What is rose gold?

Rose gold is an alloy, renowned for its delicate pink colouring and elegant charm. Its gorgeous colour is achieved by mixing pure gold with copper—and sometimes silver—to create a stunning blush-toned metal. The proportion of copper to pure gold determines the intensity of the pink colouring.

The problems with rose gold:

1. Rose gold can cause problems for people with sensitive skin. Rose gold gets its signature pink hue from a high concentration of copper. Copper is a common allergen that can cause itching or redness for sensitive skin.

2. Rose gold is notoriously difficult for jewellers to resize or repair. The problem comes from the copper in rose gold. When heated during a repair, the copper can sometimes separate from the gold, leading to weak spots or cracks in the band. Also,  because there is no standard "rose gold" recipe, the solder used for a repair may not perfectly match your original ring's unique shade, leaving a visible seam.

As a jewellery designer, my advice is: when it comes to engagement rings, yellow gold and platinum should be your first choice, the second place goes to white gold because it is slightly harder to maintain due to its rhodium plating. Rose gold should be avoided if possible.