It is becoming increasingly difficult for jewelry masters to surprise modern consumers with new items made from precious metals. Traditional red gold items have become commonplace rather than decorations for special occasions. The exception is lemon gold, about which not much is known. This is a unique alloy, the citrus color of which is obtained by adding certain alloys to its composition. To purchase real jewelry of a non-traditional color for gold, you need to know its features and be able to distinguish the original from the fake.
Composition and properties
Jewelry manufacturers use an alloy obtained industrially. Lemon metal is very close in its characteristics to the traditional gold alloy and has similar advantages. It is resistant to oxidation, plastic, and lends itself well to processing: casting, forging, soldering.
Strength
Although the strength of gold alloys is usually achieved through copper, the lemon grade has sufficient hardness that it can be used in the manufacture of precious jewelry for everyday wear.
Shade range
In addition to dim lemon, there are alloys of rich green and olive colors. To obtain a similar effect, potassium, cadmium, palladium and zinc can act as ligature components. However, alloys with cadmium, zinc and palladium are extremely fragile and impractical, and cadmium is also toxic, so such jewelry is not in danger of becoming widely popular.
Try
A high-quality alloy with a lemon tint has a 585 standard. Products with a higher gold content and silver in the alloy will be light yellow, and the addition of copper will give them a pinkish, but not lemon, tint.
Expert opinion
Vsevolod Kozlovsky
6 years in jewelry making. Knows everything about samples and can identify a fake in 12 seconds
Low grade gold has an orange and reddish color even with a significant predominance of silver in the alloy and also does not give a subtle lemon tint.
Methods for obtaining lemon-colored gold
To give gold an exquisite color, silver must be included in the composition in sufficient quantities. Most often, alloys are added in proportions of 29-30% silver, 10-12% copper and 51-58% gold. Each manufacturing company can change the percentage of additives at its discretion, but in any case, Argentum should be in second place after Aurum.
What does lemon gold look like?
It is very rare to find 750 or 18 karat lemon gold on the jewelry market. This is a precious metal of fairly high quality, jewelry from which is not intended for regular wear. Everyday wear, especially not very gentle wear, can ruin the product, depriving it of its original appearance. Another distinctive feature of this material is its shade, which is closer to natural yellow than lemon. This should be taken into account when purchasing, when they try to sell a high-quality product at a reduced price.
How to distinguish from other metals
Such decorations are less familiar to us and are less common. To avoid becoming the owner of a fake, I recommend purchasing products from trusted dealers. If you decide to buy jewelry secondhand, be careful.
There are several ways to check the jewelry yourself: using a magnet (precious metals do not react to it), or assessing the shine of the metal in the sun and in the shade (gold glitters in the shade).
A rational approach is to involve an expert who can accurately recognize a fake and protect you from buying a low-quality item.
Characteristics of the precious metal
It is hardly worth stating categorically that modern jewelry is entirely made of the noble solar metal, which ranks eleventh in the periodic table. This means that earrings, watches and rings are made from gold-containing alloys that are more suitable for jewelry production.
The attractive design of the work and the pleasant shine of the products on display are not a complete list of arguments for purchasing the same ring or pendant. To understand what quality of jewelry the seller offers, it’s worth remembering what 585 hallmark gold looks like in accordance with the state standard of the Russian Federation :
- a letter designating the specific State Assay Supervision Inspectorate that issued the mark;
- a girl's head in a kokoshnik, looking to the right;
- three numbers indicating how many parts out of a thousand are Aurum in a particular alloy - in fact, the sample itself.
Another information can be obtained by carefully examining the product. As a rule, the manufacturer's name mark is found nearby. It is customary to mark products in many countries with symbols that allow one to understand the value of the purchased item.
Physical properties
In Russia, the percentage composition of 585 gold looks like this: the main component is 58.3% Au and the alloy is 8% Ag and 33.5% Cu. This allows the soft precious metal alloy to become harder and makes products made from it wear-resistant.
The share of the main noble component in alloys with the same digital combination on the stamp is also 585 parts by weight, even if the composition was manufactured in other countries. But the ligature may well be different. Therefore, we can definitely speak only about the content of the base substance in the 585 sample product.
The density of such gold ranges from 12.85 g/cm3 to 14.76 g/cm3 . The indicator how much heavier an ingot of this alloy is than the same volume of water directly depends on the characteristics of the added metals. The specific gravity of 585 gold is almost equal to the density indicator and is inextricably linked with it.
Adding new qualities
It is not known for certain when craftsmen first discovered that various metals could affect the properties of gold alloys. However, this discovery made it possible to create surprisingly thin and elegant products, while the thing was quite durable. Some additives allow the resulting alloys to be used in medicine and industry.
