Does rose gold finish wear off?

Melia’s spotty rose gold plating started this conversation. Melia bought a discolored rose gold plated pendant at a sale. She figured she’d just polish it up. She tried various silver and copper polishes and only succeeded in pulling most of the plating off and leaving it splotchy looking. Melia was not happy.

I got the call, “can you re-plate my rose gold plated pendant?”

Me: “Most likely. It is problematic however.”

Melia: “How come?”

Me: “To create the plating solution with rose gold, a lot of copper is used, just like in the creation of rose gold itself. And copper has problems.”

Melia: “Like darkening?”

Me: “Yup.”

Melia: “You should see it after I cleaned and polished it with copper cleaner.”

Me: “Pretty bad?”

Melia: “Superbad. So if I have you plate it can you do it super deep so it’ll last longer and not turn dark?”

Me: “Not really. I mean I can plate your pendant, but rose plating wears off faster than yellow gold plating or rhodium white plating. And if rose plating is exposed to certain chemicals it can darken. Usually just in a spot here or there, making it look especially bad.”

Melia: “Wow you’re really sellin’ it.”

Me: “It’s my superpower.”

Melia: “I just want something to wear everyday that is rose gold. What would make it look nice?”

Me: “Some people who make costume jewelry and plate it, also put on what they call an e-coat, which supposedly creates a barrier protecting the plating longer. I don’t offer that service.”

Melia: “So my friend Anita has a rose colored Michael Kors watch she’s had for a while and it’s gotten dark on the back. It does not look good. Do you think it is e-coated?”

Me: “Good chance of it.”

Melia: “How about you plate my pendant in rose gold and we’ll just see how long the plating lasts?”

Me: “I can do that!”

One Year Later

We ended up plating her pendant with white rhodium because as we feared, her rose colored gold plating had gone from great looking to OK looking. She loves how much better the rhodium white is wearing.

Melia had me design a rose gold ring in 14kt karat. She finds it much better behaved and nicely rose-y looking.

Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla

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Does thinking about true love make you blush? Do you love fine jewelry pieces and engagement rings with a taste of vintage flair? Or maybe you just love to keep up with the latest 2021 fall jewelry trends. If the answer is yes you need to know about rose gold, a shimmery metal in a charming pinkish hue that’s taking the jewelry world by storm.

In this article we’ll review everything that you need to know about rose gold from its international origins to how it stacks up against other popular metals.

The History of Rose Gold Jewelry

First used in early 19th century Russia, rose gold color rose to popularity after jeweler Carl Faberge used the metal in his famed Faberge Eggs. Thus, the alloy became known as “Russian Gold” in the 1920s and skyrocketed in jewelry trends around the world.

One of the biggest names leading the charge was French watchmaker and jeweler Cartier who created a line of dazzling rose gold jewelry paired with diamonds and various types of gemstones. The most famous of Cartier’s pieces during this time was the “Trinity Ring” a simple band that consisted of three rings – one yellow gold, one white gold and one rose gold tone.

Today, rose gold jewelry is beloved for the way that it perfectly compliments every skin tone and is widely available in both engagement rings and fine jewelry selections.

What Is Rose Gold?

There’s white gold, yellow gold and rose gold, but what about pure gold? Pure yellow gold (aka 24 karat gold) is a naturally occurring element that sadly, due to its softness, just isn’t cut out for fine jewelry greatness. As a result, this precious metal’s durability is lackluster and there is no way that it can hold up to the level of wear and tear that we expect from our engagement rings and fine jewelry pieces. Given this, it may be easier to choose platinum for its longevity. However, when comparing platinum vs. gold, there are a number of differentiating factors to look at. Instead, we mix metal alloys resulting in different types of gold metal that are stronger and more resistant to scratches, knicks, and damage so you can still have your gold ring while ensuring it will withstand the tests of time. For this reason, you’ll find 14-karat, 18-karat, and 21-karat yellow gold as well as this popular yet classic pink gold.

Rose gold is created when pure gold is mixed with silver and copper alloys. The addition of copper and silver helps strengthen rose gold and gives the metal its signature pink hue(hence the nickname “pink gold”). The more copper content in the mix, the redder rose gold will appear.

