Things to Remember while buying Gold Jewelry by Anika Pathak jewelry designer & author
Overview The only color of gold that is available to it naturally is yellow gold. This is also the most common color gold comes in and the most common color gold that is used in making jewellery. Pure gold, however, happens to be too soft for making jewellery and to be used for wearing every day. This gold, therefore, needs to be alloyed with other metals to be able to be used in making jewellery. Metals like silver, zinc, nickel and copper are used to strengthen this kind of gold. This is the reason, the color of a gold bar differs from that of a ring. Golden yellow is the only color of gold as it is found in nature and is by far the most common type of gold used in jewelry. However, pure gold is too soft for everyday wear, so it is alloyed with a mixture of metals like copper, silver, zinc and nickel to strengthen it.
White Gold & Pink Gold Some of the most widely preferred alternatives to gold that are available today are pink gold and white gold. In order to give gold a white hue, it is alloyed with metals that are white in color. The most common metals that are used as alloys in making white gold jewellery are palladium, platinum, manganese and nickel. Sometimes metals like silver, zinc and copper are also used in making white gold jewellery. Even after going through this process of alloying, the color of white gold remains a mere light grey. That is the reason white gold jewellery needs to be coated with a metal called rhodium that allows the white gold to wear an even whiter appearance.
The pinkish hue of rose gold is however created by the combination of copper and gold. The intensity of the color pink directly varies with the increasing amount of copper used in the jewellery. The more the amount of copper used in the alloy, the more intense the hue of gold. Other Colors A number of colors of gold have been made available in the market with the development in technology. These colors include black, blue, green, purple and more. The color purple is achieved in gold with the addition of aluminum to an alloy of gold that contains 80% gold whereas blue gold is created by adding indium to and alloy of gold. The color green is achieved in gold by the addition of silver and gold. Black gold is created by the electronic deposition of ruthenium or black rhodium. Pricing There are a number of factors that determine the price of gold. These factors involve craftsmanship, karatage, gram weight, design etc. However, none of these factors can alone control the price of gold. Other factors that control the price of gold apart from these are the design of the jewellery and the effectiveness of its construction. The techniques used in the construction of gold jewellery directly lead to the determination of its durability and flexibility and thereby add comfort.
Conclusion Gold jewelry can last a long time if it is properly cared for. A wellcrafted piece of gold jewellery can last a long time if it is properly maintained. It is therefore essential to ensure that proper care is taken of the metal and the gemstones attached to the piece of jewellery. Care should be taken to avoid wearing the jewellery while indulging in menial everyday tasks. Gold plated jewellery is a common alternative to gold jewellery. The fine jewellery made of gold must be cared for in order to ensure that it has a long and healthy life.