All about 585 gold: what kind of alloy is it, what is its composition and how much does 1 gram cost today?

“Win not with strength, but with weakness!” – these words, I believe, can best describe 385 gold. Low cost, high reliability and quality have led to the fact that this marking has become very common these days. The cost of products made from this precious alloy does not burden the pocket, remaining affordable in all social spheres. In the western part of the world, precious metals of low grade are even more popular, and the explanation for such a high demand is that, in addition to the excellent strength of the metal and wear resistance, jewelry can be tinted, making it white, red or yellow.

Sample 585: what is it - silver or gold?

The numerical designations of precious metal samples are similar. The minimum marking of modern silver alloys is 800. This material is used to make cutlery. But 585 is placed only on gold items and is not considered low-grade.

A frame in which the numerical value of the mark is written will help separate the metals. For gold, a figure in the form of a spatula is used, for silver - a barrel.

Brief history of appearance

Sample 585 appeared not so long ago, in 1994. It replaced the most popular marking in the USSR - 583, which was introduced in 1927, simultaneously with the approval of the metric system for measuring precious alloys.

The reason for the change was that domestic gold was priced lower than the equivalent 14 karat alloy in Western countries. It was decided to increase the amount of pure gold by 0.2% so that precious items fully comply with international standards.

Composition and properties

The alloy marked 585 contains 58.5 percent gold. The remaining 41.5% is the ligature. The additive gives the precious metal the necessary strength and helps reduce the cost and weight of the product. The main components of the alloy are silver and copper. Alloys with platinum, nickel, and silicon are less common; they are usually used to create white gold.

Thanks to copper, products become durable, but are more easily susceptible to oxidation processes. Silver is designed to maintain anti-corrosion properties.

Over time, 585 sterling silver jewelry may change color and become stained. However, this process takes years, and regular care can prevent unpleasant changes.

The density of the alloy ranges from 12.8 to 14.76 g/cubic meter. cm. This value largely depends on the composition of the ligature.

Strength

The strength of gold alloys comes from the copper content in the alloy. The higher its percentage, the more resistant to friction the product will be. Thus, red gold, with a high copper content, is more durable than traditional yellow or white.

However, this alloy also becomes covered with scratches and abrasions over time. Only careful, careful handling will allow you to preserve the attractive appearance of jewelry.

Alloy shade chart

The volume fraction of the alloy in the alloy allows jewelers to achieve a wide variety of shades of gold. In addition to the main ones - yellow, white and red, you can see black, green, gray and even purple shades. However, such exotic colors are not in demand and are difficult to manufacture, so traditional alloys are used in mass production. Let's look at their composition:

Brand

A hallmark is used to indicate the hallmark of jewelry. It not only indicates the type of product, but confirms its authenticity. In Russia, an image of a woman in profile is used as a brand. It is followed by a numeric value.

Soviet-era products depict a star with a hammer and sickle inscribed inside it. The numerical value is different: instead of 585 - 583.

How many carats are in this sample?

In Russia, the metric system for evaluating gold alloys is used. Its numerical value shows the proportion of pure gold in the product. In the countries of the USA and Europe, traditionally, a more complex system of perception is used - the carat system. Pure precious metal is valued at 24. The 585th sample corresponds to the number 14, which means it contains 14 parts of gold and 10 parts of alloy. Here is a table of correspondence between the two systems:

sample 385 what is it

Gold is the number one product in the luxury and jewelry market, and its value is determined by the amount of pure yellow gold or other precious metals in the alloy. The 385th sample has exactly 385 grams of gold in 1000 grams of alloy, and the remaining 615 grams are alloy – a mixture of ordinary metals, usually copper, silver, nickel, palladium and zinc.

Finished jewelry made from this alloy can have a slightly yellow tint or bright red. The color range is quite wide.

Differences from other samples

Let's compare 585 sample with similar alloys.

From 583

The basic properties of samples 585 and 583 are no different, because the difference in their composition is only 0.2% gold. The main thing that makes grade 585 stand out is its establishment as an official standard. 583 is not currently issued, and there is no modern hallmark with this value. When examining products of this sample, experts can evaluate them only as grade 500.

From 375

The 585 compares favorably with the low-grade 375 alloy both in terms of external characteristics and physical features. Its shade is closer to the natural color of pure gold. 585 alloy does not darken as quickly as low-grade metal and does not stain the skin.

