Rose gold is a beautiful choice for an engagement ring. The soft pink hue of rose gold gives rose gold engagement rings an incredibly romantic look. If you’re considering rose gold for your engagement ring, there are some things you should know about this stunning precious metal. To help you get informed, here’s the 101 on rose gold engagement rings. In this post, we’ll cover what rose gold is, the durability of rose gold, how to clean rose gold, and how to choose the right diamond for a rose gold engagement ring.
What is Rose Gold?
Before you buy any precious metal, you should understand what you’re buying. Like most gold used in jewelry, rose gold isn’t pure gold but is instead an alloy. Pure gold (24k gold) is too soft to be used in jewelry, so the 18k and 14k golds (yellow, white, and rose) used for jewelry are alloys, which means they’re mixed with other metals.
Mixing gold with other metals makes it stronger, but it also changes how it looks. Rose gold is made of gold and copper (and sometimes also silver, palladium, or zinc). The copper used in rose gold is what gives it its beautiful pink hue. The more copper used in a rose gold alloy, the pinker it will look. So, if you want a pinker rose gold, you might want to consider 14k rose gold rather than 18k rose gold. Or, alternatively, if you want your rose gold engagement ring to be a lighter pink, you might prefer 18k rose gold over 14k rose gold.
Rose gold is not to be confused with red gold or pink gold. Many people think that these terms are synonyms for rose gold but those are, in fact, different alloys that have different percentages of copper. True rose gold is made of approximately 22% copper, while pink gold will have around 20% and red gold will have around 25%.
Is Rose Gold Durable?
Rose gold is just as durable as other kinds of gold, if not even more so. Copper, which is always present in rose gold, is a highly durable metal and is resistant to scratching and denting.
While rose gold is just as strong as other golds, it’s still not as strong as platinum, the strongest precious metal used in jewelry. However, it’s still quite durable and is a great choice for an engagement ring.
Is Rose Gold Easy to Clean?
Rose gold is very easy to clean because, really, you don’t have to clean it at all. Because of its copper content, rose gold doesn’t tarnish and instead develops what’s called a patina. A patina is a sheen that develops on certain metals over time due to oxidation, which gives the metal a gorgeous vintage look.
Many people absolutely love the patina of rose gold. Of course, if you don’t like the vintage look of a patina, you can easily have it removed by taking it to a jeweler for simple cleaning.
Is Rose Gold Hypoallergenic?
Unfortunately, like other golds used in jewelry, rose gold is not hypoallergenic. The metals used in rose gold (copper and sometimes zinc, silver, or palladium) to make it stronger are not hypoallergenic and can cause allergic reactions in people who have certain metal allergies.
While most people don’t have an allergic reaction to rose gold, some do. If you have a metal allergy, be sure to look at what the rose gold you’re considering is made of to see if it contains a metal you’re allergic to.
Pairing a Diamond With a Rose Gold Engagement Ring
What makes a diamond look beautiful with a rose gold setting? When it comes to choosing a diamond for your rose gold engagement ring, you should consider cut, clarity, and carat the same way you would with any other type of engagement ring. But for color and shape, there are some special considerations to keep in mind.
Diamond Color and Rose Gold Engagement Rings
For your rose gold setting’s center diamond color, you’ll want to select a diamond with a color grade anywhere in the range of D to I. I is a lower color grade (near the bottom of the “near-colorless” range) but this grade can actually still look white against rose gold. While the faint yellow color of an H or I grade diamond can stand out against a white gold or platinum setting, the warmth of a rose gold setting makes the color far less noticeable.
Of course, you can certainly get a more colorless diamond in the D to F range to pair with your rose gold setting. It will look stunningly white against the blushing pink backdrop of rose gold. But if you want to save a bit of money, know that G to I diamonds also look beautiful with rose gold.
Diamond Shape and Rose Gold Engagement Rings
While you can choose any diamond shape for your rose gold engagement ring setting, you may want to consider avoiding step cut shapes. Step cut diamonds (like emerald cut and asscher cut diamonds) tend to absorb more light from the bottom than brilliant cut diamonds. The way step cut diamonds absorb light means that they can reflect more of your rose gold band’s color, making the diamond look less white.
If you have your heart set on a step cut diamond for your rose gold ring, you can certainly still get one. Just know that it might look less white than a similarly colored brilliant cut diamond and think carefully about whether or not that would bother you.