Do you like gold jewelry? Did you know that gold is the only precious metal that has many shades and comes in all colors of the rainbow? So it is in fact. Gold can be yellow, white, red, pink, green, grey, blue, blue, purple and even black! With certain processing and technical manipulations, you can get gold of any color.
The color of the precious metal depends on the chemical compounds that are the main constituents of the material. In this article, we will talk about blue gold and touch on other shades a little.
The story of the origin of heavenly metal
Even ancient jewelers carried out various experiments on the alloy of precious metals, adding ordinary metals to them. As a result of centuries of experience, we have the widest range of gold alloys, and as a result - a lot of jewelry for every taste and color.
Scientists have proven that blue gold was first discovered among the Scythians. As a result of the excavations, amazingly beautiful jewelry made of this heavenly color of metal was found. Since this artifact was of high value, explore the composition of the Scythian mastersnobody took it. But there is information that ancient alchemists obtained blue gold as a result of combining an alloy, 1/3 consisting of iron and 2/3 of natural gold. When testing this hypothesis, it was found that the compound turned out to be unstable and after a couple of days corrosion appeared on the gold as a result of oxidation. It is not necessary to talk about it as a precious metal, the alloy is more related to gold-plated steel.
Cost of blue metal
Since the process of making this metal is still surrounded by secrets, not every master can boast of the possibility of obtaining it. It is only known that the process itself is laborious, and therefore the price of this metal is higher than that of ordinary gold (from 10,000 rubles per 1 gram). As a rule, this is an individual order that comes from a client with a high income. After all, it is unprofitable to make such an ornament for general sale.
The cost of jewelry depends not only on the alloy of the precious metal and the complexity of the work. The price is determined by the following factors:
- artistic idea of the product;
- presence and volume of precious stones included in the composition of jewelry;
- professional level, name of jeweler or jewelery factory.
Composition of blue gold
In order for gold to become blue, indium is added to it. As a result of this connection, a metal is formed, which is quite corrosion-unstable. And it is rarely used as the main component of decoration, more oftenused as jewelry decor.
Another chemical element capable of coloring natural gold blue is rhodium. The well-known jeweler from Argentina, Antoniassy, was able to formulate the alloy in such a way that the blue gold fineness is almost 958 (pure gold makes up 90% of the total). But the recipe for blue gold is kept in the strictest confidence. The only thing we managed to learn from the Argentine master was that the addition of small doses of cob alt gives the precious metal a delicate blue glow.
Blue metal
But with this alloy, everything is much simpler. Some craftsmen make it from natural gold with the addition of chromium and iron. The resulting alloy is quite brittle, it is also impossible to complete the product from it. It is used only as one of the decorative elements. To give blue and strength to a precious metal, its composition should be as follows:
- main component is pure gold;
- 22% steel;
- 25% expensive rare earth metals (including 2.5% platinum and 0.5% iridium).
This composition will allow the precious metal to wear a sample with the designation 750.
There is another way to get rich blue gold. We need to combine yellow gold (46%) and indium (54%). Then blue gold will turn out with a grayish tint. And if gallium acts as an additive, then the shade will be light, more blue than blue. Sample will be assigned 585.
Similarthe alloy is an expensive and brittle metal, so only elite workshops can produce jewelry from it and use blue gold as decoration due to its physical and technical characteristics.
Red pure gold
This metal has another name - pure gold. It received it due to the fact that this alloy was used to make coins, namely for chervonets. In royal coins, the share of natural gold was very high and amounted to 90% (sample 900). At present, red gold has lost its meaning, but in everyday life the name has been preserved. To achieve a red tint, copper is added to it. At present, red gold corresponds to the sample 585, and in addition to copper (33.5%), it also contains silver (8%). It is jewelry made from this metal that makes up half of the total volume of the Russian gold jewelry market.
Colored gold
To get the desired shade of the precious metal, scientists and experienced jewelers, through trial and error, developed various technologies and combinations of chemical elements into alloys with pure gold. Often, a coating of the required chemical element is applied to the surface of the metal, and the desired shade is achieved under the action of thermal or chemical reactions. But this is the easiest way, there are other methods:
- oxidation;
- oxidation;
- patina;
- electroplating;
- roding;
- chemical vapor deposition of amorphous carbon;
Not so long ago, British scientists discovered a new way to obtain colored gold (any desired shade). Depending on the selected program, the required penetration depth and the wavelength of the ion beam directed to the metal surface are set. Thus, at the atomic level, the color of gold changes. This method is called ionic.
One of the latest fashion trends in the jewelry industry is the combination of different shades of metals. So you can get a tandem of white, yellow and red gold or buy a piece of jewelry that will be interesting to combine white and black gold.
Jewellery has been improved by mankind for many centuries: new discoveries have been made that constantly give impetus to the development of new trends in fashion. This is an inexhaustible source of creativity that will always attract and fascinate people with the extraordinary beauty of precious metals.
