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Gold is the most malleable and ductile metal, which makes it very easy to work with. It never tarnishes, and is unaffected by most chemicals. However, it can discolor by exposure to chlorine, bleach, and certain detergents.
Pure Gold lacks resistance to pressure and easily bends. For this reason, Gold jewelry is always alloyed with other metals to increase its toughness and durability. The purity of Gold depends on the percentage of alloyed metal, and this number is measured in karats. The karat measurement determines the percentage of gold to other metals on a scale of 1 to 24, with 24 karats being pure gold. Common karat weights are 22 kt (91.67% gold), 18 kt (75% gold), 14 kt (58.33% gold), and 10 kt (41.67% gold). Pure 24 kt Gold is never used in jewelry as it too flexible and will be bent and mishaped even by minor touches.
Several different metallic elements are alloyed with Gold, and some are used specifically to produce a certain color or tone in the Gold. The main metals alloyed with Gold are copper, silver, palladium, nickel, zinc, and iron. White Gold, which has become very popular in jewelry, is mainly alloyed with nickel and zinc, and occasionally palladium. White Gold resembles the color of Silver, but it is far more resistant to corrosion and will not tarnish like Silver. Rose Gold, which has a slightly reddish tone, is alloyed mostly with copper. Green gold, which appears greenish-yellow, is alloyed with silver, and Blue Gold, which is gold with a whitish-blue tone, is alloyed with iron.
Some gold-colored jewelry is made out of cheaper metals and coated with a very thin layer of Gold. Such jewelry is known as "Gold-plated". Through normal wear, the layer of gold can erode if it is too thin, exposing the underlying metal.
Gold is one of the heaviest substances on earth. When pure, it has a specific gravity of 19.3. The international weight measurement of Gold is the troy ounce. One troy ounce of gold equals 31.1 grams.
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Gold is the most useful metal in jewelry. Rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and many other jewelry items are fashioned from Gold, and Gold is the main precious metal used for jewelry settings. Gold masks and ornaments were used by many ancient civilizations, and Gold has also been used in coinage since the earliest of days.
Picture Rock, which is a white Quartz with Gold veins is occasionally polished into cabochons, creating a rare and unusual gem.
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Blue Gold
- Gold with a slightly bluish tone, which is caused by alloying the Gold with iron.
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Green Gold
- with a slightly greenish tone, with the color caused by alloying the Gold with copper and silver.
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Rose Gold
- Gold with a reddish tone, with the color caused by alloying the Gold with copper.
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White Gold
- Pale, almost silver-colored Gold, with the color caused by alloying the Gold with nickel, zinc, and sometimes palladium.
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Yellow Gold
- Gold that retains its original golden yellow color. Although it is alloyed with other metals to strengthen its tenacity, the original color is maintained.
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Gold is always alloyed with other metals to increase durability, and different metals are responsible for producing different colors that are not the natural color of Gold. However, this is the industry standard and all Gold jewelry is made with non-pure alloyed Gold.
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South Africa and China have been the largest producers of Gold. Other important deposits, in order of historical production significance, are the U.S. (Nevada, California, South Dakota, Colorado, and Alaska), Australia, Peru, Russia, Canada (Ontario and the Yukon Territory), Mali, Uzbekistan, Ghana, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.
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Many metallic alloys can resemble Gold, and they can sometimes be difficult to tell apart from true gold. Silver and Platinum can resemble White Gold. Professional analysis to inspect physical properties is sometimes required to distinguish Gold from other precious metals as well as cheap alloys.
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