For many centuries, people have worn gold jewelry. In ancient times, the classic composition of jewelry was metal of a golden color or shade. But when humanity took the path of progress, other materials for creating jewelry appeared. They learned to combine the same gold and create various valuable metals from it. One of these was purple gold. This is exactly what will be discussed in the article.
What is purple gold?
Purple gold contains an alloy of palladium and aluminum. The weight measure is up to 19 carats. In addition to the standard name, this valuable type of metal is also called amethyst. Many jewelers struggled to create it. But no one has ever achieved success like Professor Lo. This man was able to create something that amazed all women on the planet. The revolutionary moment of the creation of purple gold occurred in Singapore. It is worth noting that its creator Lo Peng Chan also carried out design work in terms of creating black and green gold. In addition, the scientist led the development of a stainless metal based on silver.
Purple gold jewelry
In Asia, Europe, the USA and Russia today, purple gold is the most in demand. It is appreciated by lovers of inserts of other colors - purple, for example, with white, looks very sophisticated.
White and purple gold ring
This gold is compatible with human skin and does not cause allergic reactions even after prolonged wear. The metal has a high purity and a small amount of impurities, so it is recommended even for those who are sensitive to low-carat gold.
Where can I buy this decoration? Purple gold is also called Singapore gold in honor of its homeland. It is there that the company that holds the patent for this alloy is located. You can order either when you arrive in Singapore or via the Internet from this company.
The company keeps releasing new collections, its catalog is replenished with new and unusual solutions for lovers of exclusive jewelry. The price of such gold is much higher than that of yellow, white and red metals. This is due to the low level of competition in this market due to the fact that the production technology is kept secret, as well as the complexity of manufacturing. Therefore, purple gold is twice as expensive as regular gold.
How was purple metal created?
The formula for purple gold was that aluminum had to be alloyed with gold. This chemical compound gave the gold alloy its purple color. From a scientific point of view, this is explained in the form of the formula AuAI2, where two atoms of aluminum correspond to one atom of gold itself. In this way it is possible to achieve purple shades of metal. But in addition to the color itself, good quality metal is necessary. Unfortunately, the intermetallic compounds of purple gold were very brittle, which meant that further processing was simply not allowed. The alloy of gold and aluminum had to melt at a temperature of 5000 degrees.
History of creation
Other names for this material are amethyst gold or purple gold. It is believed that the first alloy of violet gold was made in Ancient Egypt. Such an alloy was found more than once in the tombs of the pharaohs, and at first they could not even determine what kind of metal it was. There was even an assumption that this was ordinary gold, which had become colored over time due to a chemical reaction. At that time, it was used to make pendants, rings and even clothing items. Such products can now be seen in the museum if you visit Cairo.
At the beginning of the twentieth century, scientist Robert Wood discovered the secret of purple gold. He conducted research where he showed that gold turns purple when mixed with aluminum and palladium, and there should be 75% gold in such an alloy. The reason why such gold was not ductile enough was the formation of an intermetallic compound, and as is known, it is very brittle and cannot be processed. Thus, the plasticity of the compound decreased and chemists and jewelers faced a new task - to improve the formula to make purple gold suitable for jewelry. Many tests were carried out, trying to add metals such as cobalt, magnesium, silicon and eventually settled on palladium.
Preparing purple gold for further processing
In order for amethyst gold to be used commercially, jewelry scientists needed to reduce the level of ductility of the chemical compound. Professionals set out to improve the previous formula. With its help, it would be possible to reduce the level of porosity in the alloy and make it more suitable for processing in terms of jewelry. Various ingredients were used as a means to solve this problem: silicon, cobalt, magnesium. However, success came only with palladium.
Tea TWG
Photo source: napitkistore.ru
Famous Singaporean luxury tea brand. The brand has the world's largest collection of tea varieties - more than a thousand types from almost 40 countries.
Price:
15-40 sgd per 100 grams of tea or 9-25 €, 11-30 $, 700-1870 ₽.
The brand is also notable for its tea with 24-karat gold. 100 grams of this tea cost 900 sgd - 582 €, 680 $, 42,989 ₽.
The process of creation
Natural gold, aluminum and palladium were used to create amethyst gold. It is worth noting that each metal with different characteristics differed significantly from each other. For example, classic gold is very heavy, but aluminum is quite light. The density level of light metal is 2.7 g/cm³, and that of heavy metal is 19.3 g/cm³. In addition, aluminum melts at a temperature of 660 degrees, while the gold smelting process requires more than 1000°C.
