Does Rose Gold Tarnish?

With a charming pink hue, rose gold is a popular metal used to make many fine pieces of jewelry and engagement rings. Its vintage vibes draw you in and its lovely shade reflects romance. 

Paired with diamonds, rose gold is stunning. But, does rose gold tarnish?

Rose gold doesn’t tarnish. In fact it is less prone to damage from everyday wear than white or yellow gold. Rose gold is so durable that it doesn’t need an additional plating to make it stronger like white gold does. 

Rose gold was once known as Russian gold, after the jeweler Carl Faberge used it in his famous Faberge Eggs piece. The metal’s popularity grew after the French watchmaker and jeweler Cartier created a line of beautiful rose gold jewelry featuring diamonds and gemstones. 

The most gold of these pieces was the Trinity Ring which consisted of 3 rings all the different shades of gold, yellow, white and rose. Rose gold continues to be popular not only for its gorgeous coloring, but also because of the way it compliments every skin tone.

One major perk of choosing rose gold for jewelry is that it does not tarnish. But, over time, rose gold develops a “patina”. This is an outer layer that forms naturally because of the copper it contains. 

This is not considered tarnishing of the metal but is rather highly sought after in the world of jewelry So, there’s no need for a protective coating to be applied to the rose gold piece since it will develop its own. 

Patina doesn’t damage your jewelry and because of the copper will actually end up making your rose gold jewelry more rosy in color. but it can be easily removed with some cleaning and polishing if you wish. 

Even though it is very durable, you should treat rose gold carefully by not exposing it to harsh conditions or scratching. Cleaning it regularly with soap and water and drying with a soft cloth will keep your rose gold sparkling for many years to come. 

To see the most popular pieces of rose gold jewelry just click here. 

Does Rose Gold Change Color Over Time?

Let’s talk some more about rose gold. Because of the copper that is added to it, it features a red or pink hue. The more copper it contains the more red it will appear. The less copper it contains the more pink it will appear. 

But, does rose gold change color over time?

Even though it doesn’t tarnish, rose gold can change color over time. It can take several years to happen but the older the rose gold jewelry gets, the more patina forms on the metal changing its color to appear darker and more red with time. 

So, over time, rose gold won’t tarnish. It is even more durable than other colors of gold, and it’s because of the copper in it. Though it is soft, gold doesn’t ever tarnish, but base metals do tarnish. 

So, if a gold ring is scratched the base metal that is exposed will then oxide and tarnish over time. This is not the case with rose gold because it is made with copper which is non-corrosive and doesn’t deteriorate with age. 

Gold is a precious metal that doesn’t tarnish but isn’t as durable. So by combining these two metals you create a beautiful and durable rose gold jewelry piece. 

But, rose gold can change in color. The color change will happen gradually and moderately and the piece will become darker and more red in color. But, this won’t happen for many years. The rose gold piece can also become dirty and dull in appearance the more it is worn which is why gold jewelry should be cleaned and polished from time to time. 

So, although it doesn’t tarnish because of the metal it is made up of, rose gold can change in color but it can take a lifetime for this to occur.

Is Rose Gold Worth Buying?

Radiating romance and elegance, rose gold is widely available in both fine jewelry and engagement rings. Jewelers everywhere sell this pink metal. 

But because of its pinkish coloring, some may think it isn’t as valuable as other types of gold. So, is rose gold worth buying?

Rose gold is worth buying. It is a popular choice for fine jewelry and engagement rings because of its beauty and durability. Rose gold is valuable since it is made with pure gold and it contains the same amount of gold as yellow or white gold jewelry that are the same karat. 

Although reddish in color, rose gold is in fact real gold. Pure gold is naturally yellow, but because of how soft it is, it cannot be made into jewelry. That’s where metal alloys come in. 

These alloys make the gold stronger and more durable. But not only that, they can also change the appearance of the gold which is why there are many shades of the precious metal. 

The 3 most common gold shades are yellow, white, and rose. Yellow gold is pure gold mixed with silver, copper, and zinc allowing the gold to retain its natural color. White gold is the result of mixing pure gold with platinum or it can also be made by mixing pure gold with palladium, nickel, cadmium, and zinc. 

Rose gold is created by mixing copper with a little bit of silver. All of these added metals produce a different color of gold, while also making it more durable for everyday wear.

Rose gold is priced similarly to other golds. The value of gold is determined by how much pure gold it contains. So, since rose gold contains the same amount as other pieces of gold just with different alloys, it is worth just as much. 

Like we said before, the more copper the rose gold jewelry contains the rosier it will look and the less gold it contains the stronger it will be. 18k rose gold will have a touch of pink but will look more yellow in color than 14k. 14k gold is also stronger than 18k gold although 18k gold is made up of more pure gold. 

Because of this, most rose gold rings are made in 14k gold so they have more of a pink hue and are more durable.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, rose gold doesn’t tarnish. It can change in color due to the formation of patina, but this takes many years to occur. 

The more rose gold jewelry is worn and affected by certain elements, the more it needs to be cleaned. But, rose gold is very durable and it also won’t tarnish.