What color gold is more valuable?
Jewelry made of white, yellow and red gold has remained an elegant addition to the look for more than a thousand years. Gold products are unlikely to ever go out of fashion. Empires were destroyed, entire civilizations were born and died, great dynasties faded into oblivion, but people continued to wear gold. This metal is beautiful, malleable in processing, an experienced craftsman will give it an elegant shape, inlaid it with sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, creating a work of art, a status item. Nowadays, gold is usually classified not only by purity; it is conventionally divided into red, yellow and white. What does this mean and which gold is more valuable?
The classic nobility of white gold
It is believed that white gold received its color due to the presence of metals such as nickel, palladium and vanadium. But this is not entirely true – modern white gold is also specially bleached. The fashion for white gold is largely related to the fashion for platinum – it is similar to this noble and more valuable metal. In addition, white gold is traditionally loved by top jewelry houses, which combine it in jewelry with the most expensive stones – diamonds and rubies. As a result, white gold products are very often a status item. Otherwise, white gold differs little from ordinary gold and has the same advantages. 585k white gold is hypoallergenic, ductile, and neutral in aggressive environments.
The gentle charm of red and rose gold
Red gold is gold that contains copper and silver. Red contains slightly more copper than pink. The more copper, the more pronounced the reddish tint. Gold is valued by jewelers for its ease of processing and malleability. In addition, the reddish shade has a lot of fans. Often, it is products made from red gold that are preferred by ladies who can easily afford more expensive white gold. However, the “top” jewelry in terms of cost is also made of red gold. It is usually combined with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. Since red and rose gold are more malleable, pendants, bracelets and rings made from it often have a very fine pattern, almost a “web” of gold threads.
Solar warmth of yellow gold
It was the warm, yellow color that made gold attractive to man many thousands of years ago, when he still worshiped the sun. Yellow gold, like red gold, also contains some silver and even copper. But in quantities that have less effect on its color. 585 or 750 yellow gold is considered the base metal for creating jewelry. The cost of this particular gold is an investment standard, and its characteristics are an industrial standard. Yellow gold jewelry does not deteriorate over time, does not go out of fashion, does not become cheaper, and is in steady demand among representatives of all social classes, from office managers and fashionable workers to billionaires and the highest aristocracy. Some gold jewelry can be worn every day, while some, finely crafted and decorated with diamonds, can be worn on a special occasion.
A few words about samples: which one is better?
For jewelry, 585 gold is still preferable to 760. And the purest, 999 gold is not used at all for the production of jewelry. And not because it is too expensive; after all, the cost of products from legendary jewelry houses is not determined by the cost of the material. It’s just that 999 gold is too soft and jewelry made from it is not durable enough. Therefore, the most common gold standard today remains 585 gold with a fair amount of impurities, giving it strength and a recognizable shade. But the price of gold is influenced not only by its purity, but also, for example, by the country of origin. That is, items that a pawnshop accepts as gold scrap may have different prices even if they have the same weight and the same purity. Today there is a huge range of jewelry to suit every taste. Quite often, inexperienced buyers are faced with the difficulty of choosing the most suitable model and assessing its quality. For example, many people wonder: what are the differences between gold from Turkey and gold from Russia? The main differences are as follows:
- mining of Russian yellow precious metal is carried out on the territory of our state, Turkish – abroad;
- Turkish jewelry may be made from low-quality alloy;
- completely different brand.
Simply put, Turkish yellow precious metal is of lower quality than Russian one, which is reflected in the low cost of jewelry made from such material and short service life.
Where is the material for making jewelry obtained?
The term “Turkish gold” is only a designation for products produced by Turkish craftsmen, since the metal for their production is purchased from suppliers in the USA and Germany. Thus, if we consider the origin of the precious metal, it is more correct to say that it is German or American. The situation is similar with Egyptian gold, since Egypt does not mine the yellow precious metal on its own, but uses it as a material for making products.
Amount of alloy in alloys
According to the GOST current in Russia, the alloy of jewelry, in addition to the yellow metal itself, also contains copper, silver and palladium. Turkish jewelers replace these precious metals with cheaper ones, for example, nickel instead of palladium. Because of this, the finished jewelry has a lower price since nickel costs less. The disadvantage of this replacement is also the danger of nickel, since it can cause an allergic reaction.
It is important to understand that it is impossible to purchase real gold jewelry at a low price.
GOST is missing
Gold jewelry in Russia is made in accordance with the established standard. This circumstance means that the relevant government agencies strictly control the content of yellow metal and impurities in jewelry. In contrast, Turkish legislation does not provide a uniform quality standard for gold products, and manufacturers have the right to independently label their products. As a result, not all Turkish jewelry manufacturers offer products made from high-quality alloys on the market.
