Rose Gold
Also: Red gold (lighter variant), Pink gold, Red gold
Rose gold is a gold alloy with a characteristic pink to reddish colour tone, created by a deliberate copper content.
Rose gold owes its warm, pink to reddish shimmer exclusively to the alloying partner copper. The higher the copper content, the stronger and redder the colour tone appears – which is why the boundary between rose gold and red gold is fluid and follows convention rather than a binding standard. You can quickly determine the fineness of the pure gold it contains with the Melt Value Calculator.
Composition and colour scale
The colour of rose gold results from the ratio of gold, copper and a smaller silver content. Silver lightens the alloy and softens the red tone; without silver, a stronger red is produced, which is referred to as red gold.
Typical compositions at a glance:
| Designation | Fineness | Gold | Copper | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rose gold 18 carat | 750‰ | 75.0% | 20.0–22.5% | 2.5–5.0% |
| Rose gold 14 carat | 585‰ | 58.5% | 30.0–33.0% | 8.5–11.5% |
| Red gold 18 carat | 750‰ | 75.0% | 25.0% | 0% |
The gold price always refers to pure fine gold (999.9‰); rose gold contains only the stated gold proportion – the rest consists of base alloying metals that carry no precious-metal value.
Properties and processing
Copper makes rose gold noticeably harder than pure yellow gold of the same fineness. This has practical advantages:
- Higher scratch resistance – pieces of jewellery retain their surface longer.
- Good dimensional stability – delicate settings and thin ring shanks are possible.
- Cheaper material price – copper is significantly cheaper than gold; the copper price is far below the gold price.
A disadvantage is that copper can tarnish: sweat and acids attack the surface and can cause skin irritation in sensitive wearers. Unlike white gold, rose gold is usually not rhodium-plated, since the colour of the base metal is the design objective.
Fineness and hallmarking
In Malta and the EU, gold alloys are hallmarked according to their gold content in per mille. Rose gold bears the same statutory fineness hallmarks as any other gold alloy:
750‰ = 18 carat rose gold → gold content: 75.0%
585‰ = 14 carat rose gold → gold content: 58.5%
333‰ = 8 carat rose gold → gold content: 33.3%
A piece of jewellery marketed as "rose gold" need not necessarily be 18 carat. When buying, it is worth checking the stamped hallmark, which indicates the actual fineness. You can quickly determine the material value of a rose-gold piece – based on the current gold price – in the Gold Calculator.
Distinction from similar terms
- Red gold: no or hardly any silver, copper content ≥ 25% → distinctly redder tone.
- Yellow gold: classic gold-silver-copper mixture without a colour shift into the red.
- Tombac: copper-zinc alloy without gold content, gold-coloured, not a precious metal.
- Vermeil: silver jewellery with a thick gold coating – not solid rose gold.
In brief
Rose gold is not a modern invention – it was already popular in Russian jewellery ateliers in the 19th century and therefore occasionally bears the historical name "Russian gold". Anyone wishing to determine the exact material value of a rose-gold piece should simply multiply the gold content (fineness × weight) by the current gold price – copper and silver play only a subordinate role in the purchase price.