As for palladium, it surpasses even gold. It also melts hard and its melting point is more than 1500°C, density – 12.02 g/cm³. As you can see, the data for the three metals is so different that it definitely poses a number of challenges. But a real professional will be able to overcome these obstacles. And now a scientist from Singapore achieved his goal, although it took him 20 years. But this research and development did not remain fruitless.
Professor Lo Peng Cham from Singapore became the second Columbus in the jewelry field. And immediately after this discovery, Aspial Corporation Limited set its sights on a new product, which it purchased. Later the 19 carat purple alloy was improved. In 2000, the company registered a new product, which is still in great demand and popularity. The company chose not to disclose its research. In general, everyone contributed to the development: the scientist sacrificed a lot of time and perseverance, and the commercial company made a huge financial investment.
Kaya jam
Photo source: amazon.com
Kaya paste is a coconut jam that is Singapore's favorite breakfast treat. It can be bought in many shopping centers on counter islands. For example, Ya Kun Kaya, in Toast box coffee shops, BreadTalk store or in the gift-shop of the Botanical Garden.
Price - 3-8 sgd per jar or 2-5 €, 2.2-6 $, 143-380 ₽ or 15-20 sgd for a gift package of four mini-jars - that's 10-13 €, 11-15 $, 716-955 RUR.
Should you buy purple gold?
Like classic gold, purple is very expensive. It is worth noting that the second option is even more expensive. Because the price is justified by labor-intensive production and other difficulties in the manufacturing process. For example, craftsmen need to ensure the quality of casting. This requires special attention to all details. Otherwise, all the work will go down the drain. For your information, purple gold has a shimmer of 50%, while white has a shimmer of 90%.
Since purple metal is quite fragile, it cannot be used as a base material for decoration. But the combination with other metals looks great and will please any woman.
Prima taste
Photo source: orientalmerchant.eu
In Singapore, you can find ready-made, vacuum-packed meals that just need to be heated. Such a gift is an excellent opportunity to bring a signature Singaporean dish to your friends to try: Laksa, Chicken rice, Chili crab and others. They can be purchased at FairPrice, Giant or Cold Storage grocery supermarkets.
Price 5 sgd for 1 sachet - 3 €, 5 $ or 240 ₽.
Cost of 1 gram of rose gold of different samples
It is worth noting that initially the cost is based on the rate of pure precious metals established by the Central Bank. It is determined by the fixing of precious metals prices on the London Stock Exchange.
Today, 1 gram of 999 gold varies within 4,500 rubles.
You can calculate the cost of a gram of 585 sample using the following formula: 4500*585/1000 = 2633 rubles.
Ring with stones
A pawn shop and a jewelry store value the precious metal differently. The market price of jewelry depends on the following factors:
- try;
- weight;
- whether inlay with expensive stones was used;
- uniqueness, product brand;
- demand for gold;
- manufacturer's markup;
- transport and other expenses.
Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage
A golden alloy of purple shades requires the most careful handling. Such jewelry is not intended for everyday use. Recommendations to help preserve your jewelry:
- When swimming, cleaning, physical labor, or playing sports, you must remove jewelry.
- It is better to store jewelry in a separate case, avoiding rooms with high humidity.
- Do not expose to aggressive cleaning agents.
- You can clean it with soapy water and a cloth; in case of serious contamination, it is preferable to contact a specialist.
To read: Density of gold, its specific gravity and fineness
How to get colored gold
The most traditional shades of gold are red, white and yellow. However, there are many more metal colors.
Red gold
For a long time, this metal was used to gild domes and other architectural elements, and only then they began to make jewelry from it. Most of the modern jewelry assortment is made in red gold. Copper gives this shade to the metal. The more of it there is in the alloy, the richer the color will be.
Red gold is used in a wide variety of jewelry; it goes well with any inserts, looks elegant and self-sufficient.
Yellow gold
These same alloy components, taken in a different ratio, give the metal a bright yellow or lemon tint. With equal proportions of copper and silver, the metal acquires the best casting properties.
Engagement and wedding rings, jewelry with colored precious and semi-precious inserts are made from yellow gold. Products made from this metal are brighter and more expressive.
