What is the difference between red gold and rose gold?

The difference between red gold and rose gold is not always clearly noticed under certain light conditions. This is not so strange as these two shades of gold are strongly related to each other. But it does indeed concern different alloys. What are the decisive differences between red gold and rose gold? You can find out here.

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To what extent does the composition differ?

Copper like this is added to gold to obtain rose and red gold.

Both red gold and rose gold get their colour by adding copper to pure gold. The percentage of copper in the alloy ultimately determines the colour and thus the name of the result. At BAUNAT, the gold is always 18 karat. A higher karat is not desirable because this gold is too soft and fragile.

In 18 carat gold, which we always use at BAUNAT, there will always be 75% gold present in red gold or rose gold. It is the percentage of copper (and other precious metals) that varies. For example, in red gold, the remaining25% of the alloy will consist almost entirely of copper. A very small percentage is silver. With rose gold, this is not the case: about 22.5% is copper and 2.5% silver. If the share of silver rises to 5% and the share of copper drops to 20%, we call it pink gold. The colour shade of this is just slightly different.

What is the difference in colour?

Rose gold rings. The colour of these rings is a little lighter than with red gold. – BAUNAT

The word says it all: colour. The colour palette does not differ much but can be seen clearly under the right circumstances. Red gold is the darkest, rose gold the lightest. Copper has a powerful pink-orange colour. If we add this metal to pure gold, we obtain a beautiful pinkish gold colour. The higher the percentage of copper in the alloy, the stronger the pink hue.

Red gold custom-made ring on note - BAUNAT

Full red gold has a rather orange red colour, especially compared to the other two shades. It's a little darker too. Rose gold is a little lighter than red gold. This is caused by the higher share of silver. Pink gold is even lighter than rose gold, again because more silver was used.

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Why does the name differ?

Lady writes with red gold ring on from BAUNAT

The difference between red gold, rose gold and pink gold is not always clearly defined. With this, we mean that different brands can also use different names, which can cause a lot of confusion. Depending on the jeweller, the terms are used intermixed and what is red gold at one jeweller can be rose gold at another.

Some even argue that there is no distinction at all and claim that the term rose gold is only used to give the colour an even more romantic undertone. Others still use the word rose gold consistently, but see it as a kind of overarching name for all gold alloys in which copper was also used.

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Do you have a hard time making a choice? That's absolutely normal. Both rose gold and red gold are undoubtedly beautiful for you, and then we haven't even started talking about white gold or platinum. BAUNAT's experienced specialists are always happy to assist you with advice to help you make an informed choice.

What do you know about our other precious metals?

Do you know which metal gold is mixed with to form white or yellow gold: strong alloys with their own characteristics. And do you already know why platinum is an excellent choice with diamond jewellery? You can read all about it in these blogs.

Frequently asked Questions

What’s the difference between platinum and white gold?

Platinum and white gold are both precious metals. Platinum is rarer and more expensive than white gold. It’s stronger too. White gold has a distinct shiny silver colour, whereas platinum looks more greyish-white. Both are mixed with other metals for strength. A ring in white gold is more traditional and more symbolic than a platinum one.

What is gold worth?

Precious metals such as gold and silver are good long-term investments and are often traded on the global market. Their price fluctuates. If you are selling an item of gold jewellery , the jeweller will determine the amount of pure gold in the alloy and base their offer on this.

What is yellow gold?

Fine gold is the only metal in the world which is yellow in its pure form. Because pure gold is too soft, and therefore too sensitive to dents and scratches for the manufacture of gold jewellery, an alloy of gold with other metals is always used. These include silver, palladium, copper or nickel. Pure 24 carat gold is an ochre yellow colour. To produce an alloy of 18 carats, fine gold is melted together with silver and copper. Depending on the proportion of metal added, the colour of the metal will vary from yellow to pink or red. If the fine gold is alloyed with a certain amount of silver and copper, a yellow gold alloy is produced.

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