A major perk of rose gold is that it doesn’t tarnish over time. However, just like any gold piece, rose gold jewelry like a rose gold watch, ring, bracelet, or earrings do need to be cleaned and polished from time to time.

Is Rose Gold Real Gold?

Whether you’re searching for a rose gold ring, necklace, or another rose gold piece, you might be wondering if this metal is real gold. Rose gold is not pure gold per se (just like all other jewelry golds) but still, pure gold is the base metal to make rose gold jewelry.

Rose Gold vs Other Precious Metals

This is how rose gold stacks up against other popular metals.

Rose Gold:
As mentioned above, rose gold will not tarnish. In fact, over time rose gold develops something called patina, an outer layer that forms naturally due to the copper within the rose gold alloy. Patina is highly sought after in the jewelry world and will not damage your rose gold pieces and accessories as it can be easily removed with a quick polish or cleaning session. To care for rose gold jewelry, be mindful to prevent exposing it to hard knocks and blows, like any gold jewelry, have an understanding of how to clean rose gold jewelry by using water and soap or a soft cotton cloth.

Yellow Gold:
Yellow gold is made from pure gold mixed with alloy metals like zinc and copper. Yellow gold is a surprisingly soft metal that requires special care to ensure that it remains in tip-top shape. Be careful to remove any yellow gold jewelry containing before doing household chores and before washing or showering as soap residue can build up quickly making the piece appear dull. After wearing, wipe down yellow gold with a soft cloth to keep it sparkling and nicely polished. Yellow gold items should be stored in a cloth-lined box when they aren’t being worn to prevent any knicks or damage.

White Gold:
White gold is a mixed alloy that typically contains around 75% gold and 25% nickel and zinc. White gold is sensitive to labor-intensive activities especially those that require chemicals. Keep this metal far away from chlorine-based detergents as they can easily damage white gold jewelry. To clean, create a cleaning solution using warm water and dish soap and let the item soak for 20-30 minutes.

Palladium:
Similar to platinum in appearance, palladium is a shiny, silvery-white metal that resists corrosion. Palladium is a hypoallergenic metal so wearers can rest easy knowing that this style ring won’t give them an allergic reaction. When it comes to durability, palladium is more durable than its gold counterparts ranking at 5.75 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Jewelry in this style can be cleaned using a pre-packaged jewelry cleaner or by soaking in soap and warm water.

Sterling Silver:
For best results, clean your sterling silver jewelry after each wear to prevent tarnish, dirt and oil from building up. Sterling silver can be polished using a paste made from baking soda and a toothbrush. Hot tip: be sure that your jewelry is completely dry before storing and store your sterling silver in a plastic baggie to limit air exposure.

Rose Gold Jewelry

Does rose gold sound right for you and your jewelry collection? Here are a few more things to keep in mind when choosing your rose gold engagement ring setting or fine jewelry metal.

Durability:
Rose gold is less prone to damage from everyday wear than white or yellow gold. In fact, rose gold is so durable that it does not require additional plating layers like other variations of gold do. As mentioned above, rose gold does not tarnish with age and its unique patina is adored in the jewelry world.

Price:
Price differences between real rose gold and other alloyed metals are a bit of a wash. The value of a wedding band is determined by the amount of gold in the piece and since a rose gold ring will have just as much gold as a yellow gold ring, the bands are likely to be priced similarly.

Styles:
Rose gold jewelry and engagement rings are all the rage so you can expect to find them as an option when shopping for your favorite jewelry styles, such as stud earrings, wedding ring, trinity ring, etc.

If rose gold comes to mind when you imagine your dream engagement ring consider a cushion, radiant or round cut diamond for your center stone. While all diamond cuts can be paired with a rose gold setting, these stones best complement its romantic hue thanks to their reflective facets and unbeatable sparkle.

A diamond’s cut isn’t the only thing to consider when selecting a rose gold engagement ring, color grade can also come into play. Because of rose gold’s pink color, many people avoid stones that contain hints of yellow and instead aim for a colorless diamond in the D-G range for maximum brilliance and fire.

Aside from choosing it as the metal of a diamond engagement ring, you can also give rose gold jewelry to your friends or family. Rose gold jewelry even makes good stocking stuffers during the holidays. And if you ant to customize them, consider ordering a customized pendant. Either way, rose gold will never go out of style.