to your skin. For 18k Yellow Gold (darker), the composition is75% gold, 15% silver, and 10% copper.
White Gold
The silvery-white colour gold is known to be an alloy of pure gold and one white metal like silver, nickel, or palladium. White gold can easily be created with gold and platinum as well. A white gold composition has 90% gold and 10% nickel. At times even copper is added. Just like yellow gold, the purity of white gold is measured in karats. This is more durable and is also scratch-resistant.
Rose Gold
The pink hue of gold is rose gold and is an alloy of copper, silver, and gold. rose gold is 75% pure gold, 2.75% silver, and 22.25% copper. The difference between rose, red, and pink gold is the amount of copper that is the alloy. 22 Karat rose gold is the highest karat version and is called crown gold. The copper quantity in it makes rose gold more durable than white or yellow gold.
Green Gold
Green gold is called Electrum and this is the naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold and at times, also copper. Silver gives the alloy a greenish-yellow colour. Cadmium can be mixed with gold alloys and also create a green colour. The blend of 75% gold, 6% copper, 15% silver, and also, 4% cadmium.
Grey Gold
Grey gold is created from gold and palladium. This comes in 18 karat. Without palladium, it can be produced in a much cheaper way. This can be done by adding manganese, silver, and copper.
Spangold
The alloys of certain gold-copper and aluminum form a fine texture on surface due to extreme treatment of heat due to which a spangling effect is created. Once cooled, a quasi-martensic transformation takes place after which the polished item is boiled in hot oil with temperatures ranging between 150-200 degrees centigrade for a period of 10 minutes and then cooled at 2- degrees centigrade. This leads to the formation of a surface which is sparkly and has tiny facets all over it. This is called Spangold and its composition is 765 gold, 19% copper, and 5% aluminum due to its colour is yellow. The colour changes to pink if the composition of aluminum is 6%.
Purple Gold
This type of gold is more brittle and less malleable and has a total gold content of 79%. As a result, it is frequently machined and polished to be utilised as a "gem" in traditional jewellery rather than on its own. At lower gold concentrations, the material is made up of an intermetallic and an aluminium-rich solidified phase.
Blue Gold
Blue gold is a gold alloy containing either indium or gallium or indium. Gold-indium is composed of 46% gold and 54% indium.
Black Gold
This type of gold is generally used in jewelery. Black Gold is used in highly technical applications rather than a gem or an ornament. Cobalt-containing alloys, such as 75% gold and 25% cobalt, develop a black oxide coating on the gold, giving it a black colour. Copper, iron, and titanium can also be used to achieve this effect.
Composition of various types of golds
The table below provides the composition of various types of golds that are generally used as gem or a piece of jewelery:
Type of Gold | Carats | Gold | Silver | Copper | Zinc | Palladium |
Yellow Gold | 9k | 37.5% | 42.50% | 20% | NA | NA |
Yellow Gold | 10k | 41.70% | 52% | 6.30% | NA | NA |
Yellow Gold | 14k | 58.30% | 30% | 11.70% | NA | NA |
Yellow Gold | 18k | 75% | 15% | 10% | NA | NA |
Yellow Gold | 22k | 91.70% | 5% | 2% | 1.30% | NA |
Rose Gold | 9k | 37.5% | 20% | 42.5% | NA | NA |
Rose Gold | 10k | 41.70% | 20% | 38.3% | NA | NA |
Rose Gold | 14k | 58.30% | 9.2% | 32.5% | NA | NA |
Rose Gold | 18k | 75% | 9.2% | 22.2% | NA | NA |
Rose Gold | 22k | 91.7% | NA | 8.40% | NA | NA |
White Gold | 9k | 37.5% | 62.5% | NA | NA | NA |
White Gold | 10k | 41.7% | 47.4% | NA | 0.9% | 10% |
White Gold | 14k | 58.30% | 32.20% | NA | NA | 9.50% |
White Gold | 18k | 75% | NA | NA | NA | 25% (or Pt) |
White Gold | 22k | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Different Karats of Gold
A gold carat is 1/24 (4.1667%) of the total. The purity of a gold alloy is determined by the quantity of these components it contains. Gold in its pure form is too soft to use as jewellery at 24k, so it must be combined with different metals in order to be wearable and durable. This mixture, or alloying, produces a range of karat values. Lower karat jewellery is often less expensive than higher karat jewellery because it includes less gold yet is tougher and hence more durable.
Gold is measured generally in 5 types of units. They are given below:
- 10 Karats Gold: 10k gold contains only 41.7% gold is long-lasting. However, it cannot be a desirable gold alloy for unique or meaningful jewellery, such as wedding bands due to its dull appearance. Because lower gold content usually equates higher nickel content, nickel-containing 10k gold jewellery is more inclined to cause problems for persons with nickel allergies.
- 14 Karats Gold: 14 karat solid gold is made up of 14 parts gold (58.3%) and 10 parts alloys (41.7%). 14k gold is the most wearable grade of gold due to its robustness.
- 18 Karats Gold: 18 karats solid gold is composed of 75% gold and 25% alloys.
- 22 Karats Gold: 22 karat gold is made up of 22 parts gold and two parts various metals such as silver, zinc, nickel, and copper, silver, nickel. Because it contains 91.67% pure gold, 22 karat gold is also known as 916 gold.
- 24 Karats Gold: 24k gold is totally pure and has no alloys. Because 24k gold is quite delicate, it is not suggested for everyday use.
Read More on Gold
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- Gold And Devaluation
- Gold Price Valuation In India
- Why Is Gold Rate Fluctuating
- Why Investing In Gold Is A Golden Opportunity
- How Gold Rate Fluctuation Affects Indian Economy
- Top 8 Reasons to Invest in Gold
- How Does Gold Investment Affect Indian Economy?
- How Will Restricting Gold Imports in India Affect Gold Rates?
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FAQs on What are the Different Forms of Gold?
- What is crown Gold?
22 Karat rose gold is the highest karat version and is called crown gold.
- How is green Gold created?
Cadmium can be mixed with gold alloys and also create a green colour. The blend of 75% gold, 6% copper, 15% silver, and also, 4% cadmium.
- Has the government changed the import duty rate?
Yes, this was dropped to 10% from 12.5% and includes 7.5% customs duty and also a 2.5% agriculture infrastructure and development cess.
- Is it safe to buy gold online?
Yes, it is safe to buy gold online.
- What exactly is black sand gold?
Gold granules or chunks found in black sand deposits are referred to as black sand gold. The black sand is made up of minerals that are heavy like magnetite and hematite, which are frequently found alongside gold in placer deposits.
- What exactly is gold dust?
Gold dust is very fine gold particles produced by the weathering, grinding, or recovery of gold ores. It is frequently found in mixtures with gravel, sand, or other sediments.
- Can coloured gold irritate the skin?
Some people may be allergic or sensitive to particular metals used in coloured golds, such as nickel, as they are to any metal alloy used in jewellery. If you happen to suffer from a metal allergy, it is critical to buy hypoallergenic jewellery.
- What are some of the uses for coloured golds?
Coloured golds are frequently utilised in jewelery creation to make one-of-a-kind and aesthetically pleasing items. Rose gold, for example, has grown in favour in recent years due to its inviting and romantic appeal.
- What exactly is gold bullion?
Gold bullion is defined as gold ingots or bars that are 99.5% pure gold. Government and individuals use it as a kind of investment or a store of value.
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