585 yellow gold, red, pink and black, chain, bracelet and ring made of it

Post updated: May 28, 2020

If you ask what colors gold comes in, many will answer: white or yellow, because the ratio of 585 yellow gold in jewelry is the highest.

Some will remember seeing a gold bracelet in red, pink and green shades. The most unexpected thing will be to find out that jewelry made of black gold is and is available! When choosing gold, you should remember that the higher its purity, the softer the metal becomes. However, it is worth noting that, as a rule, white gold is stronger than yellow gold.

Modern technologies make it possible to “paint” gold in the most unexpected colors.

White and yellow gold

Any gold from jewelry products is an alloy of metals. Fineness is the amount of gold, silver, platinum or palladium in a master alloy, which is a derivative for the manufacture of jewelry. In Russia, jewelry is assigned the following hallmarks: 375, 500, 583, 585, 750 and 958. 585 yellow gold is an alloy with other components in proportions of 585 to 415.

Thus, if you take one kilogram of 585-carat gold, it will contain 585 grams of pure gold, and the rest is alloy (admixture of other metals). The content of 58.5% gold in the product is 585th purity, 75% is 750th purity. The higher the percentage of gold contained in the alloy, the higher its purity and price will be. The purest gold is considered to be pure gold, containing 90 percent of gold itself; it has 900 or higher purity.

Gold color chart.

But at the same time, the sample does not answer the question of how “jewelry” of the same sample can have different colors. So, 585 gold can be red, but it can also be 750 gold. The color of jewelry gold can range from red to green, depending on the impurities it contains. Zinc, silver and palladium give gold a white and yellow-green tint, and copper can “paint” the metal orange and red.

Which color do you prefer?

You need to determine which gold is better - red or yellow, based on the type of product you are purchasing:

Red gold jewelry is more suitable for everyday wear. Yellow gold is a metal with the highest degree of nobility, which is why it is preferable on especially special occasions. In addition, its softer structure is more often prone to damage, the repair of which will cost much more.
When buying a watch with precious stone inserts, you should choose red gold. The decoration will look advantageous due to the combination of colors.
Traditional wedding rings have always been made using yellow gold. However, today the usual bezel is increasingly being ignored and preference is given to rings that combine white and yellow gold with diamond inserts.
Red color can be used to highlight jewelry with sophisticated ornaments and interesting patterns;
Yellow color will emphasize the simplicity and minimalism of products.
When choosing an elegant item to wear in everyday life, preference should be given to the color red;
Both colors will pair well with diamonds.
Yellow and red gold are relatively easy to care for and can be cleaned using simple household products.

The cost of gold, both red and yellow, does not differ much from each other and is determined by a number of factors:

Breakdown. The higher the sample on the product, the higher its price.
The presence of precious inserts - stones or other more valuable metals.
Manufacturer.

Although, it should be noted that the price of red gold is more attractive.

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There is no clear answer about which of the two types of gold is better. Both colors have both advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, the choice must be made depending on the purpose and purpose of using the jewelry.

Yellow gold

It has a very real and familiar color - bright, sunny, yellowish, to put it simply - gold as it is and as we are used to. Actually, it is for this that gold has been valued since ancient times, and has also earned a reputation as a jewel, a symbol of wealth and power. In Western countries, golden yellow is often used in wedding rings. There is a popular belief that yellow gold is a symbol of warmth and love between spouses. Yellow gold is mostly 750 fine. Much less often it is presented in 585 yellow gold.

You can turn yellow gold into white by putting the jewelry in rhodium, this technology is called rhodium plating.

You can see the 585 yellow gold in the photo below:

Yellow gold is the classic and most common color option for jewelry.

The advantages of red gold

Red gold also came to our age from antiquity. Previously, coins (chervonets) were mainly made from it. Today, modern jewelers quite often use red gold in their creations. Products made from it are relatively inexpensive, but nevertheless, they are not inferior in beauty to jewelry made from yellow gold.

The main advantages of red gold are:

The ability not to lose shape and original appearance for many years.
Copper, which is part of it, has a good healing effect on the human body.
It has increased strength and durability, and is difficult to deform.
Does not fade over time, does not lose its shine.
The strength of red gold allows jewelers to create real works of art using it, and the flexibility of the material allows them to create the finest elements.
The original color of red gold looks great on hands with gloves and rings without stones.

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Particularly strong alloys of red gold are obtained with the addition of silver. If there is a large amount of copper in it, undesirable oxidation processes are possible, which will lead to darkening of the metal and the formation of a brown film on its surface.

Black gold

In order for the alloy to acquire a black color, the following technological methods are performed.

The top layer of the product is coated with black rhodium or ruthenium is electroplated; the color can range from gray to black.

