Gold is the most used metal in jewelry, whether in its yellow tone, the most traditional; white, rosé or red. It is a noble metal, resistant to corrosion by acids or salts, and because it does not undergo oxidation and is quite rare in nature, it has a high price in the jewelry market. However, there are different types of gold and ways to use it in the manufacture of parts.
What many do not know is that the gold used in the manufacture of jewelry is actually an alloy, that is, a mixture of materials. Pure gold is an extremely malleable material, so malleable that a simple handshake, in a hand wearing a gold ring, would be able to change the shape of the piece. The mixture of metals, in this way, gives, in addition to malleability, durability to the jewelry that will be produced. Keep following and check out the difference between the types of gold:
Pure gold
Pure gold, directly extracted from nature, is extremely soft. This property makes the metal easily scratched by other elements. In addition, pieces with “fine” gold are easily dented or lose their shape, even with the slightest impact. Therefore, to gain the resistance that a jewel requires, gold is cast in metallic alloys, with other materials.
metal alloy
In order to be able to work with gold and its malleability, it is common to make alloys of metals, such as copper, zinc, silver or palladium. This mixture of metals and gold gives the piece hardness, without interfering with the color of the jewel that will be the final product.
The term “carats” (k) is used to determine the amount of gold in an alloy. The calculation is made by the weight of the metal divided by 24. For example, a piece of 24k gold is a piece of pure gold, with no other metal added, while an 18k piece of jewelry has 75% gold in its composition — 18 parts of gold and 6 parts of other metals, which is ideal for jewelry.
When purchasing a piece of gold jewelry, it is important to pay attention to the amount of metal in the piece. The legislation that determines the percentage of gold in a jewel that makes it, in fact, gold, varies according to the country. In Brazil, a piece with a gold composition above 14k is already considered gold.
But it is worth mentioning that 18 karat gold is the best option for making jewelry, it can also be called 750 gold (750 parts of gold in 1000 parts). In this carat, in addition to the resistance property, the jewel is no longer susceptible to oxidation and darkening. Therefore, whenever you buy a new piece of jewelry, remember to check if it is made of 18k gold.
gold coloring
For the production of the different gold colors, there are specific percentages of metals to be followed. Yellow gold is gold plus 2/3 silver and 1/3 copper, rose gold is 1/3 copper and 2/3 silver. White gold is an alloy of gold and palladium, while red gold is made from a mixture of gold and copper.
Whether yellow, white, pink or red, gold is a metal capable of enhancing the beauty of any piece of jewelry! The mixture of colors in pieces is also a very nice option to give originality to a piece. Follow our page on Facebook and receive more precious information about jewelry! And don't forget to share your thoughts with us in the comments!
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4 Answers
Excellent explanation about the value of gold, it really helped me.
Did Ocado gold decrease the quality or quantity of the gold?
What is the difference between Ocado and Massif?
When a jewel is made of solid gold, it means that it is a compact piece. No empty space. Ocado is hollow, that is, the “massive” is occupied by empty spaces. This manufacturing method is normally used to increase the size of the part without increasing its weight.
Is the concentration of copper and silver in rose gold 1/3 and 2/3 respectively or is it the other way around? According to the text, this concentration is the same as that of yellow gold!
Congratulations on the class!