Composition of 385 gold

There are several main alloys that differ in the ratio and composition of base metals - alloys:

1. bright red alloy, in which: 38.5% pure gold, 2% silver and 59.5% copper;
2. red alloy, in which: 38.5% pure gold, 10% silver and 51.5% copper;
3. another red alloy, in which: 38.5% pure gold, 16% silver and 61.5% copper.

It is worth recalling that all these alloys are of low quality, which is why they are not in great demand in the precious market of Russia, however, not surprisingly, in the USA the situation is quite the opposite.

Application of this alloy

Grade 585 is the most popular jewelry alloy in Russia. All types of jewelry are made from it. It is also used as gilding of silver jewelry and high-quality costume jewelry made from base metals.

Advantages and disadvantages

The popularity of 585 sample is due to its advantages:

• sufficient strength for jewelry;
• lower price compared to high-grade gold;
• the necessary level of plasticity, allowing you to create complex patterns;
• a significant proportion of the ligature allows you to achieve a variety of shades.

585 sample has few disadvantages. Due to the fairly significant proportion of ligature, products of this grade may darken and become stained. Scratches may appear on their surface; this is typical for all gold jewelry.

Which sample is better: 585 or 750

585-carat jewelry has its advantages and disadvantages compared to high-grade gold. They have a lower cost and yet have a high level of strength. This alloy is suitable for jewelry that is worn constantly.

Expert opinion

Vsevolod Kozlovsky

6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

Products of 750 standard are considered more elite; they emphasize the high status of the owner. Such jewelry almost does not darken or change color, but requires more careful handling. It is better to wear them on special occasions.

How many carats corresponds to 585

According to international standards, 585 gold purity is equivalent to a 14-karat gold alloy. In the USSR, the most popular was the 583 sample. But in other countries of the world this sample was not quoted, since it was inferior to the quality of 14 carat gold due to the lower content of pure precious metal in the alloy. In the 90s, the jewelry concern of the former USSR decided to replace the old 583 standard with the new 585.

Where can I buy or sell?

The safest place to buy jewelry is in jewelry stores. Products must have a certificate and passport. You can buy and sell gold in other places:

• in the online store;
• in a pawnshop;
• on Avito and similar resources with private advertisements;
• On the market.

In all these cases, the buyer has no guarantee of quality and cannot return the product if a defect is discovered. However, you can find antiques and jewelry here at lower prices.

Cost of a gram of 385 gold

Today, the price per gram of such gold will be approximately equal to the amount of 15 - 18 dollars, which is one and a half times less than for the 575th sample. Of course, there will always be a significant difference when buying such gold and when handing it over to a pawnshop.

If you still want to take your gold to a pawnshop, don’t be lazy and spend a little time putting the appearance of your jewelry in order. Although not much, the estimated cost of the jewelry will increase, and this is good news.

The low price allows you to use this gold as an excellent and affordable gift for a loved one, or as an alternative - for those who have not yet learned to care for and appreciate gold, but really want to wear some trinkets.

Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage

Gold jewelry requires regular care and careful handling. If you follow the basic rules, they will serve for many years:

1. It is necessary to store gold jewelry in individual cases and fabric bags. It is better to place chains in elongated boxes so that all the links are straightened and do not break.
2. From time to time, jewelry should be washed in warm water and soap. Do not use hard brushes or aggressive chemicals.
3. A special paste for cleaning gold jewelry, which can be purchased at a jewelry store, will help you get rid of darkening. It is better to trust the cleaning of antique and especially valuable jewelry to professionals.
4. Gold requires careful handling: it is better to remove jewelry during swimming, physical work, and sports.

585 gold from different countries: how is it different?

When buying jewelry abroad, you should remember that not all countries have introduced global gold quality standards. In Russia, each product has a stamp, a passport, and the exact composition of the ligature. The same cannot be said about Turkey or Egypt, the most popular tourist destinations.

Egypt and Türkiye

Often Russians, after a holiday in Turkey, bring gold jewelry as souvenirs. Buyers are attracted by the unusual oriental design and low price, comparable to the cost of silver jewelry. Often such a purchase brings disappointment.

Expert opinion

Vsevolod Kozlovsky

6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds

Turkish legislation does not regulate the jewelry industry and does not require mandatory stamping of jewelry. Moreover, some stores offer a service for stamping the alloy. Tourists risk purchasing beautiful costume jewelry instead of gold jewelry.

