His paragraph on the bottom is the right idea, it's color is the reflection of non absorbed light, not the emission of energy from energised electrons. The absorption of the light is indeed caused by electrons absorbing light but there are a variety of other non photon emitting radiative and vibrational decay transitions which the electrons can undergo as they go from excited to ground state for release of the energy.

That said I am by no means an expert here. Still AFIK gold is gold because it absorbs blue and leaves behind and reflects the various yellow light, not because it emits yellow photons.