Yellow Gold
Also: Yellow Gold Alloy, Classic Gold
Yellow gold is the classic gold alloy of gold, silver and copper, whose warm yellow tone comes closest to that of the pure metal.
Yellow gold is the most original and most widely used form of worked gold in the world. As a gold alloy it blends pure gold with silver and copper, and the ratio of these added metals decides both the fineness and the exact shade. Once you know the current gold price, you can read off the material value of any yellow-gold piece straight away with the melt value calculator.
Composition and finenesses
The fineness states how much pure gold (Au) is present per 1,000 parts by weight in the alloy. In yellow gold, silver and copper are usually mixed in a ratio of roughly 1:1 to 2:1 (Ag:Cu), which preserves the characteristic warm tone. A higher copper share pushes the colour towards red, while more silver makes the piece paler.
| Fineness | Karat | Gold content | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 333 | 8k | 33.3% | Fashion jewellery, entry-level pieces |
| 585 | 14k | 58.5% | Everyday jewellery, widely used internationally |
| 750 | 18k | 75.0% | Fine jewellery, watch cases |
| 916 | 22k | 91.6% | Coins (Krugerrand), traditional jewellery |
| 999 | 24k | 99.9% | Investment gold, bars — not jewellery |
A very common jewellery gold is 18-karat (750) yellow gold: it combines good workability, strong durability and a rich golden tone. 14-karat (585) gold is cheaper and dominates the international mass market. Coins such as the Krugerrand traditionally use 916 yellow gold to achieve a harder, more scratch-resistant surface.
Making and working the metal
Yellow-gold alloys are produced at the refinery or foundry by melting the components together. The process follows one simple base formula:
Fine weight (Au) = gross weight x fineness / 1000
Example, 18k: 10 g x 0.750 = 7.50 g fine gold
After melting, the alloy is worked into sheet, wire or blanks. Yellow gold solders, rolls and draws superbly — properties that have made it the jeweller's material of choice for thousands of years.
Recognising and hallmarking
Yellow-gold pieces carry a hallmark indicating the fineness, either in parts per thousand (e.g. "585" or "750") or as a karat figure. In Ireland, articles of gold are assayed and hallmarked at the Assay Office at Dublin Castle, one of the oldest hallmarking authorities in the world. Older pieces from the 19th and early 20th centuries may bear differing marks. To verify authenticity you can use the acid test, the streak test or, non-destructively, X-ray fluorescence analysis.
Yellow gold versus other gold alloys
Alongside yellow gold there are three other main alloy colours:
- White gold: uses palladium or nickel instead of copper; often rhodium-plated.
- Red gold: a high copper share (>12%) gives a pronounced reddish colour.
- Rose gold: a moderate copper share; sits between yellow and red gold in colour.
Yellow gold needs no surface finish such as rhodium plating and therefore shows no colour change through wear — a practical advantage over the white alloys.
Working out the material value
The material value of a yellow-gold piece depends on the current gold price and the fineness. With the gold calculator you can determine the value by gram, karat and daily price down to the second. For scrap or broken gold, the buying price calculator gives a realistic guide value net of the dealer margin.
Note: comments on the tax treatment of buying or selling gold jewellery (e.g. VAT, capital gains) are not tax or investment advice — please consult a specialist.
In short
Yellow gold is the most timeless gold alloy: combining gold with silver and copper produces the classic golden tone together with practical hardness. The fineness — readable from the hallmark — determines both the material value and the working properties.