Characteristics, shades and rules for caring for 999 gold

Post updated: Jun 6, 2020

Gold of 999 standard does not actually contain any impurities; since ancient times it has been called red gold. Gold marked 999.9 fineness is not hard, is easily deformed, and is susceptible to chips and scratches during use.

Therefore, it is rarely used in jewelry making, preferring its investment potential.

To level out these shortcomings, various metals, the so-called alloy, are added to the alloy containing 999 fine gold. Materials such as platinum, silver, palladium, copper, nickel are used, which in different proportions in the gold alloy give it different shades. The sample size of the product depends on their percentage in the precious metal alloy.

colored gold

Jewelry made from an alloy containing impurities may have a different color. Red, white, and yellow gold are quite popular.

Currently, there are 375,500,585,750,925 in the world, and of course, the highest standard of gold is 999.

Gold rings of various colors.

The modern jewelry industry does not use 999 gold, but prefers to make jewelry from 750 or 585 grade yellow metal.

Colored gold, especially in Russia, is not particularly popular. The most common products made from this metal are red or yellow, sometimes in combination with white gold. Jewelry buyers should not focus on the shade of the metal, but remember that the quality of the jewelry depends on the alloy and grade. In the world, the most common color gold is 18k gold, as it is considered the most valuable among jewelry.

Gold color 999

Today on the shelves of jewelry stores you can find jewelry that contains Au, but they have a color and shade uncharacteristic for this metal. In this case, the jewelry cannot be 999 fine, since impurities are added to the alloy that change the color of the product.

The palette of shades is not very diverse, but when creating jewelry, there are almost no impurities in the alloy composition. Namely, they are able to change the color of the ligature and please the buyer with the original color.

It is noteworthy that all products marked 999 have a reddish tint - this is a sign of pure precious metal; in the old days this color was called red. At a time when jewelry was not yet marked, it was the shade that served as a sign of the quality of the metal and products made from it.

Correspondence of different types of samples

Pure gold

Red gold, as it is called because of its red hue, i.e. 999 is the highest standard of gold. Products made from 999 red gold are very rarely found on sale. The smallest decoration will weigh at least 10 grams.

Gold, in its 999.9% pure form, is easily processed and can take any form. The modern jewelry industry produces a small number of products made of pure gold, mainly wedding rings that are large in weight and therefore retain their shape well.

Pure gold is not often found in jewelry; it is most often used in bank bullion.

About gold samples and jewelry

Anyone who has ever bought or been interested in gold and jewelry had to understand such a concept as gold purity. Let's talk a little about gold samples, what is their difference, what impurities are added.

Even in nature, when mining in gold mines, there is no pure gold nugget; it always has impurities. Another thing is what percentage. Only in bank vaults in bullion there is the highest standard of gold, this is “four nines” gold, that is, in gold bullion the gold of the highest standard is 999.9, and a hundredth of a percent contains impurities. Gold fineness is the number of grams of pure gold per kilogram of alloy.

Gold as a metal is a very ductile, soft and brittle material. Because of these qualities, it is almost impossible to use it in its pure form, that is, without impurities and additives. It can be scratched and bent very easily. Although in Tsarist Russia wedding rings were made only from a sample of pure gold.

Most of the offered range of products in jewelry boutiques are made of an alloy of gold with platinum, palladium, silver, nickel and copper. The addition of the above-mentioned precious metals improves the durability and practicality of the original precious material.

Jewelry made of gold with admixtures of alloying metals are not scratched and serve their owners much longer. Also, such alloys are used for cutting all kinds of precious and semi-precious stones.

Gold 585 and 750 samples. The most common and widespread gold samples in our country are Products made from these samples are distinguished by their affordable price ratio and are most popular among the majority of the population.

585 test is very practical for everyday use, for some types of work that are not associated with harmful effects.

Some people are inclined to believe that higher 750 gold is definitely better. This is not entirely true. The higher the gold content, the softer the gold jewelry, the less wear-resistant, and the more likely it is to be accidentally damaged.

It is more appropriate to use gold products with such a high standard for celebrations and special occasions in your life. Gold items with this hallmark have a slightly greenish tint.

And the cost of products with 750 fineness is much higher, which is determined by the more complex technological process of its production and the high content of precious production.

Table: areas of application of pure gold and silver

Jewelry alloys of different types have their own purposes. An ingot of gold or silver 999 has found application in various fields:

Interesting: Despite belonging to the same category (999 standard), gold and silver alloys have different properties, and therefore they are used for different tasks.

Technologies for obtaining other samples of alloys and shades of gold

To change the color, it is enough to deviate from the standard scheme for obtaining a gold alloy. The introduction of copper gives a reddish tint. Previously, such material was called red. But initially this was the designation for an alloy with the maximum content of precious metal. Chervonets were made from it in Tsarist Russia. If you add 999 silver or platinum, the yellow precious metal will turn white.

Important: When choosing a different alloy production technology, you need to remember that changing the composition can negatively affect the properties of the metal: brittleness will increase and ductility will decrease.

