Types and samples of gold
Yellow, white, red And also green, pink, purple How do these types of noble metal differ?
What are the hallmarks of gold, which is better: 585 or 14 carats?
What determines the price of a gram of gold?
Which one is more profitable to buy? Moneyinformer.ru tries to give the most complete answers to these and other important questions for buyers of gold jewelry.
How are color and sample related?
Gold comes in different purities. This is its main characteristic and it is important to keep in mind first of all. Any gold product: coin, jewelry or bar can and usually contains impurities of other metals.
The amount of natural gold in the product and the amount of impurities is reflected in the marking applied to it - the hallmark or hallmark. Samples vary in appearance and measuring system, but you can always find out from them what percentage of “pure” gold the product contains.
(Of course, only if the information on it is reliable).
And the color depends on the type of additives in the gold alloy. It affects the price to a much lesser extent, with some exceptions (for example, in the case of white gold).
What determines the price of gold
When they talk about the cost of gold, they usually mean the price per 1 gram of pure metal on exchanges; it constantly changes depending on the situation in the financial and trading markets.
Since most gold products are an alloy of several metals, their “technical” price will be calculated strictly on the weight of pure gold included in the alloy. “Technical” refers to the price at which the product can be sold to buyers of precious metals, for example, pawn shops.
The type of gold - whether it is yellow, or green, or purple - does not matter in this aspect. It goes without saying that the product may have artistic value, and then it may be able to sell for more. But this has nothing to do with the “technical” price.
True, in rare cases, additives in the alloy themselves can be precious, for example, platinum, as sometimes happens with white gold.
Gold samples
The sample is applied to a gold product by the manufacturer and contains information about the percentage of pure precious metal Au in the alloy of which the product is made.
Nowadays, two systems are used to present information about the “purity” of a product: metric and carat. Metric is used in Russia and other CIS countries, carat is more often used in European countries and the USA.
The karat system for measuring gold in alloys should not be confused with the weight of precious stones - they even have different designations: “K” and “ct”. Thus, an 18-carat ring and an 18-carat diamond are completely different concepts, having in common only the fact that both belong to the jewelry industry.
It is very simple to understand the essence of the information reflected in the samples - it directly indicates the% of gold in the alloy.
It's just that the metric system indicates this percentage directly in numerical terms (for example, 585 means 585 milligrams of gold per 1 gram of alloy), while the karat system assumes that the product is divided into 24 parts and tells us how many of these parts are natural gold.
For example, the hallmark “12 carats” will tell us that the product consists exactly half of additional alloys and would correspond to the hallmark “500” if such was used in our country.
Table 1.
Gold samples in carats and metric
| Carats (K) | 24 | 23 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 9 |
| Metric system (%) | 999 | 958 | 750 | 585 | 583 | 500 | 375 |
| Share of pure gold | 100-99,9% | 95,8% | 75% | 58,5% | 58,3% | 50% | 37,5% |
It is important to keep in mind that the hallmark (assay mark) in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, the Baltic countries, and most other European countries is a sign of a state guarantee, indicating that the product has a hallmark not lower than the specified one and has been tested by the state assay inspection inspection for authenticity. However, gold jewelry and products sold in some other countries may have a hallmark that merely carries information from the manufacturer and is not a government guarantee.
Different colors of gold (or types of gold alloys)
The peculiarity of this yellow metal (this is its natural color), which is so often used by jewelers, is that it can take on different colors and shades depending on the ingredients with which it is mixed in the alloy.
And its other feature is that it is very soft and impractical to wear. Therefore, it is difficult to do without additives in the manufacture of jewelry - the so-called “ligature” - in the jewelry business.
Yellow gold
This color will appear most clearly in those products where impurities are found in minimal quantities. The higher the purity of the product, the more pronounced yellow color it will have, as a rule and with rare exceptions.
Accordingly, the price per 1 gram of such jewelry will be higher than that made from colored types of gold. True, as noted above, due to their relative softness they will be less practical to wear and less durable.
For example, high-grade wedding rings tend to wear out and become thinner if women constantly wear them throughout their lives.
And gold coins and bars are always rich yellow, since there are practically no impurities in them, because their main purpose is to carry the price inherent in this metal.
White gold
The most common type of this gold alloy, which can be called classic or standard, is 58.5% gold, 21% copper, 7.84% zinc and 12.73% nickel. Nickel is more likely than other impurities to cause allergies, so it is sometimes replaced with manganese or palladium, or even platinum.
To give products a better shine and increase durability, they are often coated with a thin layer of rhodium metal.
The surface layer becomes more durable, which prevents scratches; but such products are no longer willingly accepted for purchase, since before they are melted down, the rhodium has to be cleaned off, and this is a labor-intensive process.
Platinum in white gold increases the value of the product. Some well-known brands sometimes produce elite series of products in which platinum occupies a larger percentage as a percentage. In the case of lesser-known manufacturers, the high platinum content in the product can only be declared.
Green gold
Green gold has been known since ancient times. This was often called electrum - a type of native gold, which is an alloy with silver. Natural electrum has a greenish tint, and the silver content usually prevails in it.
Jewelry green gold has a more pronounced greenish color than the natural alloy, and the proportions of metals in it according to the most common standard are as follows: 73% gold and 27% silver.
In Russia, you can most often find 750 green gold, but 585 is also found.
Previously, jewelers used other metals as alloys (additives to the alloy), such as cadmium. They did make the green color more pronounced, but they were found to be toxic or allergenic and their use is currently prohibited.
The price of green gold per gram is calculated in the usual way - based on the percentage of precious metal Au.
Rose and red gold
Gold takes on a reddish hue when mixed with copper. The more copper in the alloy, the more pronounced the tone of red. The most common standards:
– 75% gold and 25% copper for rose gold (750 or 18K)
— 50% gold and 50% copper for red gold (500 standard or 12K).
Rose and red gold are very popular among both jewelry manufacturers and their buyers. From these alloys it is possible to make jewelry that is complex in design and exquisite in beauty, which will be distinguished by strength and durability. And on top of that, the price per gram of rose gold may not be very high, thanks to the reduced pure gold content.
Rare colors
Sometimes jewelers, creating products of artistic quality, decide to use precious metal of even rarer shades. Thanks to admixtures, you can get very unusual colors, but some are used more often than others:
— Blue gold: 46% gold and 54% indium.
— Purple Gold : 80% gold, 20% aluminum.
— Black gold: 75% gold, 25% cobalt.
