GOLD Color History and Values. Article by Guillaumette Duplaix, Editor of RUNWAY MAGAZINE, Keeper of Colorful Truths. Photos: RUNWAY MAGAZINE archives.
Introduction
Reproduction of Gold Color: HEX #FFD700
Its HEX code is #FFD700—a pure, non-reflective gold shade replicating the noble metal itself.
- RGB: Red 255, Green 215, Blue 0
- CMYK: Cyan 1%, Magenta 13%, Yellow 100%, Black 0%
The color gold is synonymous with opulence and grandeur. Historically, it was a mark of wealth—adorning garments, jewelry, and homes of the elite. Numerous essays and studies have explored gold’s symbolism, its alloys, and its cultural importance from various angles.
A related exploration into bright yellow—closely tied to gold—can be found in this article:
Yellow – History and Symbolism
Gold, unlike yellow which often reflects lightness or ego, represents a more grounded form of power—power derived not from dominance, but from wealth.
Colored Golds
“Colored gold” refers to gold that has been chemically or physically altered to appear in hues beyond its natural yellow-red tone. While pure gold is traditionally 24 carats (99.9%+), colored golds are alloys—blends with other metals—which modify both their color and strength. These fall into three major categories:
- Alloy-based colors – Mixing gold with silver and copper in various ratios to produce white, yellow, green, or red golds. These are malleable and common in jewelry.
- Intermetallic compounds – Used to produce rarer hues like blue and purple; these are often brittle and serve as gemstone substitutes or inlays.
- Surface treatments – Oxide coatings that lend a superficial color, often used to achieve black or blue tones.
Yellow Gold
A staple in jewelry, yellow gold alloys preserve the classic tone of pure gold, made more durable with metal blends. Examples of 18k yellow gold compositions:
- 75% gold, 12.5% copper, 12.5% silver
- Darker tone: 75% gold, 15% copper, 10% silver
Rose Gold
Rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper, once known in 19th-century Russia as “Russian gold.” Popularized by Carl Fabergé in his famed imperial eggs, rose gold remains a favorite in contemporary jewelry.
The tint varies based on copper content:
- Pink gold has the least copper
- Rose gold is moderately copper-rich
- Red gold contains the highest copper ratio
Common alloy compositions:
- Red gold 18k: 75% gold, 25% copper
- Rose gold 18k: 75% gold, 22.25% copper, 2.75% silver
- Pink gold 18k: 75% gold, 20% copper, 5% silver
- Red gold 12k: 50% gold, 50% copper
Note: Up to 15% zinc may be added to red gold to shift the tone toward dark yellow or reddish hues. In the Middle East, 14k red gold (with 41.67% copper) remains a regional favorite.
Crown Gold (22k rose gold) is considered the purest form of rose-colored gold. Among the hardest rose alloys:
- 18.1k rose gold (75.7% gold, 24.3% copper)
- A mix of gold and silver reaches peak hardness at 15.5k (64.5% gold, 35.5% silver)
In antiquity, due to impurities, gold often appeared reddish—explaining why Greco-Roman and medieval texts sometimes refer to it as “red gold.”
White Gold
White gold is an alloy combining gold with one or more white metals (nickel, silver, or palladium). Its properties vary depending on the specific blend:
- Gold–nickel alloy: Durable, ideal for rings
- Gold–palladium alloy: Softer, better suited for stone settings
White gold ranges from pale yellow to pinkish. Most commercial white gold jewelry is rhodium-plated to give it a bright white finish and to mask underlying tones.
French standard:
- 200‰ gold, 800‰ silver
Elsewhere in Europe: - 500‰ gold, 500‰ silver
Nickel and palladium are main bleaching agents; zinc is added to mute copper’s red tint. Some white gold contains traces of mercury from refining processes, which may cause allergic reactions.
Spangold
Developed by MITEK, Spangold is a shimmering alloy of gold, copper, and aluminum. A thermal shock treatment alters its crystalline structure, producing microscopic facets that sparkle.
- Heated in oil at 150–200°C for 10 minutes, then rapidly cooled
- Examples:
- Yellow Spangold: 76% gold, 19% copper, 5% aluminum
- Rose Spangold: 76% gold, 18% copper, 6% aluminum
Green Gold
Known since 860 BCE in Lydia as Electrum, green gold is a natural alloy of gold and silver. Though the color leans yellow-green rather than vivid green, it was prized for minting coins and ornamental use. Enamels adhere better to green gold than to pure gold.
Modern compositions can include toxic elements like cadmium (now discouraged). A darker green hue results from:
- 75% gold, 15% silver, 6% copper, 4% cadmium
Contemporary green gold (18k): 75% gold, 25% silver
14k: 58.5% gold, 32.4% silver, 8% copper, 0.2% zinc
Historical use:
- Minted in Lydian and Greek coinage
- Employed by Egyptians and Native Americans for sacred objects, weapons, and temple ornamentation
Cultural note:
Lydians sourced Electrum from the Pactolus River. Archaeological digs at Sardis (ancient capital) confirmed foundries and coinage using native Electrum.
