The fashion industry sees many trends in the styles and shades of Gold, confusing people when selling or buying Gold because of the vast spectrum in durability, colors, and costs achieved via blending Gold with other alloys. 

When a jewelry piece goes out of vogue or no longer suits personal preferences, individuals usually trade or sell it for something more desirable. While Gold pricing may seem straightforward, with its intrinsic value reflecting its worth as jewelry, determining the value can be challenging because of the presence of different karats, shades, gemstone inclusions, and plating. In this guide, we will take you through some popular (and non-popular) shades for Gold shades, but before that, let us look at the karats in which you can find these Gold variants.

 

 

Gold, like diamond’s 4Cs, is measured in karats. But please note that diamond carats vary from the karats used for Gold. Karats determine the Gold’s purity and is expressed as a ratio divided into 24 parts. Pure Gold, 100% natural Gold, is classified as 24 karats (24K). It is the purest form of Gold, but it is too soft for jewelry, just like 22K Gold. The most prevalent employed Gold type is the 18K Gold, 75 percent Gold or 750 Gold, and 14k Gold, containing 58.3 percent Gold or 585 Gold. 

 

Further, jewelry also employs Gold with lower Gold content, such as 10K Gold (41.7% Gold). Pure Gold is merged with metals like nickel, copper, silver, and zinc to amplify its strength. The proportion of these alloy metals and the alloy employed determines the final shade of Gold. Though 24K Gold is exclusively yellow, other karat amounts can yield yellow, rose, or white Gold. Beyond this, you can find various Gold colors, such as Black and Green Gold, developed using Gold alloys combined with additional elements to get the desired hue.

 

 

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It is a sought-after option, offering the elegance of silver combined with Gold’s prestige and durability. It is created by blending Gold with Palladium, Platinum, Cadmium, Nickel, or Zinc. Compared to Platinum and Yellow Gold, White Gold is more resistant to scratches and available at a more affordable price point. White Gold jewelry is typically coated with rhodium to amplify its appearance. It results in a lustrous and polished finish. While the rhodium plating is long-lasting, it may need occasional touch-ups to maintain its pristine white hue. It can be accompanied by a quick rhodium treated at a trusted jewelry store.

 

It is often the first choice when envisioning Gold because of its iconic and natural color. It is yielded by blending pure Gold with Zinc, Silver, and Copper. This amalgamation lets Yellow Gold retain its distinctive hue while gaining the necessary strength for jewelry applications. Yellow Gold is highly hypoallergenic and needs minimal upkeep compared to the other Gold colors. Its vibrant yellow shade comes by skilfully combining Silver and Copper with a slight greenish tint.

 

 

Like Yellow and White Gold, Rose Gold also belongs to the category of Gold alloys, comprising pure Gold with other metals. It means that a 750 Rose Gold ring has the same amount of pure Gold as an 18K Yellow or White Gold ring. The sole distinction lies in the specific metal combination blended with the Gold.

 

Pure Gold is annexed with pink-toned metals like Zinc, Silver, and Copper to achieve Rose Gold. These metal additions modify Gold's hue from a vibrant yellow to a delicate and enchanting pink shade. This unique coloration makes rose Gold highly coveted for romantic and sentimental pieces.

 

 

Also called Electrum, Green Gold is a Gold alloy blended with Silver and occasionally Copper. The presence of Silver lends it the greenish tint. Green Gold has a historical significance, with ancient civilizations employing it as early as 860 BC under the name Electrum, a naturally occurring blend of Gold and Silver. But please note that the green color in this Gold looks more like a greenish-yellow shade instead of a pure green.

 

 For the green color, jewelers add Cadmium into the Gold alloys. But, caution must be exercised because of the toxic nature of Cadmium. A 750 Gold alloy will have 75 percent Gold, 6 percent copper, 15 percent silver, and 4 percent Cadmium to produce a dark-green alloy.

 

 

It serves as an alternative to White Gold and is crafted with a blend of Palladium and Gold. But more affordable variations of Grey Gold also exist, which substitute Palladium with Copper, Manganese, and Silver. These alternative compositions maintain specific ratios to get the desired grey color. Some grey Gold alloys may also incorporate Iron into the mixture.

 

 

Purple Gold, also known as Amethyst or Violet Gold, is a distinctive alloy composed of Gold and Aluminum. Unlike malleable alloys, Purple Gold is an intermetallic compound, making it less resilient and more prone to shattering when subjected to a forceful impact. Therefore, it is never used independently in jewelry, but rather incorporated into traditional Gold jewelry designs.

 

 

An intriguing variation, Blue Gold emerges from an amalgamation of either Gallium or Indium with Gold. The inclusion of Gallium yields an intermetallic compound with a slightly bluish hue. On the contrary, an alloy of Indium and Gold creates a rich blue-colored intermetallic compound with Gold content at approximately 46% (equivalent to around 11 karat) and the remaining 54% composed of indium.

 

Alternatively, a captivating deep blue shade in Gold, ranging from 20 to 23 karats, can be achieved by alloying it with Rhodium and RRuthenium. Further, another method to achieve Blue Gold involves a blend of Nickel, Iron, and Gold, followed by a heat treatment process that oxidizes the Iron and imparts a surface-level blue coloration.

 

A rare and captivating variation employed in jewelry, Black Gold can be achieved via different methods. One approach involves applying Oxygen and Sulfur-based compounds to induce oxidation, resulting in black coloration. Controlled oxidation of Gold alloys containing Chromium or Cobalt, such as a composition of 75% Gold and 25% Cobalt, forms a black oxide layer that imparts a dark hue to the Gold. Alternatively, Titanium, Iron, and Copper may also be employed for a similar effect.

 

While not commonly seen, Black Gold continues to be popular amongst exotic Gold varieties. Its production encompasses techniques like patination via the application of compounds containing Oxygen and Sulfur, controlled oxidation of Gold alloys containing Chromium or Cobalt, and more.