Getting to Know Rose Gold

Rose gold jewellery is a modern option with a vintage feel. Warm and feminine, it has a luxuriously subtle and gentle colour. The pink tint of the metal is especially flattering when worn on olive skin and adds warmth to paler skin, as it highlights subtle blush tones.

Carl Fabergé, the renowned jeweller best known for the famous Fabergé Eggs, was one of the first to put this precious metal to use in his ornate creations. He blended yellow gold and copper to create the luxurious pink material that was first coined as 'Russian Gold'. As this mix of alloys became popular among jewellers around the world, led by Cartier, it was later renamed 'Rose Gold'.  

But what exactly is rose gold?

Rose gold is a gold alloy, like white gold or yellow gold, that contains solid gold alongside a combination of silver and copper alloy. The specific combination of ingredients determines the gold alloy produced. This combination determines the carat of the metal and also the colour. (To learn more about gold composition and carat, jump into the blog ‘Getting to Know Gold’).

Gold alloys are essentially made up from the same ingredients but the quantities of each vary, namely gold, copper and silver. Gold is the consistent ingredient in each, and for 9ct it has to make up 37.5% of the total alloy. Copper and silver are added to improve workability and enhance the colour.

White gold has a greater percentage of silver and rose gold contains more copper. Put simply, this is how the different colours are created. Palladium, zinc and nickel are also sometimes used, particularly in white gold.

Rose gold does not tarnish however, after a few years of wear, rose gold can change in colour slightly – with its appearance turning darker and slightly redder in colour. This is due to the copper within the alloy turning darker over the years.

To read more about the history of rose gold, I've shared Sotheby's, article, 'A History Lesson on Rose Gold'.

Shop the Rose Gold Signature Envelope Necklace.