What is green gold?
Green gold is a variation of the valuable precious metal gold , which has a green color due to special alloys.
Green gold alloys are used relatively rarely in the jewelry industry. One reason for this is that it is difficult to produce a beautiful green color in an alloy that has good material properties.
Green gold – alloy of gold and silver
A slight green coloration of the precious metal can be seen in an alloy of gold and silver . However, it would be more accurate to describe this alloy as yellow gold with a slight green shimmer, as the green color is not very intense and is best seen only when the light is particularly bright. The best color nuance of such a green gold is when the ratio of gold and silver atoms is 1:1.
Green gold is particularly effective when it is placed next to yellow gold , white gold or rose gold in a piece of jewelry. One problem with green gold is that the alloy is very soft, which is why small amounts of the hard metal zinc are often added in order to optimally shape and stabilize the precious metal.
Green gold and its alloy partners
Green gold with cadmium or cobalt
If part of the silver is replaced by cadmium or cobalt, the result is a more intense green gold. At the same time, however, the quality of the precious metal deteriorates, making it susceptible to discoloration over time. In addition, these alloy partners lower its melting point.
Green gold with potassium or rubidium
A rich green can also be produced by adding rubidium; an olive green color can be observed when green gold is combined with potassium. Unfortunately, the characteristics of these alloys leave much to be desired, which is why they are not used in jewelry.
jewelry collections
Gold alloys
Things to know
