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In the past few years, rose gold’s popularity has grown by a huge amount. It used to be an out-of-style color choice (though it was popular in Italy and other parts of Europe), but now it’s a classic in both accessories and home decor, and it doesn’t look like it’s going anywhere soon. Here, we’ll answer the big questions: “What is rose gold?” and “Why is it so popular?”

What kind of metal is rose gold?

First of all, what is rose gold, and what does it consist of? “Is rose gold really gold?” you might ask. Well, rose gold metal (also called “red gold” or “pink gold”) is a gold alloy like white gold or yellow gold. This means that it is made up of pure gold and a number of other materials. Rose gold metal is a mix of pure gold, copper, and silver (see below for the exact amounts), which gives it its rose color. Rose gold is real, but it is not made of 100% gold.

Rose gold vs white and yellow gold

So, how is rose gold different from yellow and white gold? The gold alloy that is made depends on how the ingredients are mixed. This affects not only the carat but also the color. Recipes for making bullion vary from one company to the next, and most of them are kept very secret. But when it comes to white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold, 9ct alloys can be roughly broken down into the following base materials:

• Yellow gold is made up of 37% gold, 43% silver, and 20% copper.
• 37% of white gold is gold, 45% is silver, and 18% is something else.
• Rose gold is made up of 37% gold, 20% silver, and 43% copper.

The Basic Makeup of 9ct Gold

All 9ct gold alloys are made of gold, copper, and silver, but in different amounts. Gold is the only thing that is the same in each, so 37.5% of the 9ct alloy must be gold (for the purposes of the pie charts percentages were rounded down for simplicity).

Copper and silver are added to make the clay easier to work with and to improve its color. You can see that white gold has more silver and rose gold has more copper. This is how the different colors are made, in simple terms. Sometimes palladium, zinc, and nickel are used, especially in white gold.

Did you know that 9ct gold has more of the other metals than it does gold? Some designers and users don’t like to use it because of this. But as long as people want handmade rose gold jewelry, it’s unlikely that 9ct will be taken off the shelves any time soon.

Does rose gold become dull?

You might want to know if rose gold tarnishes before you buy or make jewelry out of it. No, is the short answer. Even so, after a few years of use, the color can change a little bit, becoming darker and a little bit redder. But this is because the copper in the alloy can change color over time.

Then why is rose gold so popular?

How come rose gold is so popular? What does it stand for? It’s a good compromise between the stark and modern look of white gold and the traditional and classic feel of yellow gold. In many ways, it almost seems like a new option for people who want something different. Rose gold has a romantic feel to it, which retailers have used to their advantage by using words like blush, pink, and rose to describe it. This really gets people’s attention.

Rose is a soft, delicate color that looks expensive and glamorous without being loud like some high-carat yellow gold can be. Yellow gold has also lost popularity since the 1990s, mostly because we think of it as jewelry for older people. Even though yellow gold has been slowly making a comeback in recent years, it still has a long way to go before it sells more than the much more modern white gold.

Making rose gold jewelry by hand

Rose gold metal, on the other hand, is hard to put in a box. In recent years, it has really come from behind to become the metal of choice. We don’t know how long our love for rose will last, but for now, things are going very well.

Have you thought about using rose gold or red gold, which are popular right now, in your own handmade jewelry designs? At McGee Company, we have a variety of red gold wire, red gold sheet, and red gold bullion to help you make your own rose gold jewelry. Also, our rose gold-plated findings and chain, as well as our rose gold-filled beaded rings, can be used to make pieces that look like rose gold.