Wed Sep 14, 2005
'Gilty' Pleasures
Colored Gold has become one of the hottest, most coveted items in Jewelry. It's being used in the fall lines of the famous Jewelry Designers like Nathan and Moe, a favorite of Liv Tyler, Nicole Ritchie and Jessica Simpson. Many Jewelry lovers are venturing into this unknown area but are still unsure of how colored gold is actually created.
Gold is naturally yellow but its color and karat can be altered by using different alloys. Pure gold is often too soft to be worn everyday so it is mixed with various metals (silver, palladium, copper, nickel, and zinc) to give it stability and durability for wear. The type and percentage of metal alloys in gold are what determine its color. Karat refers to gold purity or the parts of gold used in a piece out of 24 parts (not to be confused with carat, which refers to the weight of a gemstone).
24k gold, or 24 parts is 100% gold. 14k gold or 14 parts, is composed of 58.3% gold, and 41.7% other metals. 18k gold is 75% gold and mixed with other metals to give it strength for daily wear. 22k is 91.7% gold. You will see the marking 10k, 12k, 14k, or 18k to denote the karat of gold, however, many older jewelry pieces from the 19th century are not marked. European jewelry is often marked 585 for 14k gold and 750 for 18k gold. The gold can also be changed to a light or dark yellow, white, green, red and pink with alloys. For example, to create pink gold, a copper alloy is added to gold. The pink can be made darker or lighter by carefully changing the amount of copper added.
It is also possible to create Purple, Blue and Black gold utilizing different methods than the one mentioned above. Many jewelers use a surface coating on gold (referred to as Patination of Gold) and some create Intermetallic Compounds. Purple, Blue and Black gold is more expensive considering the process it takes to make it but it also very fragile and easily damaged in comparison to Yellow/White/Pink/Green Gold.
18k Rose Gold Nathan and Moe Earrings $2800.00, Nathanandmoe.com.
18-kt. Pink Gold and Pearl Antique Leaf Pin, $369 at Overstock.com.
14k Pink Gold Stardust Heart Necklace, $650 at FutureFashionista.com.
Article by Elana Rubin, Jewelry Designer and Founder of FutureFashionista.com, an online Jewelry website featuring her handmade solid gold designs. Her jewelry has become extremely popular with the trendsetting crowds and famous fashionistas. For more information on Gold, Read Elana's Guide to Gold at http://www.futurefashionista.com/howtogold.html.
