Table - gold alloys: composition, type, reasons and methods of production, samples of gold in various alloys

Gold is perhaps the only metal that will never lose its popularity. For many centuries, this amazing precious metal has had an irresistible power over man.

Every year, jewelry designers and manufacturers set fashion trends in gold jewelry, including one or another shade of this precious metal. But gold is not just fashion, but, above all, a symbol of beauty and harmony.

Gold is the only metal that, in its pure form, has a bright yellow color. It is a soft, malleable, ductile and malleable metal. One of the most valuable properties of gold is its chemical resistance. That is why gold is the most “noble” of the entire group of precious metals. In addition, the shape and structure of gold molecules are unique: they can be plate-like, round, or needle-shaped.

Due to its beauty and ductility, gold is one of the main materials in jewelry production. Pure gold in jewelry serves as the basis for precious alloys and for gilding. When different metals are added, gold changes color from red to white. This allows jewelers to create products that can highlight the individuality of the owner and the sophistication of the gemstone.

Gold samples

The amount of pure gold content in the alloy can be determined by the sample stamped on the product. In Russia, a metric standard is used: its value indicates the number of grams of pure noble metal in one kilogram of alloy.

• 958 standard
  contains up to 96.3% pure gold. This alloy includes silver and copper as alloying components. It is very resistant to external influences, retains polish well, but is very flexible. 958 gold has a rich, bright yellow hue. It is mainly used to make wedding rings and pendants.
• 750 standard
  is the second most popular gold alloy. It contains up to 75.5% of noble metal, and other components are silver, platinum, palladium, nickel, copper. This alloy is durable and highly polished, so 750 gold items are durable and have a beautiful shine.
• 585
  is the most popular alloy in jewelry production. It contains up to 59% pure gold and includes shares of silver, palladium, nickel, copper, and zinc. 585 gold is quite hard and durable, it practically does not tarnish. The range of shades is wide - from white, red and yellow to various shades of green, depending on the proportion of metals added.
• 500 and 375 samples
  are practically not used in jewelry production. 375 standard is usually called a gold-containing alloy of silver and copper. Such gold tarnishes quite quickly in air, which significantly limits its use.

Despite the large palette of possible shades of gold, the most popular are still yellow, red and white gold.

Yellow gold

Its intense color most closely resembles that of native gold, which has long been used to create truly royal jewelry. But pure gold is not very practical jewelry: due to its softness, products made from it are not suitable for everyday wear.

The addition of a ligature significantly increases the wear resistance of gold products. 585 yellow gold allows jewelers to make jewelry of varying degrees of complexity. At the same time, they remain wear-resistant and do not lose their attractiveness.

Red gold

Red gold is obtained by adding an alloy containing some copper and zinc to the precious metal. The more copper is added to the alloy, the more intense the red hue the finished product acquires. If up to 10% palladium is added to the alloy, this gives the gold an even deeper red hue. Conversely, a small amount of silver in the alloy softens the red color, making it more noble. Jewelers value red gold for its exceptional strength, which allows them to create airy, openwork jewelry without fear of deformation. Red gold rings and pendants, created at the end of the 19th century, still retain their beauty and elegance.

World systems for measuring the purity of gold precious metals

At different times, a wide variety of methods were used to determine the Au content in a metal alloy. At the same time, the number of ligatures that were added at the manufacturing stage varies: from 10-12% to 80%. But the best option in terms of appearance and properties is the one that contains 30-40% additives. There are only 4 known ways to measure the purity of a precious metal:

• widely used metric system: the fraction of the precious metal is determined in thousandths (range from 0 to 1000);
• carat system, applicable in the USA and Europe: the value taken as a basis is 24 carats, this is a precious metal without impurities; accordingly, the gold content in different alloys is determined as the number of parts of 1/24 of the pure substance (corresponding to 1 carat);
• spool system of Tsarist Russia: the basis was taken as a measure - 96 samples of pure precious metal, corresponding to the number of spools in 1 Russian pound;
• lot system of Old Europe: metal of 16 lots was considered pure; the lower this number, the lower the value of the products.

Jeweler's comment

Molokanov N.M.

Jeweler, 26 years of experience in jewelry production.

The content of the alloy makes the metal different from others. Today, the composition is often changed, according to GOST, as a result of a decrease/increase in the proportions of gold, copper, silver or other metals, which can affect strength, density, fusibility and, of course, color. Thanks to this feature, the shade of precious metals serves as one of the signs of authenticity.

What if you are allergic to nickel?

In the EU there is a law regulating the use of nickel in jewelry. More women react to nickel than men. There are controls on its use to prevent the occurrence of allergic reactions in people suffering from contact dermatitis.

There is no such law in the USA. If you are concerned that you may have a nickel allergy, ask for nickel-free jewelry if you choose white gold jewelry. You may need to have your jewelry made to order.

