Green Gold
Also: Electrum, Green Gold
Green gold is a gold alloy with a high silver content that gives the metal a characteristic greenish-yellow hue.
Green gold is produced by alloying gold with a high proportion of silver — occasionally supplemented with small amounts of copper or cadmium. The combination of these metals absorbs certain wavelengths of visible light more strongly than pure yellow gold, creating the characteristic greenish shimmer. The current gold price forms the basis for valuing the fine gold content it contains.
Composition and Colouration
The colour depends directly on the silver content: at around 15 % silver, the yellow tone begins to fade and shifts towards green. Common compositions for 18-carat green gold (750 gold) typically contain around 20–30 % silver; the remainder is pure gold. Historically, the term electrum was used for naturally occurring gold-silver alloys with 15–45 % silver — the first coins of antiquity, such as those in Lydia (7th century BC), were made from this material.
| Silver content | Colour effect |
|---|---|
| 5–10 % | Slightly paler yellow gold |
| 15–25 % | Distinctly greenish-yellow |
| 25–35 % | Pale green |
| > 40 % | Light grey-green (rare in jewellery) |
Cadmium as an additive significantly intensifies the green tone, but is largely banned in modern jewellery production due to its toxicity.
Use in Jewellery Manufacturing
Green gold is found primarily in high jewellery and designer jewellery, where it is used as a contrast to rose, white, or yellow gold. Technically it is easily workable — similar to yellow gold — and can be soldered, drawn, and stamped. The high silver content makes the alloy somewhat softer than red gold, which gains considerably in hardness through its copper content.
The melt value can be quickly calculated when the weight and fineness are known; when buying back, only the fine gold content is remunerated.
Distinction from Other Gold Colours
- Yellow gold – classic gold-silver-copper alloy, warmer in tone
- White gold – palladium or nickel alloy, cool and silvery
- Red gold / Rose gold – high copper content, warm red tone
- Green gold – dominant silver content, cool yellow-green tone
In Brief
Green gold is not a modern jewellery designer's invention, but one of the oldest gold alloys in human history. Anyone wishing to value a piece of green gold should check the fineness hallmark and refer to the current gold price — the silver content increases the weight but not the gold value of the piece.