Gray Gold
Gray gold typically blends gold with palladium. Cost-effective versions substitute palladium with silver, manganese, and copper in tailored ratios to maintain a steely hue.
Purple Gold
Also known as amethyst gold, purple gold is made from an intermetallic compound: gold (79%) and aluminum (AuAl₂). While technically 18k, it is brittle and better used as faceted inlays—similar to gems—than structural components.
When gold content rises above 85%, the alloy loses its purple hue.
In jewelry, purple gold is often paired with yellow or green gold and complements amethysts or crystal accents. Though rare in France, it enjoys commercial success in Singapore.
Symbolic appeal: A romantic and modern material, ideal for rings, pendants, and ceremonial pieces.
Blue Gold
Blue gold can be achieved in several ways:
- Gold–indium alloy: 46% gold, 54% indium (AuIn₂), ~11k
- Gold–gallium alloy: 58.5% gold, 41.5% gallium (AuGa₂), ~14k
- Gold–iron–nickel alloy: 75% gold, 24.4% iron, 0.6% nickel—requires heat treatment (450–600°C) to form a blue oxide layer
- Advanced version: A blend with ruthenium, rhodium, and three other metals, heat-treated at 1800°C creates a sapphire-blue surface
Black Gold
Black gold is created through various methods:
- Patination: Using sulfur and oxygen compounds
- Plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition with amorphous carbon
- Controlled oxidation of gold alloys containing cobalt or chromium
(e.g., 75% gold, 25% cobalt)
Copper-rich alloys may turn brown to black after treatment with potassium sulfide.
Cultural Significance of Gold
Gold has universally symbolized wealth, divinity, and power. In Christian theology, it represents God’s essence—akin to sunlight, blinding and sacred. Gold denotes immortality, appearing in burial chambers across Egypt, China, India, and Europe to ensure the soul’s journey.
- Aztecs: Huitzilopochtli—sun god—depicted in golden yellow and blue
- Persians: Mithra cloaked in gold, like Apollo in Greece
- India: Gold corresponds to the root chakra and the element of light
The Name and Representation of Gold
The term “gold” refers both to the metal and any material imitating its hue. Gold leaf has long been used in art, particularly religious iconography, to represent the divine or invisible—such as halos around saints.
Its reflective brilliance made it the material of choice in sacred art, architecture, textile embellishments (gold thread), and high-end décor.
From medieval pigments (orpiment, massicot) to modern metallic paints, the golden tone remains a universal emblem of:
- Achievement
- Prestige
- Optimism
- Spirituality
Yet gold has also been co-opted by dictators and extremists to flaunt ego under the guise of luxury—tainting its noble identity.
Among the Aztecs Huitzilopochtli, the God of the midday sun is painted in golden yellow and blue.
In Persia, Mithra is golden yellow like Apollo in Greece.
In India, golden yellow corresponds to the root center and the light element.
Gold Color Designation
The color name GOLD refers either to the appearance of the metal or its imitations, or to a similar color.
Gold leaf has been used as a coating, in the form of very thin sheets applied to surfaces, from antiquity to the present day. It was frequently used to represent what is invisible to the human eye, notably the halos surrounding divine figures (or objects belonging to them). Because gold (usually applied in foil to maintain its reflectivity) captured light, its physical qualities reflected its symbolic qualities. Throughout the world, sacred art has chosen the color GOLD to illuminate the halos of gods and saints.
For hundreds of years, only real gold leaf could reproduce the brilliance of gold. More recently, its shimmering appearance has been mimicked by adding aluminum powder to the gold pigment.
In painting, gold was used primarily in the Middle Ages. For the representation of gilded metal or other uses, historical yellow pigments such as mussif gold, orpiment, and massicot provided similar colors.
In decoration, it is mainly used for frames and interior architectural elements.
In textiles, we find it in gold thread.
Since the dawn of time, gold has expressed optimism, determination to succeed, the highest achievements, a symbol of prestige and influence.
GOLD is found in religion
GOLD is found in art
GOLD is found on military uniforms
GOLD is found on school and Olympic awards
BUT GOLD is also found in dictators and extremists of all kinds who have found
this means of expression to assert their ego by transforming this noble material into a vulgar and garish interpretation.
Let Us Preserve the Gold Legacy
Gold—whether worn, sculpted, engraved, or cast—should remain a celebration of craftsmanship, refinement, and human excellence. Let us continue to honor its legacy, not as ostentation, but as timeless expression.
Guillaumette Duplaix
Editor, Cultural Historian, and Keeper of Colorful Truths
