PRECIOUS METALS IN THE FORM OF JEWELLERY, COINS AND BARS
The Differences Between Yellow Gold, Rose Gold And White Gold
Fitri Siregar
Yellow Gold
The Natural gold is ‘yellowish’ in colour under standard conditions, which makes it resistant to tarnishing, rusting, or corrosion.
However, to enhance the durability of gold jewellery, alloys often include base metals. The purer the gold, the more yellow it appears, but the less durable it becomes. Most gold jewellery has a purity between 14 to 18 karats, with the purest form being 24 Karat.
The table below compares the major factors for each gold type:
White Gold
White gold is not made entirely of gold. This alloy is a mixture of pure gold and white metals such as nickel, silver, and palladium, and is typically coated with rhodium. The value of white gold depends on the karat (14K vs 18K) as well as the total amount of metal used in the jewellery.
White gold utilises base metals such as silver, palladium, nickel, and occasionally zinc. The quantity of alloy added dictates the karat rating of the gold content and consequently, its final colour. Jewellery pieces may be coated with rhodium to give them a completely ‘white’ appearance.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is not made of pure gold, it’s mixed with copper and silver alloys. The common mix or alloy for rose gold contains 75% pure gold and 25% copper by mass 18K or 18Karat. Like white gold, rose gold is an alloy, so “pure rose gold” does not actually exist.
| 18K Rose Gold | 75% Gold | 22.25% copper | 2.75% silver |
The pure gold content in rose gold is measured exactly the same as the pure gold content of yellow and white gold. This is because all gold jewellery, regardless of its colour, contains some alloyed metals.
For further understanding of karats, refer to the above section on yellow gold.
The Karat Measurement (Hallmark) System:
14K(585) = 58% of Gold
18K(750) = 75% of Gold
22K(916-920) = 92% of Gold
24K(990-999) = 100% of Gold
The finenesses recognised under the Hallmarking Convention are:
Gold – 375, 585, 750, 916, 999.
Silver – 800, 925, 999.
Platinum – 850, 900, 950, 999.
Palladium 500, 950 and 999
The gold alloy chart shows how metals in various mixtures impact the colour of the gold, producing yellow, white, green and red gold.
Read more: Guide: Hallmark
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