Source: https://www.moneyinformer.ru/invest/precious_metal/gold/proby-vidy.html
Types of gold in jewelry production
“All that glitters is not gold,” says popular wisdom. We do not always think about the fact that this saying contains the essence of the modern jewelry market. We also know the fact that the products presented on the jewelry market are not made from pure gold, but using various alloys. The essence and specifics of the use of these alloys will be discussed in the article.
Types of gold
Collage about types of jewelry gold
Perhaps it is no secret to anyone that pure gold, which bears the proud name “Fine Gold” and has a purity of 999.9, is too soft to be used in jewelry production. Its scope of application is the production of bank gold bars.
The types of gold used in jewelry production are distinguished by the quantity and quality of metals added to it. So, jewelry gold is:
- White gold.
- Red gold.
- Yellow gold.
- Green gold.
- Gray gold.
- Black gold.
White gold
A scattering of jewelry
Each shade of gold is obtained by adding different metals to pure gold (“Fine Gold”).
To obtain white gold, platinum, nickel, silver or palladium are added to 999.9 fine gold.
It can be noted that white gold is a precious metal that has maintained its popularity for a long time.
There are several reasons for the popularity of white gold:
- White gold has an advantage over “classic” yellow in the production of diamond jewelry, due to the fact that white gold allows you to present a diamond in a radically new color, showing off its best sides. The use of white gold in diamond jewelry eliminates the yellowish tint of the diamond. The marvelous lunar shine of white gold allows it to be used with almost any stone.
- Many jewelers around the world give preference to white gold, noting the unique ability of this precious metal to be combined with others, which, in turn, favors the creation of new masterpieces of jewelry art. Combinations of white and yellow gold look much more original than single-color compositions, and white gold in combination with black is considered the latest in fashion.
- White gold is universal. White gold products match any outfit, hair color, eye color.
Red gold
Liquid gold flowing from a jar
Recently, red gold products have become no less popular on the jewelry market in Russia and the CIS countries.
Red gold refers to an alloy of precious metals:
- Pure gold.
- Copper.
- Zinc.
Jewelry made from red gold has a rich red hue due to the high content of copper in the alloy.
The deep red tint with brown components appears due to the “addition” of up to ten percent palladium to the alloy. Silver allows you to soften and add nobleness to red gold jewelry.
As you know, demand creates supply. Due to the increased demand for various red gold jewelry, you can increasingly see the following red gold jewelry in the windows of jewelry stores:
- earrings;
- rings;
- bracelets;
- chains;
- rings.
Jewelry made from red gold has a number of undeniable advantages:
- The presence of a large amount of copper in such an alloy makes red gold jewelry “preventative”. Wearing jewelry that contains copper as part of its alloy is recognized as one of the effective ways to prevent numerous diseases.
- The combination of copper and gold in the alloy not only enhances the therapeutic effect, but also creates a unique energy complex that accompanies the owner of such jewelry.
- Purchasing a set of red gold jewelry is a worthwhile purchase. The combination of rings and earrings made of gold of the same shade will emphasize the excellent taste and financial well-being of its owner.
Green gold
Collage about green gold jewelry
Green gold is a unique alloy of precious metals containing about seventy-five percent pure gold (“Fine Gold”), as well as other metals that give the alloy various shades of green.
In nature, the number of such alloys is practically unlimited, but in jewelry production only four of them are used due to the fact that such an alloy must meet a number of requirements:
- Such an alloy should not be chemically inert and should not react with various aggressive substances (in particular, oxygen).
- Such an alloy must be extremely ductile, susceptible to torsion, stretching and other actions that create internal stress in its structure.
- Such an alloy must be extremely hard in order to hold the polished edges of the product.
- Such an alloy should under no circumstances provoke the occurrence of allergic reactions upon contact with human skin.
Based on the requirements described above, we note that, for example, a metal such as rubidium, when reacting with oxygen, can flare up even in air. At the same time, rubidium in combination with gold produces an alloy with a rich green color.
However, such an alloy is too fragile, and it is simply impossible to produce jewelry from it.
When in contact with human skin, rubidium always causes an irritant reaction, because there are always alkaline and acidic compounds on the surface of the dermis.
!The optimal alloy by which green gold can be obtained is nickel. It can be polished, and its metalloids hold edges well. But it is worth remembering that in two to three percent of cases such an alloy can still cause an allergic reaction.
Gray gold
Gray gold earrings with pearls
The appearance of gray gold products on the jewelry market is due to the fact that jewelers decided to add metals such as nickel, zinc and others to “gold” alloys.
By the way, the composition of the alloy used to produce gray gold is a trade secret of every jewelry manufacturer. The following alternative metals are known that can be part of this alloy:
- nickel;
- silver;
- zinc;
- copper;
- manganese.
The main condition for the production of such jewelry is their compliance with the requirements that are put forward for them, namely the presence of a specific gravity of gold in such an alloy of at least seventy-five percent.
Did you know that the term “gray gold” is sometimes used to refer to smuggled jewelry.
Black gold
Black gold products
Black gold can rightly be called a triumph of sophisticated jewelry technology. However, the technological costs of producing black gold are compensated by the excellent quality of the resulting product, since the characteristics of such alloys are, as a rule, beyond praise.
Black gold is unique, its beauty is indescribable. Products made from black gold show themselves most clearly in combination with diamonds. The color range of black gold varies from dark gray to deep black.
The black gold alloy contains:
- 75% pure gold (“Fine Gold”)
- 15% cobalt;
- 10% chromium.
The production of black gold involves oxidizing the resulting alloy at temperatures from 700 to 950 degrees Celsius. The finished material is sometimes also treated with amphora carbon, which contributes to the formation of a thin matte black shell.
It is important! An alternative method of producing black gold is black rhodium plating.
Rhodium is one of the rare precious metals, which is characterized by a high level of hardness and the presence of a high reflection coefficient, which makes it possible to create so-called jewelry mirrors, that is, super-shiny surfaces.
Black gold is obtained by coating the product with a thin “rhodium mirror” using the galvanic method. An alternative replacement for rhodium in this technology can be ruthenium.
conclusions
Beautiful gold ring
Traditional jewelry alloys are:
This popularity is due, in particular, to the exclusivity and high cost of the products. Green, gray and black gold are no less unique, and products made from these alloys are no less attractive. It is likely that such alloys will soon be able to compete with red, white and yellow gold.
2014-12-24
Source: https://siqnalrp.ru/juvelirnye-izdelija/518-vidy-zolota-v-yuvelirnom-proizvodstve.html
Gold alloys. How to get colored gold | SOKOLOV Magazine
In the periodic table D.I. Mendeleev gold has the designation Au (Aurum), which translates as “yellow”. However, it is impossible to imagine the modern jewelry industry without precious metals of various shades. What determines the color of gold?
