Types of Gold

In its purest form, gold shows a reddish-yellow colour with a bright, luminous hue. However, combining it with other metals can produce different variants. This alters the form and colour of gold, among which some of the most familiar options include yellow, white and rose.

Before understanding how different colours of gold jewellery are achieved, learn about the different types of gold karat. Based on purity and quality, gold can be broadly divided into the following categories:

• 24K Gold

This is the purest form of gold, which contains 100% gold without any trace element. 

• 22K Gold

This type of gold contains approximately 90% of gold and 10% of other metals such as silver, zinc, copper, etc.

• 18K Gold

18k gold refers to 75% pure gold mixed with 25% of other metals. This is the most preferred form for making studded jewellery such as diamonds, emeralds, etc.

Apart from the most common yellow colour of gold, you can find other variants. The different colours of gold are produced depending on how you combine metals in varying proportions. These colour variants include the following:

1. Pure Gold

The purest form of gold is slightly reddish yellow in colour. It is of 24 karats and contains no other metals. However, jewellers do not use this form to make jewellery as it is very soft, malleable, and unsuitable for everyday use. Instead, they mix it with other metals to make more durable jewellery.

2. Yellow Gold Alloys

Yellow gold alloys can be produced by combining pure gold with silver, copper, or zinc. This looks similar to the pure form but adds durability and strength to its structure. However, the purity of this type is about 75%, with 12.5% of copper and silver each. 

It is the most popularly used form of gold jewellery in India. Yellow alloys mostly come in the purity range of 18k to 22k. 

3. White Gold

The white gold colour is gained by combining pure gold with silver, nickel or palladium. Another popular way to achieve this colour is by mixing gold and platinum. The gold purity of this variant is generally 18 karats, which is produced by mixing 90% gold with 10% nickel or silver. 

It is scratch-resistant and durable and is often coated with a layer of rhodium to give it an added shine. This is often preferred over platinum to make diamond jewellery. 

4. Rose Gold

Rose gold is an alloy made of predominantly copper, silver and gold. It constitutes 75% gold, 22.25% copper, and 2.75% silver. Moreover, there are two other variants of this kind: red gold and pink gold. All of these variants are made up of the same metals. 

However, the difference in colours depends on the percentage of copper in the alloy. Generally, the rose gold jewellery contains 18K gold. However, the 22K rose gold, also known as crown gold, is its highest karat version.

5. Green Gold

Green gold is a rare variant of a gold alloy, also known as Electrum. Unlike the other kinds, green gold forms contain silver, gold and sometimes copper. The greenish-yellow colour is due to the presence of silver. 

Artificially, it can be produced by mixing cadmium with gold. The amount of the different metals used are 75% gold, 15% silver, 6% copper, and also, 4% cadmium.

6. Grey Gold

This is also one of the rarest gold forms. It is produced by blending gold with palladium. However, many goldsmiths use magnesium, copper or silver instead of palladium to manufacture it cost-effectively. This contains 18K gold and is often formed naturally due to high iron proportion.

Gold is considered to be one of the most auspicious metals in India. Therefore, the demand for gold jewellery in India is very high. Moreover, it has various industrial uses and is considered a good investment tool due to its high liquidity. One must be aware of these types before making the right purchase.