Rose gold is one of the biggest trends in wedding jewelry this year, and it’s not hard to see why this glowing pinkish metal is an increasingly popular pick. With its pinkish hue, it’s decidedly warmer than white gold, platinum and sterling silver, but softer and more romantic than yellow gold. This unique color is quickly gaining fans, and from vintage-style rose gold engagement rings to wedding bands for both brides and grooms, there are plenty of ways to wear it.
Copper is responsible for the color of rose gold, as well as for its nickname: “pink gold.” However, this addition doesn’t only change gold’s appearance; it also adds durability. Pure gold is quite malleable on its own, and easily loses its shape. Like all gold that’s used in jewelry, rose gold is actually an alloy that adds other metals to gold to increase its suitability for pieces such as wedding bands.
While rose gold is peaking in popularity, it’s not a recent invention. In fact, some of the first gold that was used in jewelry may have been rose gold. Gold often contains copper in its natural state, and many cultures in millennia past used it as it was. The Chinese, the Greeks and the Romans all utilized their own versions of rose gold, giving this metal a long history. In addition, many ancient texts referred to gold as “red,” giving further evidence that the gold of ages past was actually rose gold.
A century ago, rose gold was all the rage in Russia, and for a time, this metal was nicknamed “Russian gold.” While this moniker faded, the appeal of rose gold didn’t. In the 1920s, it gained popularity in the United States when French jeweler Cartier debuted the trinity ring, a piece formed from three interlocking bands of three different varieties of gold: white gold, yellow gold and rose gold.
The unique color of Rose gold wedding bands and engagement rings is surprisingly versatile and quite flattering for a wide range of skin tones. It also lends itself beautifully to a wide range of styles, providing options to satisfy an array of tastes. Classic solitaires and plain wedding rings become subtly unique expressions of love when crafted in rose gold, while intricately-engraved styles take on a new sense of romance when made from this lovely metal. No matter what sort of wedding jewelry floats your boat, the rose gold trend is definitely one to try!
This article was written by Beverly A. Guy.
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