[Jewelry making - Article 00145] - Re: [Orchid] Black gold

[James Binnion]

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>         A timely advertisement: Argen has an ad on page 69 of the new
>     Metalsmith magazine (Spring 2003), offering black, purple AND
>     other colors of gold!  


    I contacted Argen, The black gold is an oxidation layer over a
    special alloy that can only be cast using inert gas shielding of the
    melt and casting process and is brittle just like purple gold. It is
    not a bulk metal color. There is no bulk metal coloring of gold that
    yields  black all of the processes are surface coloration either
    patinas, oxidation or an actual coating applied by electroplating or
    plasma vapor deposition. So they are basically laboratory
    curiosities but not really a useable product as the coatings all
    scratch off after time(the Plasma Vapor Deposition is a very durable
    coating but it is still a coating and will wear through). 

Jim



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