Uses of Gold in Jewellery

Gold plays a dominant role in the jewellery market. This is to a large extent due to the intrinsic value of gold, its beauty and its unique resistance to tarnish and corrosion. In 1990 the amount of gold used in jewellery was about 2000 t worldwide, reaching about 75% of the total demand for gold. The demands on gold materials for jewellery, its applications in the form of bulk material for wrought and cast jewellery and as gold solutions for electrodeposition and electroforming as well as activities to introduce powder materials for the manufacture of jewellery are described. Today's conventional carat gold alloys are reviewed; coloured gold alloys based on the Au–Ag–Cu system, as well as the white gold alloys, based on Au–Ni or Au–Pd alloys. Additionally, the development of special gold alloys is mentioned, for instance that of a very high carat gold alloy, 990 gold–titanium.