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Gold Alloys

When you buy your gold jewelry, it isn't pure gold. In fact, your gold is an alloy, or mixture of metals.

Gold will form alloys with most metals, but for jewelry, the most common alloying metals are silver, zinc and copper. However, other metals may be added, especially to make colored gold.

Of course gold is yellow and the various colours seen such as red, white and green are simply alloys of gold. The final colour is dependent on the ratios and type of alloys added.

White Gold Alloys

Nickel can be mixed with gold to create a white or gray color, but it can cause dermatitis on people who are sensitive to nickel.
Palladium is another metal used to create white gold. It is more expensive than nickel.

Rose & Pink Gold Alloys

Copper creates pink and rose tones--the more copper, the deeper the effect.

Green Gold Alloys

Greenish shades are created by adding silver to gold.

Here you have a table of the compositions of some common gold alloys:

Color of Gold	Alloy Composition
Yellow Gold (22K)	Gold 91.67% Silver 5% Copper 2% Zinc 1.33%
Red Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Copper 25%
Rose Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Copper 22.25% Silver 2.75%
Pink Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Copper 20% Silver 5%
White Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Platinum or Palladium 25%
White Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Palladium 10% Nickel 10% Zinc 5%
Gray-White Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Iron 17% Copper 8%
Soft Green Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Silver 25%
Light Green Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Copper 23% Cadmium 2%
Green Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Silver 20% Copper 5%
Deep Green Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Silver 15% Copper 6% Cadmium 4%
Blue-White or Blue Gold (18K)	Gold 75% Iron 25%
Purple Gold	Gold 80% Aluminum 20%

Gold in The Antient World
Gold buying tips
Gold: Karat
Gold Alloys
Gold Colors
Gold: Hardness
Gold: Cleaning
Gold Coins Cleaning
Gold Amazing Facts
Why Does Gold Change Color of Fingers?
Magic gold
Wellendorff gold jewelry

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