Online Encyclopedia
Make a correction
Your email address will not appear on the site. Note, comments may take some time to be approved.
Back to article:
ELECTRON ELECTRUM (Gr. ijXei rpov, amber)
Your email:
Article name:
Article content:
ELECTRUM, ELECTRON (Gr. ijXei rpov, amber), an alloy of gold and silver in use among the ancients, described by Pliny as containing one part of silver to four of gold. The term is also applied in mineralogy to native argentiferous gold containing from 20 to 50% of silver. In both cases the name is derived from the pale yellow colour of electrum, resembling that of amber.