electrum

Electrum is a naturally occurring or artificially produced alloy of gold and silver, sometimes with trace amounts of copper and other metals, producing a pale yellow to greenish hue depending on composition. The name derives from the Greek elektron, meaning amber.

Natural electrum occurs in nature as a spontaneous alloy of gold and silver; it can be found in alluvial deposits and is occasionally found in native form as a metal alloy.

Composition varies widely: the gold content commonly ranges from about 20% to 80%, with the balance silver and minor copper impurities. Because metal composition can vary, the color and workability of electrum range from pale yellow to bright yellow.

Historical use: In antiquity, electrum was used for jewelry, decorative objects, and some of the earliest coins. Electrum coins are associated particularly with the region of Lydia in western Anatolia around the 7th to 6th centuries BCE, before standardized coinage based on pure gold or silver became common.

Modern usage: The term electrum is also used to describe pale gold-silver alloys used in jewelry and decorative arts. In numismatics, electrum coins are studied as an early form of coinage; their precise composition varies, and surviving specimens show wide variation depending on the source ore and smelting practices.