Gold Alloys

More than half of all the gold ever mined from the earth is in the hands of governments and central banks. Gold, which has always been of great importance both as a guarantee of paper money emission in every country and as an international payment instrument, maintains its value in the eyes of craftsmen working with metal. In jewelry, gold alloys with silver, palladium, copper, or platinum are commonly used.

Gold Carat

The purity of gold in chemistry is expressed in “percent”, and in jewellery, its purity is expressed in terms of “carat”. Accordingly, 24 carat gold means 100% pure gold, and 22 carat means 91.6% pure gold. 8.4% of 22 carat gold is completed with other metals. The addition of silver to gold can be greenish, the addition of nickel and platinum to white, the addition of zinc to yellow, and the addition of copper to colors ranging from yellow to red, depending on the amount of copper.

Pricing Of Gold

The price of gold jewelry is determined by the purity or carat weight of the gold used, as well as the design and workmanship of the piece. The larger the carat, the greater the purity of the gold, and the higher the price of a heavier gem.

Gold, silver, and copper alloys in jewelry contain some zinc. In 10 and 14 carat gold alloys, 0.5% or less of zinc is present as an oxidizer to produce a solid cast without bloating.

Various alloys are made to change some of the properties of gold (depending on its use).

Gold-Nickel Alloy

It is the basis of white gold used in jewelry making. 80% gold, 16% nickel, 3% zinc and 1% copper are used in this alloy.

Gold-Copper Alloy

It is widely used in printing money. It can be easily processed.

Gold-Palladium Alloy

It can be easily processed. The ones with the highest hardness are those containing 60-65% palladium. It is used in the construction of potentiometers due to its high resistance at low temperatures.

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is the most common color of gold and is often alloyed with silver and copper. The color of the alloy varies depending on the gold it contains.

White Gold

Although white gold has the same properties as yellow gold, unlike yellow gold, white metals such as nickel, zinc, silver, and palladium are used in its alloy. White gold is highly reflective and never fades. To increase whiteness, almost all white gold is plated with rhodium, an extremely hard, white, and shiny metal belonging to the platinum family. Over time, this rhodium plating may wear off under the influence of normal wear.

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