GOLD

[skillbird]

Are white and rose gold actually mined in their state, or are they treated to become the colour they are?

[sabrinah]

All gold is yellow, caused by gold absorbing violet and blue light, but reflecting yellow and red light. White and rose gold are created after mining using other metals. Gold itself is a yellow metallic element but, in its pure form, it is too soft to be used for general jewellery purposes and it's usually mixed with other metals, usually copper and silver, to make it firmer, creating a gold alloy. Nickel, zinc, and palladium are used to produce white gold. Rose gold is manufactured by just adding a larger amount of copper than normal.