Jewelry alloys
Pure gold does indeed have a bright yellow color, but is used extremely rarely in the jewelry industry. This is a very soft metal, sensitive to mechanical stress. In order to increase the strength and increase the service life of jewelry, gold-containing alloys are used for their manufacture.
In Russia, the composition of precious metal alloys is regulated by GOST 30649-99. The fractional content of pure metal in the alloy is indicated by breakdown. In our country, according to the law “On the procedure for testing and branding products made of precious metals,” gold is assigned 585 and 750 samples. The share of precious metal in jewelry with these samples is 58.5% and 75.0%.
In addition to gold, the alloy contains additional components that determine the color of the future product and are called alloy. The most common are combinations of gold with silver and copper. Less commonly, platinum, palladium and other metals are used as alloys.
A little history
The fact that precious metal can be given a wide range of shades has been known since ancient times. Colored gold was first used in the jewelry industry in the 19th century. This happened in connection with the discovery of new noble metals - osmium, rhodium and palladium. At the same time, experiments began to be carried out to introduce them into precious alloys. Despite the fact that the components were known, the technology of joining metals was kept in the strictest confidence by jewelers.
Already at this time it became clear that the alloy in the alloy affects the color and strength of the products, but not their quality. impurities should not exceed the permissible 0.17%. Therefore, at present, regardless of what metal was used as a master alloy, the general gold-bearing alloy is considered precious.
How to get colored gold
The most traditional shades of gold are red, white and yellow. However, there are many more metal colors.
Yellow gold
These same alloy components, taken in a different ratio, give the metal a bright yellow or lemon tint. With equal proportions of copper and silver, the metal acquires the best casting properties.
Engagement and wedding rings, jewelry with colored precious and semi-precious inserts are made from yellow gold. Products made from this metal are brighter and more expressive.
Brown gold
The metal acquires a beautiful chocolate shade by chemically treating a gold-containing alloy with copper.
Green gold
Oddly enough, silver gives gold its olive-green hue, and to achieve a more saturated emerald color, cadmium is added to the alloy.
In our country, green gold is not traditional. Sometimes floral elements of jewelry compositions are made from it, but still more often an enamel coating is used for this.
Blue gold
Getting a blue or light blue shade of gold is the most secretive. Jewelers do not disclose not only the technology for obtaining the metal, but even the components of the alloy. Experts suggest that the secret of the color transformation lies in the impurities of cobalt or iron. This is a rare case of a two-component alloy.
purple gold
Jewelers call this gold amethyst for its special decorative shade. Most often, aluminum is added to the alloy to achieve the beautiful purple color of the metal. Interestingly, this shade is only possible in an alloy with 750 gold.
Black gold
It turns out that black gold is not only a metaphorical name for oil, but also a real precious metal. There are several known ways to obtain black gold. The first method is to add cobalt and chromium to the alloy and oxidize the metal at high temperature. Also, an unusual shade is achieved by coating red gold with rhodium.
The color of gold can depend not only on the components of the alloy, but also on various chemical influences. Unusual shades are achieved by applying various decorative coatings to metal, as well as as a result of thermal or chemical treatment.
Fashion trends
Combined gold continues to be one of the leading trends in jewelry fashion. Jewelry that combines red and white metal is especially relevant. These alloys are distinguished by their high strength and resistance to external influences, which is why they are used to make jewelry that will delight its owner for many years.
Modern brands create various products from combined gold: with and without inserts, simple and extravagant. Often diamond edges are applied to such jewelry, making the metal more textured.
This season, decorative elements of gold of different shades are combined into something harmonious, making the design of the jewelry more complex.
Source: https://sokolov.ru/blog/about-jewelry/precious-metals/zolotoe-mnogocvetie/
Types of gold - samples and colors
Since ancient times, gold has attracted people not only for its properties, but also for its beauty and value. One of the three precious metals has been decorating people's homes and bodies for many years. Metal is a subject of status and belonging to a certain segment of the population. In addition, gold plays an important role in the life of every state. After all, it is precisely this that constitutes the gold reserve of each country and it backs up the national currency. Gold ensures the economic independence of the country.
Theories of gold formation on Earth
There are several versions about how gold appeared on Earth. Scientists have not yet come to a consensus on the question of how gold was formed on Earth. However, there are several theories about its origin:
- Astrophysical theory. Its essence lies in the assumption that the aurum was formed as a result of the collision of two supernovae and the nuclear reaction that occurs. As a result of the explosion, matter is formed that is thrown into outer space. There it cools, as a result of which several nuclear reactions are launched. The substance formed as a result spreads and becomes material for the formation of new celestial bodies - planets.
- Meteorite theory. In this theory, astrophysicists agree that aurum came to Earth from outside, or rather from space. This happened due to a meteorite attack. Given that gold is unevenly distributed on Earth, this theory is considered plausible. In the case of the previous theory, the metal was more likely distributed evenly across the globe, so it is less likely.
- Biological theory. Scientists biologists defend this theory. They believe that gold reserves are replenished due to the activity of microbacteria. Currently, research is being carried out in places where the metal is mined. The theory still requires a lot of proof.
How gold was discovered on Earth
This precious metal was discovered by man even before our era. Scientists do not agree on dates. Some argue that the discovery of metal happened in the Mesolithic, others insist on the age of dominance of bronze. It is believed that this metal was the first to be discovered by man. The fact is that in nature it is presented in the form of yellow, sparkling nuggets.
It was simply impossible not to notice how the gold glittered. It is interesting that aurum became precious and expensive only after the stratification of society into classes. Findings by scientists that indicate the presence of this metal in ancient cultures date back to the 4th millennium BC.
In the 3-2 millennium BC, this element was widespread in Egyptian culture, as well as in Indian and Chinese. Of course, then it was already the privilege of kings, rulers, and monks. The largest reserves have been explored in Ancient Egypt.
But as a result of numerous wars, they moved first to Assyria, then to Babylon, to the Persian Empire and remained in Rome for a long time thanks to Alexander the Great. After his death, the jewel went to various countries.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8ppCrJY2tc
On the territory of Russia, acquaintance with the noble metal occurs many centuries later, or rather in the 18th century. The pioneer was Erofei Markov from Yekaterinburg. He found a nugget and reported it to the Office of the main plant in Yekaterinburg.
After which he decided to try to dig up the ground in this place and found several more stones with shiny inclusions. Later, a gold mine was formed on this site. As a result of a successful discovery, a group of mines called Berezovsky was formed even later.
Work in the mines was very hard and later convicts began to mine gold. One of the largest Russian mines is located in the Urals.
