Rose Gold Engagement Rings

Jun 11
12:18

2015

Lisa Jeeves

Lisa Jeeves

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Rose gold is a beautiful metal which can be used in a gold engagement ring to create a unique and exquisite look.

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One precious metal that has bravely weathered the test of time,Rose Gold Engagement Rings Articles especially considering engagement rings, is gold. When most people hear the word gold, they automatically think of beautiful yellow gold, which is definitely the most classic variation of the metal. Some may also think of elegant white gold, but many do not know about the less common but exquisite rose gold. Becoming more popular in recent years, rose gold is a great metal to make a beautiful gold engagement ring or to spice up a more classic yellow or white gold ring.

A History of Unique Composition

Use of rose gold in jewellery production dates back over two centuries to Russia around 1800, where it was so widely used that it was nicknamed ‘Russian gold’ in honour of the country. However, the Russian trends eventually strayed away from the pretty red and pink hues of the gold, and the metal adopted its current name of rose gold.

Gold is a very soft metal in its purest form, 24 karats, and therefore cannot be used to make gold engagement rings. Instead, a less pure form needs to be used, so the gold is mixed with different metals in order to create a stronger alloy and to add colour. White gold is typically mixed with silver, nickel, palladium or zinc. Rose gold is mixed with copper, and sometimes silver, to create the three different hues: red, rose and pink, where rose is the most common. Red is about 75% gold, and the other 25% is made up entirely of copper. Rose and pink are also about 75% gold, but only 22.5% copper with 2.5% silver in the rose, and 20% copper and 5% silver in the pink variation. The more silver there is mixed into the metal, the lighter colour it will have.

Beauty with Age

One of the most interesting aspects of using rose gold for the band of a gold engagement ring is its natural change over time. Due to the high percentage of copper in the metal of the ring, the gold will typically change colour throughout its lifetime. The copper slowly darkens and creates more of a red gold, giving rose gold engagement rings an exquisite vintage feel that creates a timeless piece.

Using rose gold can also be a beautiful way to make a white or yellow gold engagement ring more unique and colourful. Commonly used to accent specific designs, such as petals on a flower, the rose gold makes an engagement ring stand out, unlike its white or yellow counterparts.