Price per gram of 999 silver and analysis of exchange rate dynamics

Today, 999 silver is valued lower than gold, but there is an interesting paradox: despite the low exchange rate of the precious metal on the market, there are more frequent investments in it. The average cost on the market is 62 rubles. for 1 gram (according to the Central Bank). The market value is usually lower - 25 rubles.

The price of pure silver, like gold, is constantly changing.

999 silver

Self-cleaning of a product made from Red Gold

After a long period of time, even such a gold alloy can lose its original luster and brightness. However, this happens very slowly.

To help the product maintain its appearance, it is necessary to perform the following actions:

• Wipe regularly with a suede cloth;
• Be sure to store in a special box that does not contain dust;
• When washing dishes or cleaning, it is advisable to remove jewelry, since this sample is easily exposed to external influences, scratches and chips may appear. This also applies to playing sports, taking a hot bath and other actions that will lead to deformation of the product. Pressure and other types of mechanical stress are especially dangerous.

In addition, the jewelry must be constantly polished. In this case, you can use special pastes. Products of this alloy usually do not darken or become covered with plaque, but if this does happen, you can use regular toothpaste. It will quickly remove various types of contaminants from the surface. Table vinegar will also help you remove plaque easily. Simply apply it to a cotton pad or cotton wool and wipe the product. These methods will help keep your property in excellent condition for many years to come.

How to distinguish from a fake yourself when buying or at home

When purchasing a product, the most obvious sign of pure gold is the reddish tint of the product. This is what in the old days indicated the purity of the alloy and the quality of the metal. The product must also bear a state mark confirming that all technical standards were met during production.

It is almost impossible to determine the purity of gold on your own; only jewelers can do this. However, there are several methods that can help. For example, the drip method. It uses acidic reagents. The sample will depend on the color the drop acquires. At 999 fineness gold, the drop should become very bright, and the lower the brightness, the lower the fineness.

An electronic detector will also help you determine the purity of gold at home. In just 5 seconds you will know the sample of your product. At the same time, the price of this device is quite reasonable.

Another way is to use an assay needle and stone. It is necessary to run the product over the stone, drawing a line. Each sample leaves its own characteristic color. 999 standard leaves a fairly bright trace. You can also scratch the product a little and draw a line with this place. Then apply a little nitric acid on top. If it is 999 gold, then the scratch will not react in any way.

The cost of 1 gram of 999 gold today

The Central Bank of Russia sets the exchange rate for precious metals. 999 gold alloy is constantly rising in price. Its current value today:

One gram of gold

Troy ounce of gold of the highest standard, pricing factors and price fixing

Factors that affect the cost of gold alloy:

• determining demand for regular purchase/sale;
• foreign economic policy of the country;
• high cost of gold mining;
• inflation;
• IMF policy.

When determining the weight of a precious metal, a special measure is used - the troy ounce. It corresponds to 1/12 pound. This unit of measurement is used by jewelers and bankers. Considering that the cost of the yellow precious metal is constantly changing, the fixing method is used. It was originally used in the UK by the London Stock Exchange: it involves setting prices on a daily basis.

Physical and chemical properties:

• Softness. Among the metals we encounter every day, gold is the softest. This property allows you to quickly detect high-purity precious metal; just bite lightly on the product, and teeth marks will remain.
• Density. Gold is one of the densest metals - 19.3 g/m3. A ball with a diameter of slightly more than 46 millimeters will weigh 1 kilogram, which is about half a glass of placer.
• Plastic. High ductility allows you to obtain the thinnest sheets and threads without breaks. This property was used to create church domes in ancient times. To make it more clear, from 1 gram you can get a square sheet with a side of 1 meter or get a wire 2610 m long.
• Inertia. Gold reluctantly reacts with substances, being inert. For this feature, pure metal was nicknamed “noble”. This feature became the basis for conducting an examination of the authenticity of the metal. The product being tested is placed in acid; due to its inertness, the pure alloy does not react to changes in the environment, but other metals begin to oxidize.

Disadvantages of precious metals of the highest standard

The main disadvantages of pure alloy:

• the metal is only conditionally inert; it reacts with some acids (pure nitric acid, aqua regia);
• has low resistance to mechanical damage (due to increased softness);
• Jewelry is not made from 999 gold alloy: rings, bracelets, etc.;
• due to changes on the stock exchange, the price of material with the maximum content of precious metal may fall sharply.

Hallmark on gold and silver of the highest standard

The difference between precious metals lies not only in physical properties, but also in the form of the sample. For example, the mark confirming the purity of gold is made in the form of a spatula. 999 silver is indicated by a barrel with numbers inside. Moreover, the stigma is not always the same. There is a sample of 999 gold, the older silver is a five-pointed star. Even earlier it was a woman’s head in a kokoshnik.

Interesting: Branding has its own rules: a distance from the edge of the ingot or other product is provided, but if the option in the form of granules is considered, then 999 silver in this case cannot be affixed directly to the metal; another form of assessing purity is used - a passport.