Subsequently, “yellow oil” played a vital role in world history. Thanks to him, a system of commodity-money relations was born in the world, which continues to operate to this day. Today, an important component of each state is its gold and foreign exchange reserves.
The higher it is, the more prosperous, prosperous, and stable the country is considered. Russia ranks 7th after Switzerland, China, France, Italy, Germany and the leader of America's gold reserves. According to rough estimates, over the entire period of knowledge about the presence of gold, about 160 thousand tons have been mined by humans.
Presumably, the total amount of gold reserves on Earth is 205 thousand tons.
999 gold or red gold
The most expensive type of metal is 999 gold. This means that 1 kg contains 99.9% pure metal. This is the purest gold on the planet and is available only to the state. Bullions of this exact standard are stored in the gold and foreign exchange funds of each country.
This standard is not available in jewelry not because of its high cost, but because of the softness of the metal. It is simply impossible to create jewelry from 999 samples that can be worn for a long time. The popular or trade name of the alloy is red. It is called so because of its reddish hue. It especially manifests itself when heated.
This indicates the high quality of the metal. In Ancient Rus', wedding rings were made from this alloy.
750 gold
This type of metal sample can also be found on the shelves of jewelry stores. The amount of metal in it will be 75%. It is less common than 585 gold.
585 gold
585 standard is most often found on store shelves. It contains 58.5% pure metal. The rest is impurities that increase the stability and longevity of the decoration.
White and yellow gold
The most common shades are white and yellow. Yellow is a natural shade with the addition of copper and silver. Depending on the concentration of a particular metal, the shade of yellow changes. For example, the reddish tint is due to a higher proportion of copper. Lemon - because of the silver.
White gold becomes this by adding palladium or platinum. These metals also add strength to the alloy.
Pink gold
A common type of aurum is a pink tint. This one looks very delicate and is used mainly for women's jewelry. To obtain it, copper and 2.3 parts of silver are added. Many famous brands use rose gold.
Blue and green gold
Green and blue shades look even more extravagant and exotic. Green is obtained by gradually adding silver. Depending on its concentration, the shade of the source material changes.
The blue color of the metal is achieved by adding cobalt or steel. In the case of steel inclusions, the color will change to a cool shade of blue. Cobalt will give a more delicate, blue tint. Sometimes the blue tint is achieved by applying rhodium plating.
Black gold
The most refined type of precious metal is black. Its popularity is only gaining momentum. Jewelers and store clerks call it blackened gold. Its cost is slightly higher than usual, but this does not detract from its attractiveness to buyers.
There are several ways to make black gold.
To achieve black color, jewelers use 3 methods:
- Addition of chromium, sulfur and cobalt to the alloy.
- Rhodium plating.
- Use of amorphous carbon.
In the first method, each metal makes its contribution. Cobalt gives a silvery tint. In addition, it increases the strength and wear resistance of gold. Chrome is the key element in this alloy; it gives the desired black color. Sulfur acts as a binder.
Rhodium plating also imparts the desired color to the metal. In addition, rhodium creates an additional protective film, which further protects the jewelry from damage. A laser is used to perform rhodium plating. Similarly, you can make a metal black by coating it with amorphous carbon.
Blackened gold becomes more dense, resistant to impacts, scratches and external influences. Most often, black jewelry is encrusted with diamonds. Emerald, opal, and ruby are also used. Such products look very elegant and stylish. They decorate any outfit and emphasize a person’s status.
However, the color black is not the same on all jewelry. Depending on the jeweler's decision, the shade can vary between light grey, brown and resin black.
You can also divide aurum into types not only based on the shade, but also on the country in which it was produced. Today we have access to any store that is on the Internet and it is not necessary to go to Spain to buy jewelry there.
Gold from Europe
Spain. This country is one of the largest exporters of its jewelry to other countries. The most famous brands are “Tous”, “Carrera”, “Masriera”, “Yanes”. In Spain, products are made from 750-grade metal.
Italy. Italian products are also made from 750 standard, they are distinguished by high-quality polishing and lightness. The jewelers' works are always refined and each is a work of art.
France. In the case of this variety, the word gold is present only in the name. Visually it is impossible to distinguish this alloy from natural metal. It is created from copper, zinc and tin. This is a high-quality alloy, but only suitable for making jewelry. Due to its high quality and visual similarity, the alloy is called the name of the precious metal. It is used to make premium jewelry that is indistinguishable from jewelry.
Why does gold change color
Sometimes, having bought high-quality jewelry in a trusted jewelry store, people are faced with the fact that it changes color over time. For example, it turns green, red or white. Before specifying the reasons, we should remember the physical properties of aurum.
This element is not susceptible to corrosion, the influence of fats, air and water. It also does not react with acids and alkalis.
Among those substances that can affect aurum: aqua regia (gold completely dissolves in it), mercury, liquid bromine, potassium iodide and an aqueous solution of cyanide.
It is also worth remembering that pure metal is never used to make jewelry; it always contains other elements, such as copper. It can react with various elements and change the color of gold.
Greening of gold
If the gold turns green, it means that the copper in it has oxidized. This can also happen due to sweating, for example. This can happen with frequent use of cosmetics, oils, lotions, and perfumes. You should remove jewelry before applying such products to yourself. In addition, many cosmetic products contain mercury or iodine. Copper or other metals in the alloy may react with them and cause a green tint.
Reddening of gold
If the gold turns red, this may also indicate a copper reaction. Depending on the percentage of this metal contained in the alloy, the product may turn green or red. Sometimes, wanting to save money and attract a buyer at a lower price, they cover jewelry with a high copper content with an additional layer of gilding. This layer wears off over time and copper begins to actively react with the human body. Unfortunately, it is impossible to predict this even with careful examination in the store.
Discoloration
If gold turns white, it may be due to mercury. When interacting with mercury, gold oxidizes and turns white, mercury absorbs gold. Therefore, carefully read the composition of cosmetics or other products with which you are going to interact. If the thermometer breaks and you are collecting mercury, remove jewelry and wear gloves to avoid getting the substance on the product and on your skin.
If such a nuisance does happen to you, do not despair. Your gold has not turned white forever. It is necessary to place it in fresh air or in a well-ventilated area so that the mercury evaporates. After this happens, the product will return to its previous shade.
Source: https://mysamocvet.ru/metally/vidy-zolota/
Everything about gold mining. Where and how is gold mined?
Gold was one of the first metals that man began to use, and jewelry was made from it even at a time when the main materials were stone and wood. All this is due to one property - the element is often found in nature in almost pure form, in nuggets.
