2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16
Gold is one of the rarest metals on the planet, since ancient times it has been considered a symbol of we alth, success and high position in society. In the periodic table D. I. Mendeleev, it is referred to as Aurum, that is, "golden", and among the people it is also called "noble". And this is no coincidence, because gold is an inert metal, practically does not enter into chemical bonds and does not form new compounds - it behaves like a noble class of society.
It was the inertness of the metal that determined its high cost and demand. However, despite the "hostility" to other elements, scientists managed to create various types of gold, which are now used in many industries, from jewelry to instrument-making. In its pure state, it is now almost impossible to meet.
Gold proof
In nature, gold is found not in the form of "shining" large-clastic rocks, but in the form of tiny inclusions, grains of sand, located inside the main, gold-bearing rock. Sometimesgrains of sand are so small that they can only be seen with special equipment.
But there are also nuggets, the largest of which - "Welcome Stranger" - was found in Australia and weighed about 75 kg. And when gold was being mined in the Urals, a sample weighing 35 kg was found, nicknamed the "Big Triangle".
But gold enters the market only after a multi-level cleaning. But even after enrichment, the raw material contains a certain amount of impurities in its composition. Because of this, the first types of gold appeared, which differed in breakdown - the percentage of metal in the product.
Gold Assay Systems
Government agencies use the purest samples of this metal as gold reserves. The percentage of the element in them is 99.999% per gram of the substance. But a standard bank bar weighing 1 kg contains 999 grams of metal. It is the cost of this bar, divided by a thousand, that can be observed on the planet's gold exchanges.
The sample of gold is indicated on the product itself in the form of a small hallmark indicating quite specific numbers. There are two sampling systems in use around the world:
- Metric. Distributed in the CIS, European countries and Russia, numerical designations are used.
- Carat used in the European Union and the USA. It determines the number of parts of gold that falls on 24 parts of the alloy.
In the carat system, gold in its pure form (percentage content of more than 99.9%) corresponds to the 24th sample, and in the metric system - the 999th.
If you notice a stamp with the numbers “750” or 18 carats on a gold product, then the product contains 75% of the noble metal. Jewelry 585 samples are the most common in the post-Soviet space. And the lowest-quality products are considered to be 9-carat or 375 samples, because they contain no more than 37.5% gold.
"Spectrogram" of gold items
In its pure form, gold is a very soft, ductile and malleable material that literally "melts before our eyes" and is difficult to process. In order to shape gold raw materials, various metals are added to it: silver, copper, cadmium, chromium, platinum and others. Thus, various types of gold are obtained, or rather its alloys.
Depending on which element is added to the raw material, are the physical properties of the alloy, as well as its color. The shade of gold items can be very diverse, it can vary from gold, yellow and pale pink, to dark blue, brown and even black. All this ultimately determines the cost of jewelry and their aesthetic qualities.
Yellow and white gold
Yellow gold is the world's most traditional and widespread alloy. In it, silver and copper are added to the noble metal in different proportions. It is the amount of impurities that determines how much gold costs in the jewelry market. If the percentage of silver exceeds the amount of copper, then products of an even lemon color are obtained. If there is more copper, then a red tint appears. The most common products on the market are 585 and 750 samples.
White gold is considered the most expensive and beautiful alloy, which is not surprising. To obtain it, palladium or platinum is added, which is why the products acquire a whitish hue. In addition to color, strength characteristics also change - they become higher. Jewelry uses white gold 585 and 750.
Red and rose gold
Red gold is obtained by adding a large amount of copper to the alloy. In some products, the content of additives can reach 50% of the total mass. That is why all types of red gold are of low cost. It looks good with red gems - rubies and garnets.
To obtain a pink tint, 3 to 2 parts of silver are added to alloys along with copper. Color emphasizes nobility. That is why this material is popular with many celebrity jewelry houses around the world.
Green and blue gold
Green gold can be obtained in several ways. The most common of these is the balanced addition of silver to the alloy. As this metal is introduced, the shade changes - the products become green, yellow-green and pure white. It also depends on how much green gold costs. If the percentage of silver reaches 30%, then a new mineral is formed - electrum.
To obtain blue gold, steel or cob alt is added to alloys. In the first case, shadechanges from light gray to cool blue. When cob alt is added, the alloy begins to acquire a bluish tint. Some jewelry houses achieve a similar effect with rhodium plating.
Not all alloys are presented here, which characterize what types of gold are. Black noble material, as well as its brown and brown shades, is also very popular in the world.
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