Even genuine items usually have a lower purity than what is stated by the seller. Real jewelry can only be purchased in large jewelry stores. However, the quality of Turkish gold is lower than that of European or domestic products.

There are no gold deposits in the country; all metal is imported. The cheapest, low-quality ligature is added to the imported gold, as a result of which the jewelry quickly darkens and often causes allergies.

Another trick that enterprising counterfeiters resort to is the combination of gold and non-precious alloys. For example, a chain may consist of links of different origins. It is not uncommon for gilded silver to be sold as gold.

In Egypt, they also often offer to buy cheap gold as a souvenir. However, local decorations do not meet international standards. In Russia they will not be accepted at a pawnshop. This is due to the fact that the Egyptians did not add silver and copper to the alloy, but brass.

In addition, you should be careful about products with stones. Local sellers usually assure tourists that the country is rich in them, which is why jewelry is cheap. In fact, there are no deposits of precious minerals in Egypt. Jewelers use imported material or fakes. You should only buy jewelry in large stores.

Italy

Italy is one of the leaders in the global jewelry market. There are two common hallmarks here - 585 and 750. On the products you can find a mark - 14 carats. Italian jewelry is a true work of art. The quality of the alloy is combined with a unique design and high-quality processing.

When purchasing such jewelry, you must check the certificate.

Alloy features

This alloy is weakly resistant to corrosion; ingress of water or moisture will cause the product to darken and lose color over time. The hardness of the metal allows it to hold polish well, but it is extremely difficult to reshape for other work. In most cases, this gold sample is not used in its pure form, but mixed with silver to make more complex jewelry. Color saturation plays a dominant role, as it makes such luxury items look very impressive, solid and expensive. It is not difficult to guess that almost all souvenirs and large decorations are made on the basis of this particular alloy. A large percentage of copper in the alloy results in the fact that the 385th sample does not belong to the category of durable metals, and its lifespan is not as long as we would like. After a certain number of years, copper begins to tarnish, darken, lose its original color and, ultimately, lose its unique shine. This is a very common belief and it is simply necessary to know whether it is true or a popular myth! -As practice shows, jewelry made from this alloy does not oxidize at all, and they should not oxidize! Open space or closed room - there is no difference. As convincing proof, it is worth citing the example of the 333rd sample, which is significantly lower than ours and even it does not fade or lose its color!

If you get your hands on a fake, with a much lower gold content than it should be, referring to the established state standards, then a loss of color is possible.

An undeniable advantage is the huge density of the alloy, which affects the strength of the work. The reason that most people are in no hurry to pay attention to this alloy is that nowadays buyers prefer to buy expensive jewelry for the purpose of storing money in it, and not as an element of beauty.

Tips for choosing gold jewelry

A few tips will help you make a successful purchase in a jewelry store:

1. It is necessary to study the certificate or passport of the product.
2. Carefully check the appearance of the product; for this you can ask the seller for a magnifying glass. The surface should be free of scratches, abrasions, and poor-quality polishing. All fastenings and inserts must be strong. In Russia, the return of jewelry is possible only if an undeclared defect is discovered, so you should carefully choose the size of the product.
3. You should not buy jewelry to invest money. Jewelry is very difficult to sell at market price. Pawnshops accept them for the price of scrap gold.
4. You should trust official documents; popular advice on determining the quality of a precious metal can be misleading. Even a specialist will not be able to correctly assess the quality of gold only by how the product looks.

Investing in Jewelry

According to experts, jewelry, of any standard, is not profitable as a source of investment. They do not belong to the class of investment instruments or the so-called “investment instrument”, unlike gold coins, bars or impersonal metal accounts.

At its core, an investment is money that brings profit over a certain period of time. When purchasing gold in the form of jewelry, it is very difficult to subsequently sell it for the purchase price, unless it is antique.

When delivered to a pawnshop, the product will not cost as much as a gram of gold at Sberbank, since the jewelry will be valued not as the work of skilled jewelers, but as scrap precious metal, which will be significantly lower than its original cost.

Reviews

Anna

I have always preferred 585 sample – jewelry made from it is of good quality. I have never noticed them getting dark or stained. Yes, if you wear it constantly, small scratches will appear, but this is normal for gold.

Svetlana

Once I saw a photo on the Internet of an amazing gold set made in Italy: a ring, earrings and a necklace. They resembled lace or cobwebs. Since then, I have been a loyal fan of Italian jewelry houses. Yes, such things are more expensive than Russian ones, but they are very beautiful. And the quality is excellent.