Colors of gold alloys depending on composition

Source: textbook “Jewelry Production Technology” (V.P. Lugovoy)
JEWELERY METALS - CATALOG | JEWELERY METALS - GUIDE

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Works by designers from the JEWELIRUM catalog

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• UBIRING
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• Diamonds are Forever
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• Rings in natural style, Sergacheva Jewelery
• Earrings with pearls, Sergacheva Jewelery
• Cabochon ring, Minty Sky
• Fly earrings, Minty Sky
• Ring, Precious Park
• Ring, Precious Park
• Snake skin ring, Stoyanova Jewelery
• Chain earrings, Stoyanova Jewelery
• Children's pendant - stick, Matthew&Daniel
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• Bracelet, Svetlana Subbotina
• Ring with Slavic symbols, Svetlana Subbotina
• Indian style ring, Anna Goffman
• Indian style ring, Anna Goffman
• Earrings, ISTA
• Geometric ring, ISTA
• Earrings with enamel, PNJewelry
• Ring with enamel, PNJewelry
• Ring, Khramtsova Jewelry
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• Wedding rings to order, obruchalki.com
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• Earrings, Yuri Bylkov
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• Titanium bracelets, LanaMuransky
• Titanium pendant, LanaMuransky
• Brooch Elephant (after Salvador Dali), THING
• Ring Veil, THING
• Mace earrings, VLADIMIR MARKIN
• Cufflinks, jewelry mechanics, VLADIMIR MARKIN
• Drop-shaped ring, EKATERINA TOLSTAYA
• Drop-shaped earrings, EKATERINA TOLSTAYA
• Necklace with amber, LETA
• Earrings with amber, LETA
• Children's earrings, combinable, FASHBY
• Children's earrings, combinable, FASHBY
• Ring of architectural form, Elizaveta Malafeevskaya MANU_L
• Architectural bracelet, Elizaveta Malafeevskaya MANU_L
• Set Ginkgo Leaf, SHABUT JEWELLERY
• Brooch Wearable porcelain, SHABUT JEWELLERY
• Architectural ring, GEOMETRY
• Brooch, porcelain, GEOMETRY
• Necklace made of polymer clay, LICORNE ART
• Brooch made of polymer clay, LICORNE ART
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• Wooden set, Scandinavian/Japanese minimalism, VLADIMIR SHESTAKOV
• Ring, Scandinavian/Japanese minimalism, VLADIMIR SHESTAKOV
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• Ring, TON ANT
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• Massive ring, YAKISCHIK
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• Architectural ring, ONE DAY ART
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• Set, ALCHEMIA JEWELLERY
• Pendant-cat, ethnic, STUDIO OF ILYA AND VERA PALKIN
• Earrings, STUDIO OF ILYA AND VERA PALKIN

What causes metal to tarnish?

There may be several reasons for changing the appearance of a new ring:

1. The new product was coated with a polishing compound. In this case, the skin on the finger will also darken. Contamination is easily removed.
2. Unfortunately, sometimes a change in the color of a ring may indicate a low content of precious metal. We already know how easily inexpensive alloys can be passed off as jewelry.
3. Body jewelry can respond to various changes in the body. Such stains from good jewelry can be easily cleaned.
4. Gold deteriorates and becomes stained when exposed to mercury and iodine. We come into contact with the first substance as a last resort, but no one is safe from adding iodine to the water of a public swimming pool. When going to the pool, it is better to take off your jewelry, even if it is 375 standard.

Natural reserves of electrum

There is reliable information that electrum was brought to Egypt from Punt. In the modern world, this is East Africa. Another supply was established from the territory of the Plateau and to the east of Rhodesia.

Pliny gave a detailed assessment of the precious materials of that time. He said that if the composition contains more than 70% of a white metal, it will be silver, if less than 15%, it will be gold.

Electrum was also mentioned in the Odyssey. There he was mentioned in conversations about gold jewelry plated with silver. Today, these products are not relevant, but then they were in great demand, since white metal was sometimes valued more than gold.

The electron-rich lands (another name for the composition) of that time are no longer so. The metal, which was practically on the surface, had been collected long ago. To a greater extent this happened during the period of “fever”. Therefore, humanity began to think about obtaining it artificially, because it is no longer possible or extremely difficult to find it in nature.

It can only be found in Western Anatolia. This is one of the areas located in Turkey. But its extraction has already lost popularity due to the well-established technology for producing electrum on its own; moreover, the natural material may have an undesirable admixture of copper. While with the manual method you can avoid such situations and do not devote time to freeing the alloy from unnecessary contaminating materials.

Features of care

Jewelry alloys have low resistance to environmental factors. If left untreated, they will quickly lose their attractiveness. Therefore, you need to study the rules for caring for such jewelry in advance.

Does the alloy darken?

To understand whether a jewelry alloy darkens or not, you need to study its composition and coating. Products coated with silver will darken even if proper care is followed.

Is jewelry alloy susceptible to corrosion?

Without an additional protective coating, some alloys may rust if exposed to moisture for a long time. If the metal on which the jewelry is made has high corrosion resistance, the risk that the surfaces will become covered with rust is minimal.

Cleaning methods

To clean jewelry, you can use napkins or soft cloths. The use of cleaning products and soap is not recommended.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

1. Low price compared to jewelry made from precious metals.
2. Hypoallergenic. The products are suitable for people with sensitive skin.
3. Big choice. You can find different types of jewelry in stores.

Minuses:

1. Susceptibility to environmental factors. If you do not properly care for products made from such materials, they will quickly lose their original appearance.
2. Not durable compared to jewelry made from precious metals.
3. No indication of the exact composition of the alloy.