Chemistry - Are There Colorful Metals Besides Gold And Copper?


Answer :

Solution 1:

Osmium has a bluish-gray tint.
Well; slightly.
Cesium is silvery-golden!,
But don't wear it.

Solution 2:

There is no element other than gold and copper with similar colors; see http://periodictable.com/Properties/A/Color.html.

There are many metal alloys that are red and golden, such as phosphor bronze, which can have a golden hue.

In addition, some metallic compounds may be shiny yellow. Freshly sliced potassium is silvery, but soon acquires an oxide/nitride coat that may look yellow (perhaps due to interference of light?). Of course, "fool's gold", FeS2, was often confused with the element. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrite and Image of pyrite crystal.


Solution 3:

The color of nanoparticles in solution depends on size, so one can create the whole rainbow of colors using a single elemental composition.

See e.g. http://nanocomposix.com/pages/plasmonics for details.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colloidal_gold shows gold being red and purple.


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