Where Does Colored Gold Come From?
Gold is available in a wide selection of colors ranging from red to gray. By combining gold with other metals, colored gold alloys are produced. For example, rose gold contains copper and green gold contains silver. The richness of the color is regulated by how much of a particular metal is added. A deeper rose color is achieved by adding more copper. More than one metal can also be used to produce less common colors. Grey gold contains both copper and iron. Although the base metals are mixed in different quantities to produce these gold alloys, the actual amount of gold does not change. Both 14 karat rose gold and 14 karat blue gold contain the same amount of gold.
Not all gold alloys are suitable for jewelry making. The main purpose of adding base metals to gold is to improve its properties. Pure gold is too soft; making is susceptible to dents and scratches. Some base metals however, are better than others. Purple gold can be made with aluminum. Unfortunately, the resulting alloy is difficult to work with, making it an uncommon color in jewelry.
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