In Germany, 18ct gold is the most popular material in jewellery manufacture, which is due to the excellent properties of the material in the manufacturing process, its high value and its unique appearance. 18ct gold has a fineness of 18 carats and is mostly composed of silver, copper and, of course, pure gold. In the 18ct gold alloy, the basic element that gives it its name always accounts for 75.0% of the total. The remaining metals in the composition are varied according to which colour tone is to be achieved. The most typical appearance and the most common recipe of 18ct gold is yellow gold with 75% fine gold, 12.5% silver and 12.5% copper. A more reddish shade of gold can be achieved with 8.3% silver and 16.7% copper, and an even stronger red colouring of gold can be achieved with 4% silver and 21% copper. Additional admixtures of palladium or zinc result in a wide range of possibilities to colour the gold as desired and to work out individual nuances. This is how the acid-resistant gold alloys red gold, rose gold, orange gold, white gold or yellow gold are created on the basis of 75% pure gold.
