There’s a reason why the “999” hallmark for gold is not used on jewelry. Gold (or aurum) is a very soft and fragile metal, and that’s why refractory metals known as ligatures are added to it. Keep in mind that low-grade jewelry quickly loses its shiny appearance and sometimes irritates the skin.

The color of a golden piece of jewelry depends on the proportion of certain metals in the alloy. For example, copper dissolved in gold changes its color from yellow-gold to red-gold. Silver dissolved in gold produces a greenish-gold hue. White gold contains palladium and silver.

Gold is such a plastic material that it can be turned into the thinnest (less than 100 nanometers) sheets, or gold leaf, which acquires a bluish-green color when transmitted by light.

Bonus: If you see a piece of jewelry with the “925” hallmark, know that it’s not a mistake and it’s not a fake, but rather, a gold-plated silver: the hallmark is stamped according to the main metal in the jewelry item.

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