What is Rose Gold?
Rose gold, also called pink gold or red gold, is a type of karat gold with a pinkish or red cast, caused by an increasing the percentage of copper in the alloy. There is no such thing as "pure rose gold" - pure (24kt) gold only comes in yellow. The highest karatage of rose gold is 22kt, which is sometimes referred to as Crown Gold.
It's a common misconception that, because copper is a very soft metal, pink gold is softer than yellow gold. Actually the opposite is true. Copper atoms are so much smaller than those of gold, that combining the two distorts the gold's crystal lattice, making the alloy stronger. These reddish golds do however melt at slightly lower temperatures than their yellow gold equivalents.
History of Use in Jewelry
In modern times, pink gold jewelry is first documented to have come in vogue in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century.
In the Western world, pink gold first achieved popularity during the Victorian period, its rosy glow capturing the romance of the era. It found its way into just about every type of jewelry - wedding rings, engagement rings, brooches and pins, earrings, mourning jewelry and watch fobs. Even inexpensive jewelry was often coated with a rose gold "wash" to look like the more expensive items.
Reddish golds went out of style in favor of white metals during the Edwardian era, only to bounce back into the limelight with the retro-modern styles of the mid 1930's to 1940's. Although demand waned a few years later, most jewelry stores have continued to carry some inventory of rose gold jewelry from the mid 20th century to the present day.
Pink gold is particularly suited to those with a warm cast to their skin tone or those with fair skin with rosy undertones. Generally, if you look good in pinks or corals, you'll look teriffic wearing rose gold.
Some designers are predicting that rose gold is ripe for a comeback, so don't be surprised if you notice a wave of this pink toned precious metal hitting the stores and the red carpets soon!
More information: The World Gold Council - Gold Jewellery Alloys