For a long time, gold remained only a means of payment and a material for jewelry. Over time, the metal has become indispensable in medicine, electrical engineering, weapons production and other sectors of the economy of all countries of the world. Despite the replacement of monetary standards, any country tries to ensure a certain gold reserve.
However, where did this chemical element come from (in D.I. Mendeleev’s table of chemical elements, gold is designated as Au (aurum) at number 79), how is it mined and used?
What does gold look like: chemical and physical properties
Gold nuggets
Gold is a noble metal, many have heard this name, but what does it mean?
Chemical properties. As a chemical element, it practically does not react and is not susceptible to the effects of aggressive substances. In short, gold does not oxidize, making it an ideal material for many industries.
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Physical properties. What does gold look like? In its pure form, it is a rich yellow, rather soft metal, but at the same time dense, which determines the significant weight of the products.
If you take a kilogram of gold and make a ball out of it, it will be a sphere with a diameter of only 46.2 millimeters !
The pure material is very easy to process, easy to melt (melting point 1064°), forge (very thin sheet can be made) and draw.
Insignificant hardness is the main disadvantage, which is eliminated by adding impurities to the metal: silver, copper, platinum and steel. This is how different types of gold appeared.
Types of metal
Bank gold
There are two main types of gold – bank and jewelry.
In the first option, the purity of the metal is very important, where the main standard is 999 fine. This means that such a sample does not contain impurities of other elements. Such bars are stored in state reserves and sold by banks as investments.
Strength and durability are important for jewelry gold. Therefore, pure gold is not used in jewelry because of its softness. Therefore, varieties such as yellow, white, red, pink, gray and even green gold appeared.
| Kind of gold | Additives (impurities) |
| Yellow | The most common alloy of gold + silver and copper |
| White | Alloy of gold with platinum and palladium |
| Red | Copper additive |
| Pink | Gold with the addition of copper and silver |
| Gray | Alloy of gold and steel |
| Green | Alloy of 75% gold and 25% silver with a small amount of copper |
| Black | Complex laser processing with the addition of cobalt and chromium |
Additives and percentages of all elements in jewelry gold determine its price. The amount of gold is indicated by the sample; it shows how much of the noble metal is in the product. For example, the most common 585 standard means that the product contains 58.5% pure gold, and the rest is impurities.
Use of precious metal in various industries
Until the 20th century, the yellow metal was exclusively a means of payment and decoration. And only with a leap in technological progress did it increasingly begin to be used in industries. But even today, all significant volumes are concentrated as reserve stocks of states' means of payment.
10% of all available gold is found as industrial products. The main area of production where it is used remains electrical engineering. The element is also indispensable in the production of neutron bombs, nuclear fusion, and in the space industry.
Natural gas production in Russia: past, present, future
A very thin layer of precious metal can be used in windows to reflect infrared radiation, for energy-saving purposes.
Gold is indispensable in medicine, especially dentistry and pharmacology.
Popular mobile communications use this element; each SIM card has a thin gold plating.
The main use of the precious metal is the state’s gold reserve; about 32,000 tons of the precious metal are stored in all gold and foreign exchange reserves of the world.
The remaining volumes consist of residents' personal investment funds and jewelry.
The theories of the origin of the yellow metal are interesting. According to one hypothesis, the element was formed due to the destruction of neutron stars and subsequent accumulation on our planet. And according to another theory, gold was brought in several billion years ago by asteroids. In any case, all available reserves of the noble metal on Earth were formed a very long time ago - 3 - 3.5 billion years ago .
Gold mining in the world
Even 100-150 years ago, in the absence of knowledge about the origin of the yellow metal, its extraction was comparable to gambling. Today, having an accurate understanding of the formation of gold in certain rocks, its mining has reached an industrial level with accurate data on how much of the precious element can be removed from each deposit.
Over the entire history of gold mining in the world, about 160 thousand tons of the yellow metal were obtained. And the bulk of this mass was extracted during the last 100 years.
Leading countries in gold production
If relatively recently the South African region was considered the leader in gold mining, today other countries have taken leading positions.
According to the latest data from 2016, the following top 5 leading countries in gold mining can be compiled.
| A country | Amount of precious metal mined in tons |
| China | 455 |
| Australia | 270 |
| Russia | 250 |
| USA | 209 |
| Canada | 170 |
Among the leaders in gold production, Peru, South Africa, Mexico, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Ghana, Brazil and New Guinea retain their positions.
Over the entire year of 2016, 3,104 tons of precious metal were extracted, with each new year this figure grows, although this is made difficult by the gradual depletion of mines.
Famous gold deposits
Source: https://promdevelop.ru/vsyo-o-dobyche-zolota-gde-i-kak-dobyvaetsya-zoloto/
Classification of gold by type and producing country
Gold was first mined by man back in the fifth millennium BC. e. in Ancient Egypt. However, mass mining of this metal around the world began relatively recently, in the eighteenth century. Depending on the extraction method, there are:
- Ore gold: These are microparticles of metal embedded in quartz rocks.
- Placer gold: is the so-called gold-bearing sand (rock fragments), gold from which is extracted by washing. During this process, metal particles settle to the bottom, since they have a larger mass compared to sand and water. Placer gold is formed during the natural destruction of rocks containing it in their composition.
In its pure form, gold has a bright yellow tint, but jewelry store shelves offer “colored” gold jewelry made from white, red, black and blue gold. Many people wonder how these types of gold were obtained and whether they are counterfeits of the precious metal?
What kind of gold is there?
In jewelry stores you cannot find jewelry made from pure gold of 999.9 purity (fine gold), and all because this metal itself is very plastic and deformable. In its pure form, it can only be found in the form of bars stored in banking institutions. In jewelry, gold is combined with other metals, which not only gives it a different hue, but also makes it more durable. Metals added to gold are called alloys.
The most popular types of gold among jewelry lovers are:
- White: is gold combined with platinum, nickel, silver (optionally palladium). This metal is popular among buyers, since jewelry made from it harmonizes with any photo type of appearance. In addition, white gold emphasizes the beauty of precious stones, which cannot be said about pure metal.
- Red: To obtain this type of gold, copper and zinc are added to the base metal. Jewelry made from this alloy has a red tint precisely because of the copper. It is believed that wearing rings, bracelets and other jewelry made from it has a healing effect.
- Yellow: in color it resembles fine gold, but the purity of this gold is 585: one kilogram (1000 grams) of the alloy contains only 585 grams of gold, and the rest is represented by a ligature. It turns out that fine gold and alloy in such an alloy are in equal proportions. If you want to get a warm shade of yellow gold, then silver and copper are added in a ratio of 2 to 1. To obtain a more saturated shade, copper and silver are taken equally.
