Diamonds can be set in varying metals and gold is a popular choice for many. Chemically denoted by the symbol Au (Aurum, meaning shining dawn), this metal is soft, can be easily bended and traditionally has a bright yellow color. The usage of this metal in jewelry dates back to 3600 BC with Egyptians being noted to be the first ones to purify and use the metal. However as pure gold is too soft to be used for jewelry purposes it is mixed with other metals to form alloys that have the required strength for jewelry. Besides the prevalent yellow gold, today there are various gold alloys too that give a new color or rich hue to the gold. Here are a few popular options that one can choose from.

Pure 24k gold

The purest form of gold is deep yellow to orange in color. This is not often used for jewelry purposes as it is very soft and malleable. But many traditional forms of jewelry still use 24k gold in its designs by adding to the thickness. Fine jewelry that is not worn often can also be made of pure gold. In this category one may come across ‘fine gold’ which is 99.7% pure gold. Besides this ‘proof gold’ is even more pure at 99.9%, but is often not used for jewelry and is used only for standardization purposes. It is also more expensive than other forms of gold alloys.

Gold alloys

In order to add strength to the metal, gold alloys are often preferred over gold. These alloys are available in 22k, 18k, 14k and other ranges up to 8k. While gold forms alloys with many metals, the common metals used for jewelry purposes are zinc, silver and copper. Due to the presence of other metals in these alloys, the color of gold is often accentuated to have green tints, pink tints or even a white or purple color. 

Yellow gold
As many prefer gold to be in its original yellow form, many jewelers use various yellow gold metals like copper and silver. This is also the most popular and easily available alloy at stores. The highest carat version of yellow gold is at 22kt, which is known as crown gold. A prevalent yellow gold alloy for 22k jewelry includes gold (91.67%), silver (5%), copper (2%) and zinc (1.33%)

Rose gold
This has pink and red hues that are obtained due to the presence of copper. This gold and copper alloy is also known as Russian gold as it was quite popular in Russia in the nineteenth century. As the percentage of copper in the alloy increases, the color of gold changes from pink to red. Common versions include 18kt red gold (with three quarters of gold and one quarter of copper). Other versions include 18k rose gold with gold (75%), copper (22.25%) and silver (2.75%). Also 18k pink gold is available with gold (75%), copper (20%) and silver (5%).

Sage gold
Known as green gold due to the presence of light to deep green tints in the alloy. It is usually available in 18k and comprises of a combination of silver (25%) and gold (75%) to create soft green gold. 18k light green gold is created by mixing gold (75%), silver (23%) and cadmium. Besides this 18k green gold is obtained by mixing gold (75%), silver (20%) and copper (5%) while deep green gold can be obtained by mixing gold (75%), silver (15%), copper (6%) and cadmium (4%).

White gold
Developed in the 1920s to substitute for platinum, it is obtained from mixing yellow gold with nickel, zinc, silver or palladium. Rings may even be plated with Rhodium, a white metal, which is highly expensive. White gold is available up to 21k. Among these nickel provides a good effect for 18kt gold. Many American and Italian white gold alloys have nickel. However nickel is known to cause various allergic reactions and as per legislation in European Union countries, the usage of Nickel in jewelry is being phased out. Palladium is also popularly used but it has high melting point, is very heavy and is quite expensive. Compositions for 18k white gold include gold (75%) and platinum or palladium (25%). Other options for 18k white gold are gold (75%), palladium (10%), nickel (10%) and zinc (5%). 18k gray white gold can also be obtained by mixing gold (75%), iron (17%) and copper (8%). 

Blue and purple gold
With changing trends today many people also opt for purple gold which is obtained by mixing 80% gold with 20% aluminum. 18k blue gold or blue white gold is also available with the composition of 75% gold and 25% Iron.

Other options

Besides the above range of gold, two tone rings usually done in white gold and yellow gold are also quite popular. Only these two colors are used in two tone rings as they contrast each other well. Muti-tone rings can also be opted for by mixing one or two colors of gold with other metals and colors. One can also choose gold plated jewelry where a thin layer of gold is applied to the base metal. Besides this, gold filled jewelry can also be opted for where gold is fixed to a base metal using heat and pressure.