White gold
White gold has been no less popular in recent years. Some people believe that the light color is achieved by increasing the proportion of silver in the alloy, but this is not so. To obtain a noble shade, one of the white metals, for example, platinum or palladium, is added to the alloy. These components give the metal not only an exquisite color, but also high strength. The alloy differs from platinum in its light yellowish tint.
Products made in white gold look elegant and respectable. Increasingly, this metal is used for setting diamonds and other cool-toned gemstones.
Brown gold
The metal acquires a beautiful chocolate shade by chemically treating a gold-containing alloy with copper.
Green gold
Oddly enough, silver gives gold its olive-green hue, and to achieve a more saturated emerald color, cadmium is added to the alloy.
In our country, green gold is not traditional. Sometimes floral elements of jewelry compositions are made from it, but still more often an enamel coating is used for this.
Blue gold
Getting a blue or light blue shade of gold is the most secretive. Jewelers do not disclose not only the technology for obtaining the metal, but even the components of the alloy. Experts suggest that the secret of the color transformation lies in the impurities of cobalt or iron. This is a rare case of a two-component alloy.
purple gold
Jewelers call this gold amethyst for its special decorative shade. Most often, aluminum is added to the alloy to achieve the beautiful purple color of the metal. Interestingly, this shade is only possible in an alloy with 750 gold.
Black gold
It turns out that black gold is not only a metaphorical name for oil, but also a real precious metal. There are several known ways to obtain black gold. The first method is to add cobalt and chromium to the alloy and oxidize the metal at high temperature. Also, an unusual shade is achieved by coating red gold with rhodium.
The color of gold can depend not only on the components of the alloy, but also on various chemical influences. Unusual shades are achieved by applying various decorative coatings to metal, as well as as a result of thermal or chemical treatment.
Fashion trends
Combined gold continues to be one of the leading trends in jewelry fashion. Jewelry that combines red and white metal is especially relevant. These alloys are distinguished by their high strength and resistance to external influences, which is why they are used to make jewelry that will delight its owner for many years.
Modern brands create various products from combined gold: with and without inserts, simple and extravagant. Often diamond edges are applied to such jewelry, making the metal more textured.
This season, decorative elements of gold of different shades are combined into something harmonious, making the design of the jewelry more complex.
Jewelry alloys
Pure gold does indeed have a bright yellow color, but is used extremely rarely in the jewelry industry. This is a very soft metal, sensitive to mechanical stress. In order to increase the strength and increase the service life of jewelry, gold-containing alloys are used for their manufacture.
In Russia, the composition of precious metal alloys is regulated by GOST 30649-99. The fractional content of pure metal in the alloy is indicated by breakdown. In our country, according to the law “On the procedure for testing and branding products made of precious metals,” gold is assigned 585 and 750 samples. The share of precious metal in jewelry with these samples is 58.5% and 75.0%.
In addition to gold, the alloy contains additional components that determine the color of the future product and are called alloy. The most common are combinations of gold with silver and copper. Less commonly, platinum, palladium and other metals are used as alloys.
Methods of obtaining
The main method for obtaining purple shades is melting. Due to the difference in the physical properties of gold and aluminum, this process is labor-intensive and complex.
There are other ways to make rare material. For example, RAS scientists use the experience of nanotechnology. Microparticles of aurum and aluminum are used in the production process. The resulting material has better qualities than conventional alloy. Egyptian scientists were able to obtain a purple alloy using a laser. The main task that inventors have to solve is to reduce the cost of the production process.
A modern combination of these metals in one product
Today, jewelry stores offer customers a huge selection of jewelry in different colors to suit every taste. But the most popular are products that combine several different types of gold. Of course, such items do not always look harmonious with other jewelry items, but with the right selection of colors they can become a special accessory.
The combination of several types of precious metals has recently become a fashion trend, which helps to look at such unusual jewelry differently. Such expensive jewelry suits girls of different age groups and emphasizes femininity and individuality. They look quite unusual and elegant.
Jewelry trends
Tiger Balm
Photo source: japanisgood.ru
The most popular medicine in Singapore is tiger balm. Its components have been used in Chinese medicine for over 1,500 years to treat pain, inflammation and strengthen muscles. Currently, the balm consists exclusively of plant components.
Price:
3-8 sgd - 2-5 €, 3-6 $, 150-380 ₽.