The alloy (the so-called addition to gold) can use one metal or a combination of two or three. Each of the components gives the alloy certain qualities :
- a content of 8 percent or more platinum will make the alloy elastic;
- the addition of palladium will provide plasticity;
- silver improves malleability;
- the copper alloy will add hardness while maintaining ductility, but at high concentrations (14% or more) the alloy can oxidize;
- the presence of zinc will increase fluidity;
- the alloy with nickel acquires greater hardness;
- aluminum gives the alloy anti-corrosion properties;
- cadmium, like zinc, lowers the melting point.
Combination with stones and other jewelry
Experts do not recommend combining such jewelry with things made of silver or gold of other alloys, but choosing accessories made from the same type of noble metal.
Lemon gold combines amazingly with precious stones and pearls, especially when the color scheme is harmoniously chosen, as you can see by looking at the photo.
Scope of application
The main niche for lemon gold is jewelry production. Moreover, there are no restrictions regarding the assortment. The alloy is suitable for making earrings, pendants and bracelets for every day. It makes chic wedding rings and evening sets. The strength of the metal allows you to fantasize about the design of products, their shape and size.
The delicate yellowish-green shade of jewelry in itself is quite independent, but in tandem with precious and semi-precious stones, its true beauty is revealed. Most often, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, garnets and even pearls are chosen for inlay.
Where can you buy or sell
Such products are popular abroad, and connoisseurs often bring them back from trips abroad, but there is a high probability of purchasing an alloy of insufficient quality or containing harmful impurities. Lemon-gold jewelry is increasingly appearing on the shelves of Russian jewelry houses.
If there is a need to sell such jewelry, then it will be accepted at your pawn shop or purchase at a price corresponding to the standard, regardless of the color of the gold.
How much does 1 gram of such gold cost today?
Gold is actively traded on the stock exchange as a currency and a commodity at the same time, so its price changes daily. The cost of gold will be calculated taking into account its purity: 58.5% of the cost of a gram of pure metal. It is convenient to monitor gold quotes using the online chart posted on our website.
The table shows current prices for precious metals 24/7.
| Price 999 standard according to the Central Bank | Market value of the sample today | Scrap price | Price in jewelry |
Selection criteria when purchasing
The first rule that the buyer must remember is that all high-quality jewelry should be purchased only in specialized stores with a well-known name. This guarantees their originality, which will be confirmed by certificates.
Another criterion is the price of the products. Lemon gold is equivalent to the traditional yellow precious metal. If there are earrings or rings on the counter at a suspiciously low price, it means that the seller is probably slipping a fake.
When choosing lemon gold, you need to pay attention to the appearance and markings
When purchasing products, you should pay attention to their appearance and labeling. A genuine product should not have even a hint of a flaw or imperfection in its lines. In addition, the tag should contain information about the manufacturer, the amount of gold content in the alloy, weight per gram and other important data.
Before purchasing, you must check all documentation related to the jewelry work. This will protect you from buying a fake. If some documents are missing, then such a product is not worth purchasing.
When buying jewelry is a large investment, it is better not to take risks and use the services of a specialist. By taking a professional with you to the salon who can immediately distinguish an original from a fake, you can significantly reduce the risk of a failed investment.
Regarding the acquisition of lemon gold outside the domestic space, you should know some of the features of valuing precious metals. In European countries, the authenticity of gold is measured in the karat system, in which one kilogram of pure metal is equal to 24 carats. As for the quality of foreign gold made in Russia, its quality and functional indicators are in no way inferior to the metal that is sold on the foreign jewelry market.
Recommendations for care, cleaning and storage
Jewelry made from precious metals is quite unpretentious, but still requires certain conditions: such things must be stored in dark, dry places, separately, preferably in special cases or covers.
Gold is practically not subject to oxidation, but needs to be cleaned from contamination. If necessary, soak the items for several hours in aqueous solutions of dishwashing detergent, hydrogen peroxide or ammonia. Afterwards, the jewelry should be rinsed under running water and wiped dry with a napkin.
For more thorough care, you can purchase specialized liquids for cleaning and polishing precious alloys in jewelry and hardware stores.
Before cleaning or using cosmetics, it is recommended to remove jewelry to avoid interaction with aggressive substances and prevent possible oxidation.
Price
Prices for the alloy are practically no different from yellow gold. This is usually 585 or 12 carat metal. Foreign boutiques sell both traditional and lemon gold equally.
Any buyer should have at least minimal knowledge about gold pricing. A lemon-colored alloy in an amount of one gram will cost approximately 3 thousand rubles. If the products were produced in Turkey, China or Italy, then their cost should be higher and this should also be taken into account.
Reviews
Eugene:
He gave his wife a bracelet made of such a precious metal, she has been wearing it for several years now and loves it, although few people recognize it as a gold item.
Hope:
I bought a ring, now it’s lying idle, it doesn’t look good with other jewelry, I can’t buy new things for the set, and it’s gathering dust in the box. I hope that I will get earrings again, and then I will definitely wear them.
Margo:
My husband gave me a ring, I took it to the pawnshop, it’s unusual for me, the strong association with jewelry, somehow I’m closer to traditional jewelry.
