Gold has been used by mankind for cultural, decorative and financial functions since ancient times. High ductility and very low hardness made gold easy to work with primitive techniques, but those same properties are a disadvantage for wearable pure-gold jewelry. The democratization of gold jewelry has created demand for more durable gold in countries where near pure gold is preferred. In addition, some western jewelry designers have discovered near pure gold and favor its unique color and prestige value to provide something different in their collections.Among many ways to strengthen pure gold, adding traces of other elements is a basic option. This paper shows how the addition of no more than 0.1% of two elements strengthens pure gold. These trace elements can guarantee that gold products will maintain a high percentage of gold (no less than 99.9%) in both as-cast and wrought states. We will share the research process that provided improved hardness in gold and discuss how the new gold materials can be used in the jewelry industry.

Author: Dr. Juzi Li