By Qrius
Gold is a vital commodity for any occasion or celebration. Be it weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, first job, or retirement, wearing or gifting gold is a must. The picture that comes to everybodys mind on hearing gold jewelry is a yellow-colored shining ornament.
But do you know gold has colors? Yes, for those who are unaware, gold comes in four colorsyellow, white, rose, and green. So, the next question that pops up is what is the difference between them and how do they acquire color?
Here we will brief you on various types of gold and their features:
- Yellow Gold: Yellow gold is the natural gold. For centuries, people have been using yellow gold in jewellery making. Yellow gold makes an ideal gold ring for weddings and other celebrations. The purity of yellow gold is measured in Karats. Higher the Karat, purer the gold but also less durable. The purest form of yellow gold is 24 Karat. As 24 Karat gold is very soft, other metals like copper, zinc, or silver are used to make jewellery. These alloy metals give the jewellery its required strength, though it does affect the golds colour. It is the most hypo-allergenic and cost-effective, in terms of maintenance, as compared to other gold colors.
- White Gold: White gold is made of gold and platinum or palladium. A white plating of rhodium (a type of platinum) can be given to white gold jewellery to enhance their look. This coating may get rubbed off after sometime, but you can easily restore it from any jewellery store. Zinc, silver, and nickel can also be used for making white gold. White gold is more sturdy and scratch-resistant as compared to yellow gold. White gold is perfect for love bands or engagement gold rings.
- Rose Gold: This is the most beautiful and attractive color of the gold family. Rose or pink gold makes for a stunning proposal ring. The pretty pink hue is attained by mixing copper with gold. Copper not only brings out this gorgeous color, but also adds to the strength of gold. Higher the content of copper, redder the color of gold. Also, considered as romantic gold, rose or pink gold is more affordable than yellow and white gold. Rose gold is not a hypo-allergenic metal (as it has copper), so it may cause allergic reactions.
- Green Gold: Green gold is also known as electrum. Silver is used to give gold a green tone. A higher Karat (18k) green gold will be greener than a lower Karat (14k) gold. As green gold contains silver, the shade can get darken over the years due to the tarnishing feature of silver.
The color of gold depends majorly on the type of jewelry and your personal choice and style. Each type of gold has its own pros and cons. The color of gold is secondary; what you must really take care while shopping for gold is its Karat.
Gold is a valuable and luxurious commodity. It not only adds on to your look but is also a legacy that can be passed on to your future generations. So, be careful while investing in gold.
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