Is Rose Gold Real Gold?

Gold is available in many colors. The most common are yellow and white. While gold is naturally a bright yellow, that is then mixed with silvery colored metals to appear white. Another popular color for gold is rose gold. 

This shade of the precious metal is gorgeous. Its pinkish tones are lovely and it is usually used in many engagement and wedding rings. Paired with some sparkling diamonds, rose gold is perfect for anyone wanting a delicate and feminine touch to their jewelry. 

Now, if you are looking for a valuable piece, then you may be wondering, is rose gold real gold?

Rose gold is real gold. The rosy hue of rose gold is created by metal alloys added to yellow gold. These alloys not only give it its color but also make it more durable. Rose gold is made from real gold, copper and silver.

Famed Russian jeweler Carl Faberge first introduced rose gold in the 19th century. Referred to as Russian gold, rose gold is breathtaking. It later became popular in the U.S. during the 1920s. The jewelry company Cariter created some luxurious rose gold pisces adding precious gemstone and diamonds to them. 

Because of this, they were very instrumental in this gold’s fame. Cartier produced a simple ring of yellow, white, and rose gold which is known as the “Trinity Ring”. This ring sparked a rebirth of rose gold jewelry. This trend has come and gone over the years, but today it is one again a favorite color choice for trending jewelry. 

Its lustrous pink coloring radiates romance and elegance and rose gold looks stunning as engagement or wedding rings. 

If you are looking for a beautiful rose gold engagement ring without spending a fortune, you should check out some of these engagement rings for some gorgeous options. Some of them have rose gold accents and some are entirely rose gold. 

Rose Gold Pros & Cons

As with everything, rose gold has its pros and cons. Before you decide on purchasing rose gold jewelry, you should know some pros and cons to the metal.

Rose Gold Pros

Pros of choosing rose gold jewelry include the following:

• Rose gold is in style and can be found created into men’s and women’s rings. 
• Rose gold is considered to be the most romantic metal because of its pinkish-red color.
• Most of the time, rose gold is more affordable than other colors of gold because the copper that is added to it costs less.
• Rose gold is very durable because the copper it contains is very strong, This makes it more durable than yellow or white gold.
• Rose gold compliments all skin tones.

Rose Gold Cons

Cons of rose gold jewelry include these facts:

• Rose gold may cause allergic reactions in some people since it isn’t a hypoallergenic metal.
• Rose gold isn’t as widely available as yellow gold or white gold is even though it is in style.

Depending on how much pure gold it contains, rose gold can be different shades of red, rose, or pink. The more copper it contains, the more red the rose gold will look. But, did you know that there are different shades of rose gold that you can choose from? All of these can be the same karats but different amounts of metal alloys. 

These determine whether the rose gold will be more pink, red, or rose in color.

For instance, 18k “pink” gold is 75% gold, 20% copper and 5% silver. 18k “red” gold is 75% gold and 25% copper. 18k “rose” gold is 75% gold, 22.25% copper and 2.75% silver. 

As you can see, rose gold still contains gold. Even though it has copper and silver mixed in with gold, rose gold is still real gold.

How Can You Tell If Rose Gold Is Real?

Blending copper with yellow gold results in a beautiful rose colored gold. Any jewelry that contains real gold is gold. So, even though rose gold isn’t entirely made up of gold, it is still considered to be real gold. 

But, how can you tell if rose gold is actually real?

To know if rose gold is real, check for its hallmark. As with all other shades of gold, rose gold will feature a number standing for how pure it is. Some may be marked with a 18k or 14k while European jewelry may be marked with 750 or 585.

If your jewelry is older then it may not have a hallmark or stamp telling you how many karats it is. If this is the case then you will have to get a jewelry test kit or take the jewelry to a professional to have the gold piece checked out. 

All newer gold jewelry should have a hallmark. A hallmark is a marking that shows how pure the piece is. It will read something like 18k or 14k standing for how many karats the gold is. Sometimes it may have a hallmark of 750, or 585 for its percentage of pure gold. 

The number 750 stands for it being 75% pure gold and 585 stands for it being 58.3% pure gold. 

After checking the hallmark, if you still aren’t sure if the rose gold piece is real, take it to a jeweler to be appraised. They will be able to tell you how pure it is and if it is real rose gold or not.

The karat number on the rose gold piece shows the amount of real gold it contains. Rose gold cannot be 24k gold since 100% pure gold is yellow. So, to give it its pink color, copper is added to yellow gold. 

18k rose gold is the most common alloy and is 75% pure gold and 25% copper and silver. 14k rose gold is 58% pure gold and 42% copper and silver. The higher the purty of the gold, the more expensive it is. 

But, this also means it is more fragile. 

Gold is a soft metal which is why alloys are added to make it stronger for everyday wear. It also makes it more resistant against damage such as scratching and tarnishing. Along with making the piece more expensive and more durable, a higher ratio of yellow gold to the other alloys can alter the color of rose gold. 

The more pure gold the rose gold jewelry contains, the less “rose” colored it will be. The more copper it contains the more the pink hues will shine through.

Final Thoughts

24k yellow gold is mixed with copper and silver to create a beautiful rosy shade known as rose gold. Although it has metal alloys, it is still made with pure gold. The amount of gold or alloys that are included in its mixture of metal determine how red, pink, or rosey the piece will be. 

If you aren’t sure if your jewelry is real rose gold, check for its hallmark and/or consult a jeweler. Romantic and elegant, rose gold is a popular choice and is made with real gold.