Learn · Metals
Rose gold
Rose gold is gold with a pink warmth, and the pink comes from copper: the more copper in the alloy, the pinker the gold.
What it is
Pure gold is too soft for a ring, so it is alloyed, and rose gold’s alloy is where its color comes from: copper. More copper, pinker gold.
Like any gold it comes in karats. 18k rose gold is 75% gold, stamped 750; 14k is 58.3% gold, usually stamped 585. Gold resists tarnish and corrosion.
14k rose gold
58.3% gold; its pink comes from copper, and the more copper, the pinker.
18k rose gold
75% gold, stamped 750, with copper for its pink.
Why people love it
A gold with a pink warmth, and solid gold underneath. In 14k it is the more durable karat for a ring worn every day; in 18k it carries more gold.
- 14k rose gold: More durable than 18k rose.
- 14k rose gold: A warm pink.
- 18k rose gold: More gold by weight than 14k rose.
Trade-offs
18k is somewhat softer than 14k, so it takes marks a little more easily.
Beside a colorless or near-colorless diamond, a white metal can make the diamond look more colorless, and GIA notes that white prongs help even on a yellow gold band. A white head on a rose gold band applies the same idea.
- 14k rose gold: Less gold than 18k rose.
- 18k rose gold: Somewhat softer than 14k rose.
Who it suits
Anyone drawn to a softer, pinker gold. 14k for a ring worn every day; 18k for more gold in the piece.
Sizes
By the studio’s densities, 18k rose gold is 15.0 g/cm³ and 14k rose 13.0, so the same ring weighs about 1.2 times as much in 18k. The Design Studio shows the weight of any design in grams and pennyweights.
What affects the cost
The gold in the piece: its weight, its purity and the day’s gold price. The same ring holds more gold in 18k than in 14k. The stone and the setting time are separate, and Sara quotes the finished piece.
Every custom piece is quoted after a consultation; there are no posted prices for custom work.
Care
Clean it in warm water with a drop of dish soap and a soft brush, rinse, and dry with a lint-free cloth. Pacific Jewel rings come back to Sara for a clean and an inspection whenever you like.
Gold resists tarnish and corrosion; a polish brings back a polished band.
Questions
What makes rose gold pink?
Copper in the alloy. The more copper, the pinker the gold.
14k or 18k rose gold?
14k if durability matters most, since the lower the karat, the more durable the gold. 18k is three quarters gold, somewhat softer.
Does rose gold tarnish?
Gold resists tarnish and corrosion.
Does rose gold suit a diamond?
Yes. With a colorless or near-colorless diamond, white prongs can help the stone look more colorless.