Is Rose Gold Real Gold? What You Need To Know About This Lovely Metal
Rose gold was created in Russia in the late 19th century and quickly became fashionable due to the, at the time, unusual warm colour. Rose gold was developed by the Russian jewellery house of Faberge in Saint Petersburg and named Russian Gold. It became known as rose gold, reflecting its ruddy coppery hue. The attractive new colour quickly became popular with jewellers in other countries.
During the 20th century, rose gold became increasingly popular with the Art Deco movement hitting a peak in the 1920s. As jewellery designs became more elaborate, the novelty of rose gold became a valuable asset for jewellery designers. Cartier used Rose gold extensively; their designers used it to add contrasting accents to their delicate jewellery. The modern association of rose gold with vintage designs springs from the popularity of rose gold and its association with the intricate and delicate designs of the period.
After WW2, rose gold declined in popularity, its place taken by the sharp white tones of platinum. The more austere, clean lines preferred by jewellery designers during the last part of the 20th century worked better with white precious metals. Rose gold was crowded out of space in jeweller's display cabinets by the 'modern' platinum and later palladium. For many years, the most popular diamond jewellery, the engagement ring, was by a large margin, preferred by buyers in white metals such as white gold, palladium and platinum.
However, rose gold has been fighting back over the past few years! We have many designs in our engagement ring collection made in rose gold. Our design team has created many fabulous rose gold versions of our popular diamond jewellery across all our collections, from necklaces to earrings, bracelets, to all forms of rings.
£760.00
A tight cluster of ethically sourced G/SI quality diamonds brings a wonderful glittering sparkle to this timeless circle of life pendant crafted in warm rose gold by our UK craftsmen. A gorgeous necklace that will be a conversation piece in… read moreDiamond Cluster Circle Shape Necklace 0.40ct G/SI 18k Rose Gold
£1,307.00
Why Is Rose Gold So Popular Today?
We can't be sure why rose gold has become more popular, but we think there are several reasons. Rose gold gives designers more choices in their designs. They can use the metal in vintage-inspired designs through to very modern creations that many of our clients love. We think that one reason why rose gold is so popular with our clients is that, with the introduction of online jewellery retailers, many buyers of fine jewellery were able, for the first time, to see newly designed and manufactured jewellery created using rose gold. When given a choice, people liked what they saw. Without the unlimited display space available to online retailers and shoppers, perhaps rose gold would not have had its resurgence?
As rose gold has become more popular, our clients have started to ask us about the metal. They often want to know if rose gold is a type of gold or just cheap base metal with a special coloured plating. So, here's the answer to that question, the most commonly voiced concern about this lovely precious metal.
Rose gold is standard yellow gold, mined from the earth and mixed with other metals to give strength and colour, just as with other types of gold. Mixing different metals to create a mixture is called alloying. Alloying is necessary with gold because pure gold is too soft to be used in jewellery that will be worn more than a few times before needing repairs. Rose gold is an alloy of gold and copper and sometimes tiny amounts of other metals.
£928.00
The hamsa design is believed to protect from the "Ayin Ha'ra" or evil eye. Whether that's true or not, the design of this 'evil eye' hamsa pendant necklace is sure to impress you. The pendant features 0.60ct of ethically sourced… read more0.60ct Diamond and 18K Rose Gold 'Evil Eye' Hamsa Pendant Necklace
£1,627.00
Rose Gold, Is It Real Gold Or Plated?
If you were to cut through a rose gold ring (please don't try this at home!) you would see that the metal was the same colour all the way through - there's no plating of cheaper metals in rose gold! 9K or 18K rose gold is solid gold. However, not all rose gold jewellery is made of solid gold. Many items of rose gold, just as with other gold colours, are plated using a cheaper metal such as silver or brass with a thin coating of real gold.
Plated jewellery should be easy to identify because it will not carry hallmarks claiming it to be 9 or 18K gold. All of our gold jewellery, including rose gold, bears UK Assay Office hallmarks showing the purity of the gold.
There is nothing to worry about with any gold jewellery purchased from All Diamond. Always check that the hallmark is present if you are told that your intended purchase is rose gold - especially if the item is secondhand or inexpensive.
Any jeweller who plates silver or brass with rose gold is legally required to disclose that their gods are vermeil (surface plated). Wherever you buy your rose gold jewellery, check for the hallmark stamp. If it is genuine gold, it will have either a 375 or 750 stamped on the piece, indicating solid 9 or 18 karat gold is being used.
£453.00
The special someone in your life won't be able to resist falling in love with this beautiful handcrafted half eternity ring. The sparkle from 32 diamonds stones of claw set Q/SI quality diamonds contrasts exceptionally with the warming glow of… read more32 Stone Half Eternity Ring 0.17ct G/SI Diamonds in 18k Rose Gold
£697.00
Rose Gold Is A Great Choice For Fine Jewellery
We at All Diamond love rose gold. We think it is an excellent choice for fine diamond jewellery. Our designers have created many rose gold designs across our collections. People love the warm colour and often associate it with warm emotions, romance and love.
If you love rose gold as much as we do, then choose it in your next jewellery purchase and enjoy it for decades. Ensure that it carries the correct hallmark, ideally using a British hallmark from one of the UK Assay Offices. You can be sure that you are buying rose gold of the quality and purity you expect.