- Gray: similar to white, but this alloy contains, in addition to gold, nickel, zinc and silver.
- Black: This metal has unparalleled beauty and value to match, as getting the perfect black gold is not an easy task. This metal looks great in combination with white gold and diamonds.
There are other varieties of gold, for example, purple, green, blue, but due to their fragility they are used as a metal for making inserts in precious jewelry.
Gold and country of origin
Many people are especially attracted to gold jewelry brought from countries such as Italy, Spain, France, and the UAE. Indeed, these states are considered the largest exporters of gold, so scammers take advantage of this and sell fake jewelry, the appearance of which is no different from the original one. To avoid becoming a victim of deception, you should know the features of gold offered in different countries:
1. Spanish gold. In Spain, jewelry is made from 750-carat gold. This metal has a slight greenish tint, which gives it an unusual appearance. To avoid buying a fake, you should pay attention to products sold under the following brands:
- Carrera.
- Tous.
- Masriera.
- Yanes.
2. Italian gold. In Italy, luxury jewelry is made from gold of seven hundred and fiftieth standard. Such an alloy cannot have a red tint, since pure gold predominates in it. A distinctive characteristic of Italian jewelry is its perfect polishing and lightness, reminiscent of openwork.
3. French gold. This alloy is also called “oride”, but it has nothing in common with the noble metal, since it is a combination of copper (80%), zinc (15%) and tin (5%), and there is no gold. Without an expert assessment, such an alloy cannot be distinguished from a real precious metal. French gold is used as a metal for making jewelry. However, scammers take advantage of this and offer the buyer similar products at the price of jewelry.
To imitate jewelry, swindlers use not only oraide (French gold), but also other metal alloys, the price of which is several times lower than that of gold.
In order not to make a mistake when buying gold jewelry, you need to purchase it in specialized stores that sell only certified goods.
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Source: https://DedPodaril.com/zoloto/tipy/vidy-zolota.html
What types of gold are there?
Gold is a profitable investment. Jewelry made from it is distinguished by its noble beauty, and its value is always high. However, depending on the purity, gold can have different prices, colors and characteristics. So lovers of this precious metal should know what gold samples are and what they generally are.
What is gold purity
Pure yellow gold has a rich color and increased density. This is a very heavy metal, which, despite all its value and beauty, cannot be used in jewelry.
The reason is that gold without impurities is too soft, it quickly deforms, and damage often appears on it. In order to solve this problem since ancient times, jewelry craftsmen have learned to add various alloys to gold, which made it stronger and more convenient to process.
This is how yellow and white gold is made, which can be used in the jewelry industry.
Pure yellow gold has a rich color and increased density
Most often, impurities in this metal are copper and silver. As additional components, the following can be taken: platinum, nickel, palladium or zinc. All these metals make gold strong and shiny. At the same time, impurities are reflected in the color; it can become white, pink, or remain yellow, but in a more delicate tone.
Interesting!
In ancient times, gold samples did not exist, so scammers skillfully counterfeited this valuable metal. It was only during the time of Peter I that a spool-type sampling system was introduced, which made it possible to distinguish a fake from the original.
To make it easier for jewelers to determine the amount of main metal (pure gold) and impurities in the alloy, a standard is placed on it - a number. It displays the percentage of gold content and additional components.
Currently there is no single system that is used throughout the world. In Tsarist Russia, the old spool system was used. Today it is not used, and such designations are found only on precious items made in the old days. Nowadays, in the countries of the former Soviet Union, the metric system is used (calculation is carried out in grams). And in Europe, Asia, the USA and Canada, the characteristics of alloys are checked using the carat system.
Metric system of the USSR, Russia, Ukraine
Gold assay systems
There are several varieties of yellow gold hallmark systems, but currently only three are the most famous.
- Zolotnikovaya is the most ancient variety, which is no longer used today. It was used during the reign of Peter I to reduce fraud. There were 2 numbers on the gold, which indicated the volume of pure gold, measured in spools (1 spool - 1/96th of a pound). At the same time, the most significant and expensive hallmark was considered to be 96. Today, such hallmarks are found on antique items or ancient jewelry.
- The metric system replaced the spool system in 1927. It is still used in post-Soviet countries. Depending on the place of manufacture of the product, a symbol is placed next to the numbers. For example, in Russia it is a woman’s head, in Ukraine it is a Trident, in Belarus it is a bison, and in Kazakhstan it is the head of a snow leopard. The karate system is relevant in America, Asia and most European countries
- The karate system is relevant in America, Asia and most European countries. The highest marking is 24k, and the lowest is 8k.
Important!
Hallmark is a sign that the jewelry is genuine and not counterfeit.
Below is a table where you can track the consistency of samples from all three systems.
| Zolotnikovaya | Metric | Carat |
| 96 | 999 | 24 |
| 92 | 958 | 23 |
| 88 | 900 | 22 |
| 72 | 750 | 18 |
| 56 | 585 | 14 |
| 48 | 500 | 12 |
| 36 | 375 | 9 |
What types of samples are there?
Any modern piece of jewelry made of yellow or white gold is hallmarked. It allows you to determine the authenticity of the product and understand what alloy it is made of. There are also samples that are not used at all in the jewelry industry, as they are too soft and quickly deform.
- 375 standard indicates that the jewelry contains 37.5% gold, and the remaining 63% is copper and silver. If there is more silver than copper in the composition, then the color will be yellowish or white, and if, on the contrary, it will be reddish. Gold with 375 purity has good strength and costs little. However, such an alloy quickly oxidizes, becoming coated with iron sulfide. Compositions of gold alloys affecting the purity and color
- 500 standard is an alloy containing 50% gold, copper and 50% silver. This kind of gold does not oxidize, but the appearance is not at the highest level. This is a typical rose gold, which differs from the previous version in that it has a longer service life and is more expensive.
- 583 is the hallmark that can be seen on old jewelry. Initially, when the metric system was introduced, this particular marking was used. Today it is no longer used. In 2000, it was replaced by 585 sample.
- 585 standard is the most famous type of gold standard. Jewelers consider it an ideal ratio for making various jewelry. The alloy is strong, durable and beautiful at the same time. There is 58% gold and only 42% impurities.
- 750 standard is the highest type of gold standard used for the production of jewelry. 75% here is gold, and the rest is impurities. The color of such decoration depends on the amount of certain impurities. This gold can be white, red, yellow and other colors. It is very easy to process.
