Rose Gold Jewelry
As a jeweler, I am always surprised how little my customers understand about gold. The average person assumes that gold is just plain yellow, and that any other color is not gold at all. They are often surprised when I show them apiece of jewelry that is made in rose gold.
Pure gold in its raw form is yellow. However, gold can be produced in different colors when mixed with other materials. These colors are classified into three different groups:
- Alloys with silver and copper – this is when the gold is mixed with these two elements to produce a white, green, and red gold.
- Intermetallic compounds – when mixed with gold this can produce blue and purple gold, but it is very brittle. This can be used to create gems and inlays.
- Surface treatments – this produces black and blue gold.
The gold group most commonly used in jewelry is alloy. Rose gold jewelry is gold that is mixed with copper. This method of mixing the two alloys dates back to the nineteenth century. The most popular name for this mixture is Rose Gold, however, it is sometime referred to as Russian Gold, Everose Gold, Pink Gold, and Red Gold.
Rose gold can come in 12K– 18K gold. It can also come in 22k gold, but this is referred to as Crown Gold instead of Rose Gold.
The average mix for 18K Rose Gold is 75% gold and 25% copper. In some cases, silver may be mixed, but this is usually less than 3%. 12K rose gold is 50% gold and 50% copper.
Our Rose Gold
At Jonathan’s, we have seen a huge interest in rose gold jewelry. Many new brides are choosing to have their wedding bands and engagement rings in rose gold. This is a nice change from the white gold and platinum looks that have been so popular over the past few years. Interested in seeing our rose gold inventory, schedule your appointment today.
