The alloys behind each colour
Pure gold is always the same warm yellow. To turn it into jewellery it is alloyed with other metals for strength, and the alloy choice changes the colour. The carat (9ct, 14ct, 18ct, 22ct) tells you how much pure gold is in there; the colour tells you which other metals do the rest. A typical 18ct yellow recipe is 75% gold with the balance split between silver and copper; shift that balance towards copper, roughly 21% copper to 4% silver, and the same 75% gold reads as rose.
| Colour | Typical alloy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow gold | Gold + copper + silver, balanced | The classic warm yellow; copper and silver in roughly equal parts. |
| Rose gold | Gold + more copper, less silver | Pinker the more copper; "red gold" is the most copper-heavy variant. |
| White gold | Gold + palladium or nickel + sometimes silver | Often finished with a thin rhodium plate to make it brighter and whiter. |
| Green gold | Gold + silver only | Rarer; the cooler tone comes from removing copper. |
Does colour change the scrap value?
No, not on its own. A 9ct piece is 9ct whether it is yellow, rose, white or green, the gold content is identical (375 parts per thousand). Put numbers on it: a 4.0 g rose-gold band at 9ct contains 1.5 g of fine gold (4.0 × 0.375), and so does a 4.0 g yellow band at the same carat. Both are priced from that same 1.5 g. Scrap value tracks the carat. Where colour can change value is on antique or designer pieces, where rarer colours (green or unusual rose-gold tones) sometimes lift collector value above scrap.
The rhodium plating catch on white gold
Most "white" gold sold in the UK is plated with a very thin layer of rhodium to make it brighter and whiter than the bare alloy. Over years that plating wears off and the piece looks slightly yellow or grey. That is not a fault. It is the white-gold alloy showing through. It does not change the gold content or scrap value at all. If you are selling, ignore the surface look and focus on the carat mark.
Mixed-colour pieces
A tri-colour wedding band or a two-tone chain is still scrap-valued by its carat. We weigh the whole piece, confirm the carat with an XRF assay, and price it accordingly. Different colours of the same carat carry the same gold value by weight. Selling mixed-colour scrap gold is valued the same way, carat by carat.
Common questions
Is rose gold worth less than yellow gold?
No, not by colour. The carat sets the gold content; rose, yellow and white at the same carat are worth the same by weight on scrap.
Is white gold real gold?
Yes. It is a gold alloy with palladium or nickel, often rhodium-plated. The carat mark tells you the gold content the same way as yellow gold.
Why has my white-gold ring gone yellow?
The rhodium plate has worn off and the underlying white-gold alloy is showing. It does not change the gold content or value.
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