We have seen a huge shift in trends from white metals such as silver and platinum to warmer golden tones of late.
Rose gold, a beautiful alloy with a pinkish tone, was extremely popular in the 30s and 40s and now is making a strong comeback. Its soft, warm colour is easy to wear and complements our skin tones more than cool white metals.
So what is rose gold? Most metal used in jewellery is an alloy, that is to say it is a mix of two or more metals. Gold in its pure form is 24K so when we speak of 18K gold we mean 18 parts gold and 6 parts another metal. Not only does this other metal give the gold its strength so that it can be worked and worn as jewellery but it also adds the colour. Pure gold is yellow but once copper is added the metal turns a beautiful shade of pink. Equally, when palladium is added to gold we get white gold.
As more of this alloy is added the colour of the gold intensifies. For that reason 9K rose or white gold is much redder/whiter than 18K in the same colours. 18K rose gold has a wonderful subtle tone and, in my opinion, is even more beautiful when given a matt finish as shown in the beautiful diamond and rose gold rings with matt finish above.
Rose gold has many qualities, not least that it tends to complement the stones that are set in it rather than compete with them as other metals can. It is also an ideal metal for two tone jewellery as its warm tones work beautifully alongside cool white metals.
Check out our Pinterest Rose board to see our pink style pics!
