Rose Gold - Wedding Rings Buyer's Guide

Rose gold wedding rings have been popular since the 19th century. It gained  popularity when renowned jeweller Faberge began to use it when making his infamous eggs. Thanks to this association with Faberge, rose gold, also known as pink gold and red gold, was also known as Russian gold. This term is no longer in use.

Unlike yellow and white gold, rose gold is trend driven. It tends to rise and fall in popularity depending on current styles. Rose gold jewellery was popularised in the Victorian era, and then again during the 1920s. It was a staple of fine jewellery and engagement rings during that era. The alloy is rising once more in popularity in the 21st century and is commonly used in watches, wedding rings, and jewellery alike.

What is Rose Gold?

Rose gold is an alloy of 24 karat gold, copper, and silver. The depth of colour in rose gold depends on the ratio of these metals. A higher copper content will result in a more reddish rose colour. For example, 9 karat rose gold is more of a rose pink colour than 18 karat rose gold due to the higher yellow gold content in the 18 karat alloy.

The different metal proportions in each alloy also result in a slight difference in hardness. 9 karat rose gold is harder and more brittle than 18 karat, as the copper in the alloy results in a less malleable metal.

Why Choose Rose Gold?

Rose gold wedding rings are the perfect choice for anyone who wants something a little different from the standard. The warm, pink tone of the gold is really flattering with lots of skin tones and can look less harsh on the skin than deep yellow gold.

If you have a rose gold engagement ring it is worth considering a matching wedding band. It is important that you match the alloy in your wedding ring to your engagement ring to ensure both rings' longevity.

Rose gold is probably the most durable of the gold alloys due to the addition of strengthening copper. It is extremely low maintenance, particularly in comparison with white gold.

Caring for Rose Gold Wedding Rings

The best way to care for rose gold wedding rings and other fine jewellery is to regularly clean the dirt and oils off each piece with a dry polishing cloth. If you do this daily or even weekly, this should be enough to keep your pieces looking shiny and fresh. If you do not clean them regularly you may find you need to clean more vigorously with warm water and mild soap.

Just like any other metals, rose gold can and will scratch with daily wear. To help prevent this, remove your ring when washing up, doing sports, or using a swimming pool. When you are not wearing your ring it is best to keep it wrapped in a soft cloth or bag so that your other jewellery cannot scratch it.

If your ring does get scratched, your jeweller can easily polish it for a nice shiny finish. However, wedding rings are bound to incur some scratches over a lifetime of wear. As they are worn on the hands, they come into contact with hundreds of hard surfaces and objects every day. This means that they are likely to become marked and have a "worn" appearance eventually. This shows the timeline and story of your marriage, so isn't something to worry about too much.