The colors in a solution do not necessarily mean there are colloids of a metal in solution; these colors can come from dissolved metal salts or other compounds in solution, or from metal colloids reflecting light.
Colloids are so small you will cannot be see them, they join into clumps of atoms large enough to reflect light to color, which we see as a color, How large these clumps of metal chlorides form can be determined by the metals and what formed these colloids, which also is related to the color of light reflected (by the certain size of the colloid of the particular metal).
For example gold can be reduced back to a metal as a colloid (from a gold chloride solution) by using stannous chloride (what we use to test for gold in solution with stannous chloride), the gold and tin solution form a colloidal gold solution, these colloids from a certain size of clumps of atoms of reduced gold metal, with an electrostatic charge, which will reflect light to where we see a purple color to the solution, there are other compounds that can also be used to reduce the gold to a colloid of a certain size that can produce other colors of reflective light (making colloids of gold of a certain size, and certain color, like citric acid...).
These colloids have an electrostatic charge (after the reduced gold atoms combine to grow to a certain size, that reflect a certain color of light). This static charge will not let the colloid grow larger (more reduced gold atoms contact each other and form larger clumps), this static charge causes these clumps of reduced gold atoms to repel each other (so they cannot come into contact and grow larger).
This repelling force of the static charge of these colloidal clumps of combined reduced gold atoms also keeps them in motion in solution (indefinitely unless the colloid is broken, or the static charge is removed), basically preventing them from coming into contact and forming larger clumps of reduced gold atoms that can settle in solution by gravity, the repelling force can keep them stirring each other in solution almost forever if the colloid is not broken, basically a colloid will not grow to form larger clumps visible to the eye, and will not grow large enough to precipitate.
Colloids of gold have already been reduced to metal, these atoms of gold have a full shell of electrons and do not want extra, you cannot reduce (give electrons to these gold atoms) as they are already have a full shell of electrons.
Colloids of gold or another metal cannot be precipitated by any means until the colloid is broken (the static charge removed).
Chemical precipitants Like SMB, ferrous sulfate or others, cannot give theses gold atoms another electron or reduce them back to atoms of gold electrons with a full shell of electrons (the gold has already been reduced into clumps of gold metal atoms with each gold atom having a full shell of electrons).
Colloids of gold or another metal cannot be cemented from solution by a metal higher in the reactive series of metals until the colloid is broken (static charge of the colloid is removed).
These already have all the electrons they want and are already reduced (just to colloidal form of clumps of atoms with a static charge staying in constant motion repelling each other around in solution).
You cannot test for the gold in solution (when that gold is in colloidal form) by using a reagent like stannous chloride, (stannous chloride works by reducing the gold to a certain size colloid), (colloidal gold is already reduced, so stannous chloride will not reduce it, the colloidal gold is already a certain size colloid and will not change its size in this testing method...
The gold or other metal colloid is already atoms of that metal which have been reduced (gained an electron) to atoms with all of there wanted electrons (and formed clumps of these reduced atoms with an electrostatic charge), basically the gold is already reduced, so it cannot be reduced to metal again...
Ore is complicated and many things involved can produce many colors in solutions, some metals in certain oxidation states can produce certain colors in certain solutions, but when you have many metals and non metals in solution, color may or may not be much of an indicator as to what is in solution, or in what form that metal is in.
With the complications involved with ore colors would very rarely mean a whole lot.
Testing may be the only way to determine what is in solution.
Colloids can be broken (although not easily), Heat in highly acid solutions or with electrolytic means, are the methods mostly used, sometimes complete evaporation of the solution and incineration and washing out the substance that caused the colloid to form has to be used, to break the colloid and keep it from forming again.