Gold
Gold is yellow with a vivid gleam and is the only colored precious metal. It is the most ductile of all the metals e.g. it can be rolled out into gold leaf. It is among the rarest elements on the planet. Gold has been worked since around 4,000 BC. The first gold coins were struck in around 650 BC in the countries of the Orient. The Graf von Faber-Castell fountain pens have an 18-carat gold nib.
Rose Gold
Rose gold is a gold–copper alloy. It is often associated with style, elegance and affluence. It was popular in Russia at the beginning of the nineteenth century, when jeweler Carl Fabergé (famed for ‘Fabergé eggs’) blended yellow gold with copper to create the blush-hued hybrid. It was known as Russian gold for some time, although this term is no longer used. Rose gold has once again become more popular in the 21st century, and is most commonly used for jewelry. There was a huge surge in popularity in 2015 when Apple launched their iPhone in a rose gold option. Today, rose gold's appeal is broad and is prominent in fashion and design. It's soft hue can appear romantic, refined and composed. It may appear "pinkish" in color, which is typically considered to be feminine. However, rose gold is best described as a "gender neutral" hue. The color is trendy and also known as "millennial pink".
Silver
Silver is a precious metal with a white gleam. It was known and used to make jewelry as early as 5,000 BC. Nowadays, it is the precious metal that is most commonly extracted and used and is primarily used to make jewelry. After gold, silver is the most ductile metal. Sterling silver and silver-plated products can discolor or oxidize. Oxygen from the air reacts with silver to form black silver oxide. This reaction is what causes silver objects to turn black, which happens most commonly if the items are not used for a long time, but also due to climatic conditions. Regular care is thus desirable and necessary e.g. with a silver cleaning cloth or a silver polishing agent. The writing instruments in the Classic Collection are also available in solid 925 sterling silver. They are distinguished by two rings at the top of the cap. The silver-plated styles have been discontinued.
Platinum
Platinum is a precious metal with a silver gleam. Although it is not very hard, it is fairly resilient and is malleable and weldable when heated. Platinum was known to the Mayans in Central America prior to the 15th century, and was used for jewelry in addition to gold. In the 18th century, Europeans also discovered the distinctive features of platinum. The name platinum is derived from the Spanish word "plata" = silver. All of the metal parts (grip zone, cap and clip) in the Classic Collection as well as all metal parts of the Pen of the Year Limited Editions (excluding the 24-carat gold plated) are platinum-plated. In addition, the Classic writing instruments are also available in a fully platinum-plated version.
Rhodium
Rhodium was discovered at the same time as palladium in 1803. The name is derived from he Greek word "rhodon" = rose, and refers to the deep pink color of many rhodium compounds. Rhodium is a silvery-white precious metal, and is very hard (harder than gold, silver and platinum). It is one of the rarest elements, and is used for alloys in the glass industry, for glasses, watch cases and jewelry. The metal fittings of the Guilloche Collection are plated with high-quality rhodium. A fully rhodium-plated version is also available.