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What Are the Three Types of Gold?

What Are the Three Types of Gold?

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What Are the Three Types of Gold?

If you're looking for an easy answer to the question "which gold is the best?," you probably won't find a simple answer.  Whether it's pink, yellow, or white, the gold you choose will all depend on personal preferences, current fashion, your budget for the ring, and, of course, your skin tone.  Below are 3 types of gold, as well as the pros and cons of each metal type.

Pink Gold

Pink gold, also referred to as rose gold, actually refers to many different red, pink, and rose color shades of gold.  In order to create pink gold,  pure gold is mixed with an alloy of copper.  The more copper used, the more red the color in the ring gets.  Pure pink gold isn't actually a real thing and doesn't exist.  

Pros:

- Popular for both men and women's rings
- Pink gold tends to be more affordable because it contains an alloy
- Due to the copper used in the pink gold, these rings are very durable
- It complements all skin tones.

Cons:

- This is not considered a hypoallergenic metal 
- Despite the popularity, it's hard to find pink gold

Yellow Gold

Yellow gold is also mixed with an alloy - usually either zinc and/or copper.  The amount of pure gold in the composition will depend on its karatage.  For example:

14 Karat: 58.3% Pure
22 Karat: 91.7% Pure
18 Karat: 75% Pure
24 Karat: 99.9% Pure

The higher the karat amount - the purer the gold.  But, with a purer gold, you also get a softer metal.

Pros:

- Yellow gold is one of the most hypoallergenic metals out of the three.
- Has the purest color of all gold rings available
- It's the easiest to take care of and clean
- Can easily be matched with ANY diamond
- Goes well with either darker or olive colored skin tones

Cons:

- Because it's a softer gold, it can scratch easily.

White Gold

Usually, when white gold is made, it's made using white metals such as silver, nickel, or even palladium.   If you like platinum but platinum is too expensive, this is an excellent alternative!

Pros:

- Way more affordable than platinum, perfect for people on a budget
- White gold is trending now, even more than yellow!
- Complements rosy or fair skin tones
- More durable and this is scratch resistant

Cons:

- While this is pretty easy to take care of, you will need to have it re-dipped every few years.  This will bring back the luster and shine of the white gold.  Down the line, you might also need to replace the rhodium plating, but most places won't charge for this and if they do it's on the less expensive side.

- Sometimes when white gold is mixed with nickel, people can have an allergic reaction to the material.

If you are interested in selling your used jewelry or have questions, visit Ralph Mueller & Associates or call 480.949.9229

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