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What are the different types of Gold that are available?
No matter who you ask, when people think of jewelry, they think of Gold. For centuries, Gold has been one of the most sought-after metals for both women’s and men’s jewelry.
But when you look at gold in more detail, it actually breaks down into different types.
Pure gold is actually too soft to be used by itself, so it is combined with other metal alloys to increase its strength.
Three types of gold
In the modern jewelry market, there are three kinds of gold: yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold.What gives gold these different colors depends on the metals used in the alloy mixture.
Yellow gold is naturally occurring and is the purest form of the metal. For jewelry, it is made into an alloy by combining pure gold with metals such as zinc and copper.
White gold is mixed with palladium or nickel to give it a color close to silver or platinum.
Rose gold is an alloy including about 25% copper, which gives it a pinkish color.
Gold color is a personal preference
The biggest choice that most people have to make when it comes to choosing a type of gold is color. Which of the colors is most appealing to you visually? Which matches the best with your skin tone and clothing style?
When purchasing your next gold bracelet, necklace, or ring, be sure to take into consideration your preference (or the preference of the person for whom you are buying the gift) for the color of gold.
What is the purpose?
Another distinction is to think about the purpose of the gold. The properties of gold can vary largely, based on the metals and quantities (percentages) used in the blend.
The decision about the quantities of other metals with gold is based on their purpose and affects cost. For example, if gold is blended with a softer metal like palladium, it is ideal for gemstone settings in which a malleable gold alloy is needed.
The quantity in karat gold also affects the cost and durability. Another example would be 10k gold ring vs 14k gold ring. The 10k gold ring has more mixed alloys which makes it more durable for daily wear but has less gold than a 10k ring. The 14k ring would have more gold which will be subject to daily wear more compared to 10k gold but has more value.
The popularity of gold colors
Every generation reinvents fashion trends in their own way. This is also true of jewelry. In the 1960s through to 1980s, yellow gold was very popular. Then in the 1990s, the popularity of white gold started to take over. Recently, the popularity of rose gold has started to resurface in the past few years as well.
Of course, all jewelry is timeless, so it truly depends on the person and what they want to show to the world.