- 958 standard is not used for making jewelry. The alloy contains more than 95% gold, so it is soft, bends and deforms easily. Yellow color. Used to create custom collectibles. Gold hallmark systems
- 980 standard is also unsuitable for jewelry, but similar gold was taken for the production of coins. It is also often called royal gold or ducat gold.
- 999 standard – “three nines” gold is not suitable for jewelry. It is sold and bought as bullion. Such yellow gold quickly deforms, the color is dull and yellow.
Important!
White gold has the same hallmarks as yellow gold, but the composition and production are different.
Which standard of gold is better
It is impossible to say for sure which sample is the best or the worst. They all have their own benefits and uses. Plain gold, without additives, is useless in jewelry, but 585 gold is not profitable for sale in bullion. To understand in each specific case which gold standard is better, it is important to be able to understand them.
Gold comes in different types and has many uses. The ability to navigate samples allows you to quickly purchase the right thing. Based on the sellers' suggestions, it is easy to understand whether they know their business and save money. After all, products up to 585 standard are the most budget-friendly, while 585 standard is affordable and expensive jewelry. But products with 750 purity are the most valuable option, of the highest class, and it is simply impossible to purchase such gold at a low cost!
Source: https://sapfira.net/kakie-byvayut-proby-zolota.html
Classification of types of gold
Gold is used in industry, jewelry, and dentistry. What is valued here is, first of all, its ability not to enter into an oxidative reaction with air, water and other substances. This is very important for dental crowns and laboratory equipment. High levels of electrical conductivity are used in electrical circuits by applying a thin layer of gold plating to a metal base.
Jewelers use gold as one of the best materials for any type of jewelry. The aesthetic properties of gold are reflected in its name, which is translated from different languages as “yellow”, “green”, “gold”.
Pleasant sunny color, shiny surface, great possibilities for artistic design due to the plasticity of the metal - these are the main advantages of gold in this field.
Huge volumes of gold are stored in state reserves. This is their guarantee in case of currency fluctuations. Gold is a great investment and many investors know this very well. The world produces a huge number of gold investment coins, bars of various sizes, which are distributed in vaults, safe deposit boxes and personal collections.
The concept of purity and fineness of gold
Those who have at least once encountered the choice of gold know that every product, be it an ingot or a ring, has a sample designation. Fineness is an indicator of the purity of gold.
What is mined in nature is not the shiny metal that is now on your finger or in your ears, but a mineral that contains particles of metal, sometimes so small that they cannot be distinguished with the naked eye.
Only after stages of multi-level purification does the raw material, be it ore, sand or water, become gold - a noble metal.
An absolutely pure gold sample is 99.999% of its content per gram of substance. This is the gold that banks and major companies use. Its purification is expensive and was discovered relatively recently.
The standard gold content in a bank bar is 999 grams per kilogram of the alloy; you will see the price per gram of such metal on the pages of banks and pawnshops. However, there are other types of samples.
They are marked on the gold as a stamp with a marking that displays the state quality mark, the number of the assay commission and, most importantly, the numerical standard.
If the manufacturer uses the karat system (used mainly in the EU and US), this will be an integer up to 24 (equivalent to the purest gold). This system is easy to understand, the karat number indicates how many parts of gold there are in that item.
The rest of the place in it is occupied by metal impurities, since gold in its pure form is used only for ingots. If half of the raw material here is gold, then you just have to divide the number 24 in half to understand which sample corresponds to this composition (12 carats).
Traditional quality gold containing 75% gold is 18 karat.
The numerical designation of the sample is more common in the CIS and Europe. The probable minimum for this system is slightly higher than 300. This is not very high-quality gold; in some countries its sale is allowed. Gold of 585 (583) purity was produced in large volumes back in the Soviet Union, which is why it is still widespread today. There is a concept of a state standard, which in Russia regulates gold standards, these are indicators 375, 500, 583, 585, 750, 958, 999.
Main types of alloys
Once we have learned that gold cannot be a pure metal in jewelry, and we have also learned from the mark how many parts of the metal are impurities, it is time to learn that there are different types of gold that differ from each other in color.
They are perfectly distinguishable by eye, since one or another additive gives a tint effect. Traditional alloys (additives) are silver and copper. They give the alloy the necessary strength.
Other ingredients can change the color and characteristics of the metal, so it’s worth getting to know them better.
White gold is a fairly popular alloy for jewelry. It may contain silver, palladium and platinum. It is quite expensive, since platinum now has high price quotes.
Externally, its surface is distinguished by a whitish color, its main property is increased strength. This is what makes white gold irreplaceable when it comes to jewelry with precious stones, because it fixes them much more firmly than usual. White gold purity - 750 or 585.
It can be used as a decorative element of decoration, playing on the color of the product.
Yellow gold is the most traditional alloy. The alloy uses silver and copper. Their ratio is not always the same; a slightly larger percentage of copper may give a reddish tint, while a smooth lemon color will indicate the silver content. Samples can be different, from 333 to 958, but most often the most harmonious in composition are 585 and 750 samples.
Red gold is gold with a high copper content. Once upon a time it was quite widespread, but now it has given way to yellow gold, seemingly losing its leadership forever.
This gold looks good in jewelry, as it can highlight the hue of a red stone or add a colorful streak to a masterpiece of jewelry weaving. gold and copper can be divided equally here.
This is a fairly economical option, because copper is the cheapest metal of all that is used in alloys.
Rose gold is an alloy that is also colored copper, but with the addition of silver. Its delicate color has made it the favorite material of many modern jewelry houses.
Rarer alloys
Green gold is an alloy of gold and silver. It was known in ancient times. Here the ratio of metals can be either about 75% gold and 25% silver, or 58% gold, 38% silver and the addition of a small amount of copper. Cadmium is also sometimes used.
The secret of the alloy is that it is fragile, and the higher the silver content, the greater the risk of deformation of the green gold product.
Of course, the richness of the gold color is worth experimenting with, and types with a rich green color or pale light green are still found, but more often as a detail of a product for decorative purposes.
There is also such a curiosity as blue and gray gold. This is an alloy with steel, and the shade of the metal depends on its percentage. For a more saturated color, silver can also be added to the alloy. This is quite a profitable purchase.
Black gold is a recent invention. There are several options for obtaining it, including exposure to the surface with a laser, alloying with cobalt and chromium, and a special coating. Such gold is already in full swing used in jewelry, opening up new facets of their art for jewelry designers.
Other classifications
Gold can be divided into banking and jewelry. If in banking the main thing is the purity of the metal and compliance with standards, then in jewelry the artistic element is very important. Obtaining a new shade while maintaining the strength and inertness of the metal in relation to the environment is considered an achievement.
