A production method for a gold sputtering target includes: producing a gold sputtering target which is made of gold and inevitable impurities and in which an average value of Vickers hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less, an average value of crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and the {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented to a surface to be sputtered of the gold sputtering target.

Ayurvedic encapsulated gold nanoparticles, methods of fabrication and methods of treatment are provided. A method of fabrication includes mixing dried gooseberry product or mango peel product or phytochemical existent therein, into a liquid medium to form a reducing agent solution. Gold salts are mixed into the reducing agent solution. Reaction of the gold salts proceeds, in the absence of any other reducing agent, to form a nanoparticle solution of stabilized, biocompatible Ayurvedic encapsulated gold nanoparticles. An Ayurvedic medicine consists of a non-radioactive gold nanoparticle encapsulated with phytochemical existent in mango peal or gooseberry in a capsule with curcumin extract and gum Arabic.

A grey gold alloy which is nickel-free, cobalt-free, iron-free, silver-free, copper-free, zirconium-free, niobium-free, chromium-free and manganese-free, including, expressed in weight percent, from 75.0 to 76.5% of Au, from 15 to 23% of Pd, from 0.5 to 5% of Rh, from 0 to 7% of Pt, and from 0 to 5% of at least one of the alloying elements Ir, Ru, Ti, In, Ga, B and Re, the respective percentages of all the alloying elements adding up to 100%.

A grey gold alloy which is nickel-free, cobalt-free, iron-free, silver-free, copper-free, zirconium-free, niobium-free, chromium-free and manganese-free, including, expressed in weight percent, from 75.0 to 76.5% of Au, from 15 to 23% of Pd, from 0.5 to 5% of Rh, from 0 to 7% of Pt, and from 0 to 5% of at least one of the alloying elements Ir, Ru, Ti, In, Ga, B and Re, the respective percentages of all the alloying elements adding up to 100%.

A jewelry item includes a thin piece member formed from a gold alloy containing gold (Au) as a first metal element and a second metal element other than gold (Au), a frame member including a third metal element other than the first metal element and the second metal element and a fourth metal element as a metal for an alloy of the third metal, forming a bond with and surrounding a peripheral edge of the thin piece member, and a compound layer containing the first metal element, the second metal element, the third metal element and the fourth metal element is interposed between the thin piece member and the frame member.

A jewelry item includes a thin piece member formed from a gold alloy containing gold (Au) as a first metal element and a second metal element other than gold (Au), a frame member including a third metal element other than the first metal element and the second metal element and a fourth metal element as a metal for an alloy of the third metal, forming a bond with and surrounding a peripheral edge of the thin piece member, and a compound layer containing the first metal element, the second metal element, the third metal element and the fourth metal element is interposed between the thin piece member and the frame member.

A gold sputtering target is made of gold and inevitable impurities, and has a surface to be sputtered. In the gold sputtering target, an average value of Vickers hardness is 40 or more and 60 or less, and an average crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less. A {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented at the surface to be sputtered.

A gold sputtering target has a gold purity of 99.999% or more. In such a gold sputtering target, an average value of Vickers hardness is 20 or more and less than 40, an average crystal grain size is 15 μm or more and 200 μm or less, and a {110} plane of gold is preferentially oriented to a surface to be sputtered of the gold sputtering target.

The current invention relates to a gold nickel layer comprising nitrogen inserted over a thickness equal to or greater than 0.20 μm, characterized in that the atomic concentration of gold is at least 15% over said thickness, the atomic concentration of nickel is at least 10% over said thickness and the atomic concentration of nitrogen is at least 5% over said thickness. The invention further relates to a process for treating a gold nickel layer. The invention also relates to a connector comprising a portion of a surface which comprises such a gold nickel layer.

The current invention relates to a gold nickel layer comprising nitrogen inserted over a thickness equal to or greater than 0.20 μm, characterized in that the atomic concentration of gold is at least 15% over said thickness, the atomic concentration of nickel is at least 10% over said thickness and the atomic concentration of nitrogen is at least 5% over said thickness. The invention further relates to a process for treating a gold nickel layer. The invention also relates to a connector comprising a portion of a surface which comprises such a gold nickel layer.