Gold Color

Have you ever wondered where gold obtains its wide array of colors?
If it is yellow by nature, how do you make it white? The answer lies in
it's highly malleable property that allows a skilled jeweler to create
new colors and designs. Jewelers prefer gold to other metals not only
for its brilliance, but ease in which it can be molded and mixed with
other metals. However, pure gold is easily scratched and slightly dull
in color, which limits durability in every day golden jewelry. Instead,
it is alloyed with other metals, such as copper, silver, nickel, palladium,
and zinc, which increase its strength and its color.

In its purest form of 24 karats, the metal dons a deep, orange shade
of yellow. When fused with other metals, however, its shade will vary.
Copper, being red, will cause gold to become redder. Silver, zinc, and
other white/gray metals will cause it to become paler. Alloying gold
with other metals follows the principle of mixing colors; therefore,
lower karat gold often has a wider array of colors than higher karat
gold because more alloying metals are added.

Color	Composition
Bright Yellow	Pure Gold, Copper, Fine Silver
White	Pure Gold, Copper, Nickel, Zinc
Rose	Pure Gold, Copper
Deep Green	Gold, Fine Silver, Copper, Zinc
Bright Red	Pure Gold, Aluminum

In today's jewelry, traditional yellow gold remains the most popular,
followed by white gold, two-tone gold, and tri-color gold. Two-tone gold
jewelry is comprised of yellow gold and white gold. It is versatile because
it can match with any combination of yellow gold, white gold, and platinum.
Tri-color gold is comprised of yellow gold, rose gold, and white or green
gold. Tri-color was popularized by Black Hills gold, which is made in South Dakota.
The use of three colors tends to make designs more distinct. Whether it is
radiant yellow, polished white, or a shade in between, the natural
characteristic of gold is that it shines brightly in any hue and looks
exquisite in every ray of light.