The Different Colors of Gold: Alloys and Compositions

Gold is a precious metal that exists in nature with only one color: its characteristic bright yellow. However, when mixed with other metals to improve its resistance and workability, it takes on different shades.

Terms such as yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, green gold and others do not indicate different types of gold, but rather alloys in which gold is combined with copper, silver, palladium, nickel or other elements. These alloys are mainly used in jewelry to obtain particular aesthetic effects and to adapt to different design and resistance needs.

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Type of Gold	Gold (%)	Other Metals in Alloy (%)	Mainly used for
Yellow (18K)	75.0	12.5 Copper + 12.5 Silver	Traditional jewelry.
Yellow (14K)	58.3	20.8 Copper + 20.8 Silver	Cheap jewelry.
Pink (18K)	75.0	25.0 Copper	Jewelry with warm tones.
Pink (14K)	58.3	41.7 Copper	Fashion jewelry.
White (18K)	75.0	25.0 Palladium / Nickel	Luxury jewelry, engagement rings.
White (14K)	58.3	41.7 Palladium / Nickel	Durable jewels.
Green	75.0	15.0 Silver + 10.0 Cadmium	Special jewels.
Blue	46.0	54.0 Indian	Experimental use, visually striking jewels.
Black	75.0	25.0 Cobalt / Carbon	Modern jewelry, coatings.
Purple	80.0	20.0 Aluminum	Decorative jewels, not very resistant.