Electrum - Encyclopedia

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES

ELECTRON ELECTRUM (Gr. iXEKTpov, 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.