What causes the different colors in gold from different areas?

[firebird]

Is it just impurity in it? I bought some paydirt from Alaska a while back and noticed that it has a distinct, more yellow-ish color compared to the gold I find here in California. It's so distinct I can easily pick out the alaskan gold from the californian gold if I mix them up.

 

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[Al D]

Is it just impurity in it? I bought some paydirt from Alaska a while back and noticed that it has a distinct, more yellow-ish color compared to the gold I find here in California. It's so distinct I can easily pick out the alaskan gold from the californian gold if I mix them up.

various amounts of copper and/or silver is usually what causes the different colors of gold

 

[Real of Tayopa]

Ajjen nailed it.

 

[smokeythecat]

Yep, he nailed it the first time.

 

[Duckshot]

What makes gold black on the outside? Seen that in some pictures. Is it iron?

 

[dave wiseman]

Sometimes manganese will coat the gold.

 

[B H Prospector]

Heavy iron content in the soil and water will also give gold an almost orangeish gold color. I have a claim with this type of soil and water conditions and I can tell which claim my gold is from.