Practical information about gold

What are the different uses of gold ?

Gold is a metal used by humans for millennia, for its physical and chemical properties (malleability, inertia against oxidation, electrical conductivity, etc.), as well as for its unique brilliant shine. If during the first discoveries of gold, it was used as is, we find it today in much more diverse forms, in particular thanks to the alloy with other metals (silver, nickel, platinum, etc.). Its applications have therefore multiplied, so much so that we find it not only in jewelry, but also in everyday objects, in cutting-edge technologies, etc.

WHY IS GOLD EXTRACTED AND REFINED ?

When we think of purchasing gold, we instinctively imagine this golden metal in the form of coins or gold bars . And it is true that gold has been used for a long time to make this type of object and that it has a high economic and financial value.

But gold and gold alloy are also symbols of luxury and elegance. Pure or mixed with other metals such as copper, palladium, copper or even zinc, it can be used to make jewelry, decorative objects, embroidery, etc.

The discovery of certain properties of gold (e.g. : thermal conductivity, resistance to certain chemicals, etc.) has also led Man to use it in very different fields. We find gold in electronic components for computers and telephones, in the medical field, and even in space, because it is used in the manufacture of space vehicles.

WHAT IS A GOLD ALLOY AND WHAT ARE ITS ADVANTAGES ?

Apart from coins and ingots, gold is mainly worked in the form of a metallic alloy. This means that gold is not pure, but is skillfully mixed with other metals. Why are gold alloys made ? Several reasons can explain this:

  • cost: gold is an expensive metal and by mixing it with non-precious and therefore less expensive metals, we can make jewelry and golden objects at a lower price;
  • resistance: if gold resists shock, the passage of time and oxidation, it is relatively soft when it is pure, and the gold alloy thus makes it possible to obtain stronger metals;
  • aesthetics: to diversify the offering and offer ever more decorative and artistic products, particularly in the jewelry and fashion sector, we modify the color of gold by combining it with other metals, to obtain rose gold, white gold, etc.

Gold alloys, although they have less intrinsic value than pure gold, therefore sometimes represent very interesting solutions for working with the metal more easily as desired. We can easily know the quantity of gold in an alloy by referring to the number of carats of the metal object in question. For example, an 18-karat piece of jewelry has a content of 75% pure gold (750 thousandths), the remaining 25% may be copper, silver, platinum, zinc, etc.

WHAT ARE THE NATURAL ALLOYS OF GOLD ?

We have so far mentioned gold alloys resulting from transformations carried out by Man, but did you know that in its natural state, gold is not always entirely pure First of all, you should know that in its solid state, gold never reaches 100% purity: the gold we call 24 carats (or 999 thousandths gold) actually has a content of 99.9% pure gold.

Then there are natural alloys, which are metals containing gold in varying quantities and another metal:

  • Gold amalgam, composed of gold and mercury. If this gold alloy is found in its natural state, mining companies have also adopted it in order to extract gold, because the mixture, once heated, allows the gold to be separated from the other particles to only recover the gold metal.
  • Electrum, with a composition mixing gold and silver. This alloy has also been artificially reconstituted since Ancient Greece. Electrum was then used to make coins.
  • Porpezite, made up of gold and palladium (and more rarely silver). It is appreciated for its good electrical conductivity and is sometimes found in the medical environment (dentistry).
  • Rhodite, an alloy of gold and rhodium, which is mainly used in jewelry for its resistance and shine. Jewelers also use rhodium artificially to create jewelry in white gold or black gold.

WHAT ARE THE ARTIFICIAL ALLOYS OF GOLD ?

In many areas, gold is no longer used pure, because as we have already mentioned, its composition makes it too soft a metal. This is why goldsmith and jewelry professionals and many craftsmen and industrialists use artificial gold alloys. This allows the properties and colors of gold to be modified in an infinite number of ways, the most common of which are as follows:

  • pink or red gold, containing gold and copper, as well as silver in smaller proportions;
  • white or gray gold, which is a metallic alloy of gold, silver or platinum, and palladium;
  • green gold, artificial version of electrum, containing gold and silver, sometimes with a small percentage of copper and zinc;
  • blue gold, obtained by combining gold with iron and nickel or gold and indium, and which takes on its bluish tint after heat treatment;
  • black gold, made from white gold or an alloy of gold and cobalt, which also undergoes heat treatment, then black rhodium plating on the surface;
  • purple gold, more rarely used because it is brittle, composed of gold and aluminum.

As for the metal called “yellow gold”, it is not pure gold, despite its color. It is usually mixed with equal parts copper and silver.

Thus, the coins and bars that you will find on the Gold Union online store cannot be described as “simple yellow gold”. Some of our products reach purity levels of 999 thousandths, which makes them real valuable objects. They delight collectors and those who want to diversify their heritage with objects made of real and authentic gold.