Gold is mined in various parts of the Earth. For many years, the leaders in production have been five countries: Peru, USA, Australia, Russia, and China. South Africa is close to this list. Developments in Africa, Asia and Latin America have been increasing recently, because there is cheap labor, loyal laws and many new deposits. In some places its content in the ore is high and mining easily pays off, in others you have to collect the smallest grains and constantly look for new veins.
Buying gold: opportunities and producing countries
Gold is processed in many jewelry factories and becomes a significant part of state revenue. Each country has its own views on the aesthetic component of gold, as well as its own processing traditions and “recipes” of alloys.
Chinese gold is very pure and almost always yellow gold. Most of the jewelry here is made from metal 750 and higher. It retains the properties of gold - softness, ductility, so the product can quickly deform.
But still, buying such jewelry is a contribution to the family budget. Many citizens of the Middle Kingdom store jewelry in special cases and wear it only on very major holidays. The Chinese buy a large amount of jewelry from Russia.
White and red gold are less common in China.
Turkish gold is made from imported materials. It is often cheaper than what competitors offer, but there is a catch: very often more impurities are added to gold than indicated, and some of them can even trigger allergies.
Italian gold has earned respect in the market. Italian jewelry houses offer customers white, yellow and rose gold in fancy and stylish combinations. A reddish tint is considered atypical for Italian gold; here it is customary to add more silver than copper.
Arabic gold is a curiosity for our buyer. The percentage of gold content there is usually very high, models with at least 18 carats are welcome. This gold has a rich and bright yellow tint.
INDIAN GOLD IS ALSO PRECIOUS FOR THE PURITY AND GOLD CONTENT FROM 22 KARAT. THIS GOLD IS BRIGHT BUT QUITE SOFT, BUT CONSIDERING THE HISTORICAL VALUES OF THE INDIAN PEOPLE, IT IS PERFECT FOR ACCUMULATING FAMILY CAPITAL.
Supply and demand in the market
Numerous types of high-quality gold allow everyone to choose this metal, focusing on their needs. Bankers and investors want pure gold, which they can purchase from a government bank or an international exchange.
Those who want to make an investment in the family future, but are afraid to depend on the exchange rate, are suitable for small bars and coins, which are issued in limited editions during the holidays, because they are the ones that are most likely to increase in price.
For companies involved in the production of equipment or medical devices, the cost of gold is important. It is beneficial for them to support new young fields, for example, in Brazil or India.
The jewelry industry is a separate world. Here fashion houses are fighting for the originality of the alloy, because this is the key to unique product design. The buyer must clearly understand why he needs jewelry.
Many residents of China, Japan, and India buy gold jewelry for the same purpose for which Europeans buy bullion. For them, this is an investment, not an item for everyday wear.
Residents of the USA, Europe and the CIS perceive gold as jewelry in the original sense of the word, so the appearance of the product, its strength, the fashion for the alloy, interesting design, contrast, brightness, and individuality of the model are important to them.
Despite the limited amount of gold in our world, the market can offer a huge number of solutions for each category of buyer. Despite the rise in prices, demand has not fallen, but on the contrary, it has warmed up, as people trust paper money less and less. The system of gold miners, intermediaries, brokers, jewelers, bankers, sellers, resellers, works like clockwork, supplying gold bars and other products to all corners of our world.
Source: http://www.999gold.ru/news/view/578
Gold quality determination systems
Everyone has heard the phrase “585 gold”. But what is a sample? Why 585 and what does this number mean? In foreign films you can hear how the quality of gold is determined by carats. What is the difference between them?
Both hallmark and karat indicate the quality and purity of gold. In its pure form, gold is a dull, colorless and soft metal. Jewelry made from it would quickly lose its beauty due to scratches and breaks.
For strength and color, gold is alloyed with other metals (most often silver, copper, palladium, platinum, nickel). For example, copper gives a red tint, and platinum and palladium give a white tint. To determine the amount of impurities, a system of samples and carats was created.
Special institutions place a mark (“sample”) on products to control and combat counterfeiting.
Carat system
The karate system is widespread in Europe and America; its other name is British. Its essence is that the mass of the alloy is divided into 24 parts. One part is called a carat. The number of parts of gold determines the purity of the alloy. The most commonly used gold is 24, 18, 14, 10 and 9 carats.
We recommend reading: Investments in gold: realities and prospects
Sample system
The sample system is called Metric and is more common in the post-Soviet space. The principle of determining the purity of the alloy is the same as in the carat system, only the proportion of gold is determined by the number of grams in 1 kilogram.
In this system, the most popular type of alloy for jewelry, 585, consists of 585 grams of gold per 1000 grams of total weight. The most commonly used alloys are 999, 958, 916, 750, 585, 500 and 375.
It is interesting that not so long ago there was a sample of 583, which was quite a bit inferior in quality to the Western one, so in the Soviet Union it was decided to change it to 585.
999 standard is the purest one, corresponding to 24 carats. This gold is used to make bars and precious coins that are used for investment. Since the metal is very soft, the products are placed in special packaging and handled with gloves. Jewelry is not made from .999 gold for obvious reasons, but in pre-revolutionary Russia they made massive wedding rings and called them “chervonny”.
750 standard corresponds to 18 cathars. Most often, all additional metals are added to the alloy, and the proportions determine its color and shade. Used for expensive jewelry.
585 standard corresponds to 14 carats. 585 gold is the most commonly used gold for jewelry due to its strength, hardness and malleability during manufacturing. Platinum is not added to such an alloy, as its price will make gold too expensive.
500 standard corresponds to 12 carats, and 375 standard corresponds to 9 carats. Gold of this standard is rarely used for jewelry, as it is of low quality.
Legislation
On the territory of the Russian Federation, the entire process from production to sale is controlled by the state. The last decree on this topic was issued by the government in 1999, number 643. There is also a Federal supervisory authority that monitors the implementation of the law and the testing of products according to quality. If the gold is produced on the territory of Russia and is intended for export, then in addition to the hallmark, it is also affixed with a state seal indicating its origin.
We recommend reading: Gold production in Russia: 2014
The Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation also has a separate body - the Assay Office, which licenses jewelry manufacturers. Any product will have 2 stamps: state and from the manufacturer. The first contains an image of a Russian beauty in a kokoshnik. The second encrypts the year and name of the manufacturer.
Having decided to invest capital in gold, you must not only decide on the method, but also choose the place of purchase. Since the production and sale of any gold products is controlled by the state, it is worth paying attention to the hallmark, as well as the accompanying documents. Also, any seller must have state accreditation and a license to conduct trading activities.
Source: http://inzoloto.ru/investicii-v-zoloto/kakie-byvayut-proby-zolota