Jewelry often contains impurities, and it happens that a completely different alloy is sold under the guise of gold. As a result, among Turkish gold jewelry you can find not only low-quality products, but also substances that can be harmful to health and cause an allergic reaction.
In Japan, for example, the use of alloys to make jewelry is not a common practice. All jewelry there is made exclusively from pure precious metals.
The ratio of alloy and hallmark on gold
The quality of gold products is determined by their sample, which is indicated by markings in the form of numbers engraved on the inner surface of the product. In our country, the standard can vary from 0 to 1000, indicating the percentage of precious metal in the alloy.
For example, yellow bars stored in government vaults typically have a fineness of 999,9, which guarantees the high quality of the metal.
This bar is an example of high quality gold. Its production requires a significant amount of labor and resources, which is reflected in its market value. Russia uses 7 gold quality standards, the most common of which is 585. This marking indicates the alloy contains 58,5% gold, while the remaining 41,5% is made up of palladium, copper and silver.
In Turkey, a different system for marking jewelry is used: a stamp is placed on jewelry, for example, 14 (corresponding to 585 fineness of the precious metal). 14 purity gold jewelry is also widespread in this country. The higher the standard, the more gold is in the jewelry, which affects characteristics such as color, strength, corrosion, etc.
What kind of purity does Turkish gold contain?
It is necessary to understand that the marking system for Turkish precious metals is different from the one established in our country. Instead of indicating the proportion of gold in the alloy, Turkish markings indicate the number of carats. A similar system is also used in European countries and the USA. The marking of yellow metal in Turkey is indicated not only by three-digit numbers, but also by letter designations. Examples of Turkish markings are shown in the table below:
| Russian sample | Turkish markings |
|---|---|
| 999 | 24 |
| 958 | 23 |
| 750 | 18 |
| 585 | 14 |
| 500 | 12 |
| 375 | 9 |
For example, if the jewelry is 12 carats, then it is equivalent to the Russian 500th standard. However, unlike Russian markings, the Turkish test does not indicate the composition of the alloy, which can be a disadvantage when choosing a product.
The engraved hallmark on Russian products indicates the quality of the precious metal, while the Turkish hallmark is not a sufficiently reliable indicator. Any jewelry manufacturer labels it independently, since there are no common standards. However, according to reviews, you can ask the seller to sizing the jewelry right at the counter to make sure of its quality.
Types of gold alloys from Turkey
Jewelry made by Turkish jewelers differs from Russian ones not only in its design, but also in color. They can have red, white, pink, yellow and other shades, which gives them a special charm and beauty. However, when choosing such a product, it is important to consider its quality. The variety of shades indicates the presence of many other precious metals in the alloy.
For example, electron is an alloy of gold and silver, and goldin is an alloy of copper and aluminum. An alloy called platinor is platinum combined with any other metal. Belgica alloy contains iron, nickel and chromium.
It happens that the alloys from which jewelry is made are not of worse quality than pure precious metal, but sellers present them as real gold. Sometimes sellers deceive buyers by selling them gold-plated silver rather than gold.
Determining that this is a real piece of jewelry and not a fake is very difficult for the average person.
Strictly speaking, pure gold has only one color – bright yellow. The colors of white gold are achieved through the addition of silver or palladium, while the red color is due to the presence of copper in the alloy. The presence of rhodium, in turn, can give gold jewelry a bluish tint. It is worth noting that gold items containing palladium can often be passed off as platinum items, which are even more expensive.
Do pawn shops accept Turkish gold?
According to a report by the National Association of Pawnshops, the vast majority – 90% – of items that are pawned by Russian citizens are gold jewelry. These jewelry can be made in Turkey, Egypt, India and other distant countries. When such products are pledged, pawnshop organizations evaluate them based on the actual gold purity. To determine the quality of gold, jewelry is tested with a special jewelry detector, which scans its alloy and reveals the proportion of yellow metal in it. After this, such jewelry is valued in the same way as any other piece of jewelry.
Advantages and disadvantages of purchasing oriental metal
Among Turkish craftsmen you can find professionals capable of creating high-quality products. If you approach the choice of jewelry with skill, you can purchase a product that is not inferior in quality to jewelry from domestic manufacturers. However, you need to be careful when choosing jewelry of low quality, as it can cause an allergic reaction, lose its original shine and color, and also contain an alloy of any metals other than gold.
These products are prone to oxidation and may leave dark stains on the skin after wear.
Turkish jewelers prefer to make hollow gold items to save on materials. For example, there may be a void inside the ring. This makes the products less durable and prone to deformation. Unfortunately, there are cases where customers have been injured when using such products when they get caught on other objects.
In pawnshops, Turkish products are usually valued at a minimum price. To determine the quality of a piece of jewelry, its alloy is analyzed using a jewelry detector.
