Gold Adulteration with Iridium and Ruthenium Rampant in India

Did you know that the gold jewelry you purchased from Indian jewelers is adulterated with iridium and ruthenium? The Times of India, a leading national daily has published this news report on 30th January 2009 and the Indian gold enthusiasts are suffering from this shell shock. For decades, Indians value gold as a precious commodity, an investment vehicle and a liquid asset. The 'fashion freak women folks' value gold jewelry as a fashion index.

News Report

The report flayed the involvement of goldsmiths and several jewelers in this adulteration. The goldsmiths are confidence tricksters often rely on adulterating the gold. This time they resorted to adulteration to manage the exorbitant price rise in gold.

The report has rightly alerted the Indian women-folks, who could not detect the adulteration. The adulterants such as iridium and ruthenium are very difficult to detect. The metals used for adulteration belongs to platinum group metals (PGM).

Ruthenium and Iridium

Ruthenium is the white metal. It is very hard. It gets unaffected at normal room temperature, but when you heat treat under 800°C the metal oxidizes in the air. The metal gets unaffected by aqua regia, but when treated with potassium chlorate solution, you may notice the oxidation.

Iridium is also the white metal, but you will able to see the slight yellowish cast. The metal is very hard and brittle. The hardness makes the metal very hard to machining, forming, or fabricating. It is the well known and most recognized corrosion resistant metal. Iridium gets unaffected by aqua regia or any of the acids, but when treated with molten salts, such as NaCl and NaCN it oxidizes.

Gold Hardening Alloys

Normally silver and copper will be mixed with the soft and malleable gold in order to make the metal alloy harder for fabrication of jewels. When ruthenium and iridium adultered with gold, these metals will not form an alloy but they get embedded tight in gold. But according to the report the iridium adulteration ranges up to six per cent. The adulteration will not only bring down the quality of the gold but also hamper machining, forming, or fabricating processes.

Karat and Hallmark: The Quality Fitness Standards

How the quality of gold is assessed? The unit of quality fitness is expressed in terms of karat. The scale ranges from one to 24. Your 24 karat gold has 999 parts of pure gold per thousand; 22 karat gold has 915.75 parts of pure gold per thousand and 84.25 parts silver / copper alloy; 18 karat gold has 749.25 parts of pure gold per thousand and 250.75 parts silver / copper alloy. The gold hall marking is a high quality control process wherein the details of the jewelry manufacturer and karat fitness are marked on the jewelry itself.

Neither ruthenium nor iridium is approved as the bona fide hardening metals. Only silver / copper alloy is approved as the hardening metals. The karat fitness does not allow other than silver / copper alloy.

Protection of Consumers

The consumers should urge the Government to check `adulteration of gold, a popular consumer goods' in India. The news report by the national daily has alerted the consumers as well as quality ensuring agencies and the government. The government should initiate firm steps against those indulging in the adulteration of gold. The government should pass effective legislation to prevent the adulteration in gold.

Reference Sources

1. India gold jewellery adulterated with iridium http://www.commodityonline.com/news/India-gold-jewellery-adulterated-with-iridium-Report-14719-3-1.html
2. Gold adulteration rampant in India - Economic Times.com http://m.economictimes.com/articleshow/4050372.cms
3. Gold adulteration with iridium rampant in India 30 Jan 2009, 0050 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/4049562.cms
4. Web Elements Periodic Table - Iridium - Essentia Information http://www.webelements.com/iridium/
5. Web Elements Periodic Table - Ruthenium - Essentia Information http://www.webelements.com/ruthenium/