The surface of a gold item is covered with a layer of amorphous carbon. Most often, this technology is used for the manufacture of gold watch cases.

Another way to obtain the black color of gold is an alloy containing cobalt in a ratio of 10 percent and 15% chromium, with an oxidation procedure at a temperature of 700-900 degrees Celsius.

How to distinguish from a fake at home

There are several ways to check the authenticity of a gold item at home. The very first, and quite funny way can be seen in many films. The testing tactic is called “On the tooth.” Indeed, if you press your teeth on a gold item, real gold will leave a dent, which fakes will not do. However, this tactic is not always correct, since the gold product may contain lead impurities, and it is also quite soft.

For the second method you will need a ceramic product; it is always present in the kitchen. All you need to do to check is to apply light pressure and run the gold piece along the edge of the pottery. In this case, the gold product will leave a yellow stripe, and the fake will simply draw a black line.

White gold

Gold alloys have a white color due to the addition of palladium, acquiring increased brightness and shine. Nowadays, white gold is a fashionable material, often used in the fashion industry among jewelry aficionados. Products made of white gold have a prestigious status and reflect the belonging of its owner to the highest class. Outwardly, it is as similar as possible to platinum, but costs almost half as much.

White gold ring.

Types of metal

The shades of gold are impressive in their diversity and they depend on which metal predominates in the composition of the alloy:

Red gold: This is an alloy that has a purity of 375, that is, the lowest in the metric gold standard system. The red tint is achieved by adding a large amount of copper to the alloy (approximately 600 grams per 1 kilogram). A small part of the alloy (25 grams) is silver. A gold alloy with a purity of 375 was popular in the USSR, but over time this metal was replaced by a high-fineness analogue with a purity of 585. This alloy is considered the most popular among buyers.
Orange: this is the same gold with a purity of 375, but with a different composition of the alloy. To obtain metal with this tint, a smaller amount of copper and a larger amount of silver are added to the alloy.
White: has a purity of 585 or 750. It is gold combined with platinum, nickel, silver or palladium. It is this composition of the alloy that makes the metal look like silver. White gold has been considered trendy for years in a row, as it not only adds elegance to products, but also emphasizes the splendor of precious stones.
Pink: Produced by a special combination of silver and copper, which lightens the red color of the copper to a soft pink. Rose gold adds delicacy and sophistication to jewelry made from it. Also, such gold emphasizes the beauty of precious stones. Rings and pendants are made from this alloy.
Yellow gold: this is a metal with a purity of 750 - high-grade gold from which luxury jewelry is made. The alloy has a rich yellow tint due to the large amount of gold in the alloy (at least 750 grams per kilogram). The ligature in this alloy is represented by copper and silver, taken in equal proportions. Jewelry made from yellow aurum looks expensive, but they require careful handling - the predominance of pure gold in the alloy makes them fragile and prone to deformation.
Brown: this gold has a high standard (585 or 750). The unusual shade of the metal is explained by the large amount of copper in the alloy. The impurities also include nickel and manganese. The metal undergoes a thorough chemical treatment to obtain a brown color due to the formation of a brown film. The advantage of brown gold is not only its exquisite appearance, but also its incredible strength.
Green: the alloy is obtained by adding an alloy containing silver, zinc, cadmium and rubidium to gold, which gives the metal a greenish tint. This alloy is called electrum. Despite its attractive appearance, green gold is not suitable for making solid jewelry, such as rings, as it is very fragile. In the jewelry industry, metal with a green tint is used as a raw material for the manufacture of decorative inserts in jewelry.
Blue: This metal looks very unusual. It is obtained by adding chromium and iron to the alloy. The disadvantage of this gold is its fragility and tendency to oxidize when exposed to air. For this reason, such gold is used only in the production of inserts in jewelry, and such inserts should in no case come into contact with the skin when worn constantly - the gold will quickly oxidize.
Purple: This color of gold is obtained by combining it with potassium or aluminum. Nowadays, this metal is only gaining its popularity among admirers of gold jewelry.
Grey: Much like white gold alloy. Gray gold contains nickel, zinc and silver.
Black: This metal has indescribable beauty and a corresponding price, since obtaining the perfect black color of gold is a difficult task. This alloy is also produced by coating high-grade gold with rhodium or ruthenium. High-grade black gold is obtained due to its oxidation under high temperature (annealing).

When purchasing gold items, you should be careful, especially if it concerns jewelry made from metal of an unusual shade (it is “colored” gold that is counterfeited in most cases). It is recommended to buy gold in a jewelry store that has been present on the jewelry market for a long time, or directly from the manufacturer. You should also pay attention to the hallmark, name tag and label. A genuine gold product has a perfect appearance. To protect yourself from buying a fake, you should refrain from purchasing jewelry from private individuals who do not have any documentation for their goods.