Rose gold is a beautifully delicate precious metal that many couples are choosing for engagement and wedding rings. Learn about what it is and why millions love it, below.
Recent decades have seen yet more evolutions in the world of jewellery. Every few years, a favourite new metal, stone, or style, breaks onto the market. Often these new patterns fade over time, becoming the stuff of collectors of period pieces. We forget about the fashion fads in jewellery. The only styles and metals we remember are the classics. Every so often, a new piece comes along and makes its way into the list of classics. In the 90s that was platinum, in the early 00s it was rose gold.
What is Rose Gold?
The trend towards rose gold happened for good reason. This is a precious gold metal which contains a soft pink blush or hue. The touch of pink takes the brassiness out of the gold, allowing for a softer, warmer feeling to the metal. This softening of the colour meant that millions of people who couldn’t wear gold because of their skin tone, could now wear it.
This precious metal is only two thirds gold. The other components are 22.5% copper and 2.5% silver. Rose gold has seen resurgence after resurgence down through the years. Let us review the history so you can understand it better.
Where Does it Come From?
Rose gold first appeared in Faberge eggs made in Russia in the early 19th century. He called the metal ‘Russian gold’ since he was the jeweller to the czars of Russia. Over the years, colloquialism, and a general dislike for giving Russians credit has led us to shorten it to rose gold. That touch of pink to the alloy helps reinforce the new name.
When did Rose Gold First Become Popular?
Asides from just after invention, rose gold was popular in the 1920s. Although the recent resurgence makes us feel like it was first popular in the early 00s, it had been around a long time already. Nowadays, we use this metal in engagement rings because it adds durability to the standard gold. This makes it more suited to everyday wear than a pure gold ring might be.
In the 1920s, Cartier released a Trinity Ring with rose gold in the design. Demand shot through the roof. A similar boost in popularity as we are experiencing occurred. To this day, auction houses selling 1920s and 30s jewellery come across more of this precious metal than other types.
The Future for this Precious Metal
Here at Richard Burton Jeweller, we have experienced the current surge in popularity for rose gold engagement and wedding rings first hand. We know that brides-to-be favour it for the subtle pink touch to the gold, making it less bright yellow on the skin. Given that rose gold was famous in 1920 and is still going strong in the 2020s, we believe that this is just another wave in an oncoming ocean of popularity. Rose gold will outlive us all, just you watch this space.
You can shop for rose gold engagement rings in our online jeweller store, where each item is hand crafted for you.