The key difference between gold and rose gold is that gold is a precious metal with a lustrous-yellow appearance, while rose gold is a pink-colored alloy made by mixing pure gold and copper.
Both these are malleable, rare, and valuable metals. The jewelry made using these two metals gives you elegance and flattering looks. There are other types of gold, like white gold, blue gold, purple gold, champagne, black gold, and green gold. All of them are made by mixing other metals with pure gold.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Gold
3. What is Rose Gold
4. Gold vs Rose Gold in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Gold vs Rose Gold
What is Gold?
Gold is a precious metal with a lustrous-yellow appearance. It is a heavy element and is very much malleable, so it can be made into different shapes. Gold is non-reactive and is a good conductor of electricity.
Gold can be found easily in its natural form, so it is one of the first metals used by humans. It has been used even in 40,000 B.C. in Palaeolithic Europe. However, the first people to use gold in crafted jewelry and other objects, rather than in its natural state, were ancient Mesopotamians or Egyptians in the 3rd millennium B.C. This metal was used in Lydia in 700 B.C. to make coins. These coins were made of gold and electrum.
Gold is measured by karats. Pure gold is 24k. To make pure gold stronger, alloys such as copper and silver are mixed into them. Green gold is created by adding copper, silver, and zinc, while rose gold is created by adding copper and a small amount of silver. For white gold, pure gold is mixed with copper, silver, nickel, or palladium.
What is Rose Gold?
Rose gold is an alloy made by mixing pure gold and copper. This combination changes not only the karat value but also the color of the final product. The most common combination is 75% pure gold, 22.5% copper, and 2.75% silver, which makes 18k rose gold. The karat value of the final product depends on the percentage of these two metals. 14k rose gold has 58.5% pure gold and around 41% copper and silver. The higher the copper content, the deeper the pink will be. In addition to copper, silver is also mixed, and it helps to strengthen the final product.
Earlier, rose gold was known as Russian gold and was introduced in the 19th century as a fashion jewel. Carl Faberge created this, and in the 1920s, this gained popularity. Jewellery made using rose gold will not tarnish over time and is durable, so it will not need any additional plating for protection. However, they may get a little darker or redder after many years. This is not due to the metal getting tarnished but due to copper becoming a little darker and vintage looking. Since copper is one of the most durable metals on earth, rose gold jewelry is very strong.
Rose gold jewelry matches almost any other color; therefore, you can pair it with yellow gold, white gold, silver, or platinum. Or else you can wear tri-color pieces of jewelry which contain silver/white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold. Rose gold can be worn both in casual and formal settings since it matches almost anything.
However, rose gold jewelry is not hypoallergenic due to its copper content. Copper may cause itching, small bumps on the skin, and a burning sensation on sensitive skin. If this happens, you have to try wearing another metal.
What is the Difference Between Gold and Rose Gold?
The key difference between gold and rose gold is that gold is a precious metal with a lustrous-yellow appearance, while rose gold is a pink-colored alloy made by mixing pure gold and copper. Moreover, rose gold is stronger than gold because of its copper content and requires less maintenance.
The below infographic presents the differences between gold and rose gold in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Gold vs Rose Gold
Gold is a precious metal with a lustrous-yellow appearance. Pure gold is only one metal and not an alloy like rose gold. It is very much malleable and less strong; therefore, the jewelry made using gold needs more maintenance. Rose gold is an alloy made by mixing pure gold and copper. It is pink in color, less malleable, and stronger, and jewelry made using it requires less maintenance. However, since rose gold is non-hypoallergenic, people with sensitive skin should be careful when wearing rose gold accessories. So, this is the summary of the difference between gold and rose gold.
Reference:
1. “Gold.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “What Is Rose Gold? A Brief History and Description.” Laura Preshong.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Gold and Pearl Beaded Bracelet” by Baljit Johal (CC0) via Pexels
2. “Rose Gold Diamond Engagement Ring” By Petragems – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia