Did you know…red gold existed?

Did you know…red gold┬áexisted?

Rose, red, pink….no, not lipstick shades but actually all terms used to describe that warm and very very┬áin colour of gold. The last many years have seen it’s popularity rise.┬áWhether for┬ádiamond engagement rings┬áand┬áwedding rings, or all other jewellery pieces, as you’ll see by popping your head into many a designer or top brand jeweller’s shop window right now. But it has been around for a long time.

What’s the deal with all the different names? To be fair, in many retail jewellers, the three terms are used interchangeably but wow betide you if you walk into a Bond Street Jeweller and ask to see a red gold engagement ring.┬á I made that terrible mistake once and was swiftly corrected!

So, what do you need to know-‘rose’ gold (the most broadly used and most elegant term of the three and for all three) is an alloy of gold and copper. The proportions commonly are 75% gold and 25% copper. This forms the ’18 carat rose gold’. Red gold is often 50% gold and 50% copper and hence a lower carat. And then there are further alternatives.

This is not about giving you a degree in Metallurgy and the moral of the story is know what you want and have a play. Especially if you’ve seen some beautiful pieces around and want your engagement ring in timeless rose gold, make sure you see the metal against your skin first. This particular shade of gold can work well with a variety of skins, but make sure that it’s the right strength of ‘rose’ for yours…