Everyone is very familiar with the beautiful yellowish glow of anything made from gold. These colors vary quite a bit depending on the content of gold within the piece. Sometimes it is a rich buttery colored gold, while other times it is a pale gleaming gold. Many people have often wondered why this should be. Indeed, with the rose or red gold that is often seen, many people question whether it is gold or not.

Well, the answer to all the questions is, yes it is gold – but mixed with different alloys which give a soft hue of another color. These differ in appearance, but it all depends on the alloy used and in what proportion. Gold itself is very soft and is unsuitable to be used in its pure form, so most gold objects will in fact be gold and alloy mixes.

For the more common rose gold, copper is mixed in it at about a 25% ratio to pure gold. This gives a beautiful reddish pink color to the gold and looks great when mixed in with other color gold to make decorative gold jewelry pieces. Interestingly enough, if more copper is used, the color becomes stronger, and the gold is then called red gold. This was very popular during the nineteenth century in Russia to the point that it is still often called ‘Russian’ gold. This is pretty rare these days and is not normally used. For the gold to appear more pinkish, less copper is used in the mix. These are the reasons for pink, rose and red gold.

For a more unusual mix with gold, some manufacturers leave out the copper alloy and just add silver. This gives the gold a greenish yellow look and is actually called green gold. This type of gold is usually used in enameling which has to be fired.

There are some other odd combinations of gold that are not so common. Purple gold, for example, is a mix of gold and aluminum. This gold, also known as amethyst or violet gold tends to be very brittle and a sharp knock would shatter the gold. Therefore, it is used as a machine cut gem to be mounted in other gold settings.

There is even a blue gold which is gold mixed with indium. Remaining gold colors, for those who are interested, are black gold – not the oil that has become known under this pseudonym – and grey gold. Who would have thought that this precious metal that has been making our gold jewelry, for literally thousands of years, came in so many color combinations?

And talking of color combinations, nothing looks prettier in gold jewelry than a mix of gold, silver and rose. This color combination lends itself to some very interesting designs particularly when it comes to rings or chains. Rings normally have intertwining bands of these colors in many different combinations and many people choose them for wedding or engagement rings. Earrings too, have that wonderful 3D effect when tri colored gold is used to emphasize the design.

Three rings of different sizes, and in the three colors of gold, look excellent when strung together as a superb set of dangling earrings. These look particularly good against dark colored hair, or for the woman who likes to have an up do for a special occasion. Another unique style for three colored gold is for a set of earrings made up of tiny squares of the different colors strung in a long bunch. These look like autumn leaves falling and are particularly suited for those events when a woman wants to wear ‘something different’.

For chains or bracelets, the three colors of gold can be used entwined around each other, or as separate links, one after the other, to give a stepped and interesting look to the finished article.

Some of the more interesting gold jewelry on the market actually harks back to the past for some of its designs. Hammered coins, which are strung around a fine necklace in a different colored gold, looks a little Grecian in style. Or perhaps the bamboo designed pieces, which are made into bracelets and necklaces, looks like a definitive Japanese design.

Of course, any piece of gold jewelry will look great when worn in the right way. But those who choose just the right piece for the occasion always stand out as being the most chic or stylish at the event. For example, if the lady is going to be a bridesmaid or matron of honor at a wedding, choosing a piece of gold jewelry that will compliment the style of the dress, or the bride’s dress, is an absolute must. But not overshadowing the bride is also the right thing to do.

For those sleek and elegant strapless dresses - or column dresses are they are commonly known - a great twisted gold bangle worn at the top part of the arm gives the Grecian look that a lot of people love. The bangle is much like a snake bracelet that winds around the arm and looks great as long as the arm is well toned. These also make good gifts for the maids on the big day and can be taken home after the event.

Again, if the theme of the event is oriental, those bamboo styled necklaces and bracelets, mentioned earlier, add a great touch of authenticity to the whole look.

Whatever the occasion gold jewelry is always a wonderful idea to give as a gift. Even buying gold as a gift for your own use is a good idea for those special events that are always coming up. The problem is though, choosing something from the vast array of gold jewelry that is on the market these days.

To save on time, and parking problems, try surfing the net to look at what is available on line. In this way, many a pleasant hour can be spent fantasizing about what could be bought, as long as the bank balance will allow, of course!