How Do Alloys Affect Color in Gold Jewelry?

Even though alloys often account for a minority of the metal used, they have a significant impact on the overall color of karat gold jewelry.

For example, adding nickel and palladium or nickel, silver and zinc creates white gold. Adding copper creates pink or rose gold. Adding equal parts of silver and copper creates yellow gold.

Different colors of gold allow jewelers to appeal to a variety of tastes and help designers create an array of styles.