When most people think about gold, they often think about the gold-coloured metal that is often used for jewellery. Most people do not think about the metal itself, or gold bullion. However, the truth is that there are really several different types of gold out there, with each different type having different values to different people. When it comes to purchasing gold, it is more important than ever that you understand what the various types of gold are. The biggest difference between the types of gold are the colours, although gold can vary by karat as well.
What Do Gold Colours Mean?
When you are looking to buy gold bullion, you should probably know what different colours of gold signify. Gold can have a different colour depending on what is in the gold. After all, most people know that gold is too soft of a metal to be pure when used in jewellery. Because of this, gold is almost always an alloy, or a mixture of metals. This mixture will determine the colour of gold.
The most common colour of gold, yellow, is considered the purest and most hypoallergenic colour, and requires the least amount of maintenance. To achieve this colour, the gold is mixed with silver, copper, and/or zinc.
Another colour of gold is white, which adds durability to traditional yellow gold. Typically, it is gold mixed with platinum, although palladium, nickel, and zinc can be included to enhance the white colour.
Rose gold is a relatively common colour of gold, and is arguably one of the least expensive colours of gold. Rose gold gets its colour from the abundance of copper that is normally used, although silver is regularly used as well. The final colour of gold is green, which might seem like an odd colour choice at first. Surprisingly, it is actually silver that gives this type of gold a greenish tint.
Different Gold Karats
The other defining factor in determining the type of gold is the karat. Karats, often denoted as K, will signify just how much actual gold is in the jewellery. Twenty-four karat gold is the absolute purest type of gold, and is also the most susceptible to scratches and bending. However, because it is the purest form, it is also the most valuable.
Eighteen karat gold has about 75% of real gold in it and is commonly used in jewellery, as the other 25% will make the jewellery more durable to wear to special events. Fourteen karat gold has approximately 59% of real gold in it, and can make jewellery a little bit more durable than 18k gold would.
The last type of karat is 10k, with about 42% of the metal being used having real gold in it. This type of gold is often used for more affordable jewellery that can still be considered “gold” jewellery.