What Types of Gold Are Available on the Market Today?

Did you know that pure gold is too pliable to be used alone so it is combined with other metal alloys to help make it stronger? If you are looking to buy new gold jewelry for yourself or a significant other, you are in the right place.

Keep reading to learn about the different types of gold that you can choose from.

1. Yellow Gold

When most people think or talk about gold jewelry or gold exchange they think about yellow gold first. This type of gold occurs naturally and it is also the purest form of the metal. When making jewelry with yellow gold it is made by combining pure gold with other metals like copper, silver, and zinc.

A common alloy for 18K yellow gold includes 75% gold, 12.5% copper, and 12.5% silver. Another common alloy which is darker gold is 75% gold, 15% copper, and 10% silver.

2. Green Gold

Another gold type is green gold which is known as Electrum. Green gold is mixed with silver, gold, and sometimes with copper. Silver gives green gold its greenish tone.

Ancient people also used green gold under the name electrum which is a naturally occurring alloy of silver and gold. This tends to appear more as a greenish-yellow color than green.

Sometimes Cadmium is added to gold alloys to give it a green color but it has been known to be highly toxic and therefore there are health concerns with using Cadmium. Typically, this alloy consists of 75% gold, 15% silver, 6% copper, and 4% cadmium.

3. Rose Gold

Sometimes this gold is called red gold or pink gold and it gets its color from pure gold mixing with copper because copper has a red tint to it. Rose gold shades can vary and it all depends on how much copper is blended with the gold.

The more copper there is the darker the red tint is. Usually, rose gold is made up of 75% gold with 25% copper. Since rose gold uses cheaper copper for its coloring this is the most affordable type of gold jewelry on the market.

4. Blue Gold

This gold is mixed with indium or gallium. It has around 46% gold and 54% indium to give it a rich blue color. When gallium is used instead of indium the jewelry has a more bluish hue.

Sometimes it is mixed with rhodium or ruthenium instead to give it a richer and deeper blue color.

Which Types of Gold Are Calling Your Name?

Now that you are aware of the most common types of gold you can make an informed decision on which one you prefer to buy for yourself or as a gift for a loved one. Now it is time to go shopping and have fun choosing the perfect piece of gold jewelry.

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