Yellow Gold

Gold has long been celebrated for its warmth, its glow and its remarkable versatility. Yellow gold, in particular, is the metal in its most traditional expression — the colour that traverses centuries and civilisations. Designers sculpt it, texture it, hammer it or set it with diamonds and coloured stones, revealing a material that is both noble and endlessly adaptable.

China, Australia and Russia remain today the world’s leading gold producers. Yet the limited ethical regulations governing extraction have long cast a shadow over its use in jewellery. This is why the Fairmined label was created in 2004: to guarantee the traceability of gold and ensure its positive impact on social development and environmental protection. Thanks to this certification, gold can now be considered “clean”, as opposed to conflict gold or gold extracted using harmful processes.

Used since prehistory, gold was one of the first coloured metals mastered by ancient metallurgists. In Egypt, it was collected in small quantities along the Nile and elevated through religious ornamentation. Later, European conquistadors seized its value, while the American Gold Rush shaped an entire region of the West.

Today, gold still plays a central economic role and is traded on major international exchanges. In its pure form, however, it remains too soft to be used alone in jewellery. It must be alloyed with other metals, measured in karats. The French market recognises 9k, 14k and especially 18k gold — the latter composed of 75% pure gold, ideal for its durability, stability and non-allergenic properties. 22k gold, intensely yellow and emblematic in India, is also used by certain designers.