What Is Black Gold

The term black gold is probably best well known as a poetic description of either coal or oil deposits - finding these being considered the equivalent of "striking gold" in terms of becoming rich.

Black gold also exists as a precious metal variant and you can even buy black gold jewelry, though it can be fairly hard to come by.

How Is Black Gold Made?

Unlike many colour variations of normal gold, black gold isn't created by an alloy process (although the gold used is normally an alloy rather than pure 24 karat). Instead the black appearance is created by a variety of methods including external coating, electroplating, heat treatment and controlled oxidation. The combination of the hue of the original metal and the method used to colour it will determine quite how deep the final black of the gold becomes.

One of the most common techniques for creating black gold is electroplating to add a layer known as a patina. Electroplating with rhodium or ruthenium is most common, often starting from 18 karat white gold.

Why take something as precious as gold and blacken it? Although black gold jewelry isn't to everyone's taste it is undeniably striking and unusual. Many jewelry designers and buyers like the contrast it makes with other metals and stones. Personally I think that black gold works especially well either as a setting for diamonds or as a contrasting metal to white gold or platinum.