Metals & Gold
Rose Gold Alloys: How the Pink Colour Is Made
Rose gold gets its warm pink colour from a higher proportion of copper in the alloy, with the exact shade depending on the copper-to-silver ratio.
The role of copper
Rose gold is created by alloying pure gold with a significant proportion of copper, which imparts the metal's characteristic pink-to-red tone; more copper produces a deeper, redder hue.
Common alloy ratios
Typical 18K rose gold alloys combine roughly 75% gold with copper and a small amount of silver, while lighter 'pink gold' or deeper 'red gold' shift that copper-to-silver balance to change the final colour.
Durability advantage
Copper is a relatively hard metal, so rose gold alloys are often somewhat more scratch-resistant in daily wear than comparable-karat yellow or white gold alloys.
Buyer checklist
- ✓ Check the karat stamp to confirm actual gold content
- ✓ Ask about the copper ratio if a specific shade of pink is desired
- ✓ Note that higher copper content can occasionally cause sensitivity in some wearers
Verification tools & references
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