From iPhones and laptops to cars and even hair colour, Red Gold seems to be everywhere. This current trend may be slowly making its way off the décor scene’s hotlist but it’s still humming in jewellery design. Red Gold, also known as Rose Gold, Pink Gold or Blush Gold, is an alloy created from a combination of Gold and Copper and sometimes Silver. Depending on the ratios of the mix, it can appear orange-yellow, dusky pink or red-orange but it most commonly takes on a warm pink-red hue.
History:
Red Gold made its first appearance in the 1800s as a favourite amongst Russian royalty when the Czars’ Jeweller Carl Faberge mixed Gold and Copper to create – amongst other items – his famous Faberge Eggs. Its popularity spread around the globe and hit a peak during the 1920s. This current trend started slowly, in around 2012, according to leading fashion trend spotting agency WGSN. When iPhone brought our their Rose Gold option in 2015, the colour “hit critical mass”, and in 2016 the colour was named Pantone Colour of the Year, under the moniker Rose Quartz.
Why is this trend still hanging around?
Red gold tones with most colours and gives jewellers a warm base on which to showcase the more unusual brown, orange and yellow colour families of gemstones and diamonds. It works well with and ties mixed metals together, is subtler than yellow gold and has more character than white gold. It’s a softer alternative to the sharp tones of gunmetal or silver and the feminine hue appeals to both women and increasingly to men. A market survey of women aged between 20-29 in Germany, France and the UK found that respondents preferred rose gold because they identified the colour with being feminine, elegant, and premium.
Digital influencers have had a surprising effect on this trend. Penny Goldstone, digital fashion editor at Marie Claire, speculates that millennials have held on to pink hues because they photograph well in posts on social media. “It’s all about matching everything. So on Instagram you’ll have people posting a picture where they’re drinking a glass of rosé while sitting on a pink lounger, wearing a vintage pink 50s swimsuit.” Retailers are now basing some of their product research on Instagram trends as well as taking their cue from catwalks.
The versatile metal is also proving popular as an engagement ring and wedding band choice for couples. It compliments and flatters most skin tones, can look modern, classic or vintage and has a romantic feel to it.
Cleaning and caring for Red Gold
Jewellery made from Red Gold will darken over time due to the high copper content, and caring for it differs slightly from ordinary Gold. For antique Rose Gold, much care is needed to avoid harming the coating of the gold, which contributes greatly to its value. Modern Rose Gold also demands caution, but for the most part it can be cleaned like standard gold jewellery. After cleaning, you know you are buffing your jewellery piece correctly when the undesirable tarnish accumulation on it creates black spots on the polishing cloth.
Looking ahead
So how much longer should this trend continue? It’s always difficult to predict, but the positive association with the colour seems to have taken root in a host of industries, from footwear to weddings. The general public will always be a few years behind the catwalks and for now, many retailers are still reporting higher sales in items of this colour. In the world of watches, Matthias Breschan, CEO of Rado, notes: “We’ve been seeing warm tones for a while and I think these will continue to be of interest in the year ahead. The popularity of rose gold as a colour is well documented and we’re also seeing lots of browns, bronze and amber colours too.”
Ms Goldstone believes that millennials have continued to focus on Rose Gold as a kind of psychological protest against the perceived depressing grind of modern life… to attempt to see the world through rose-tinted glasses. This theory may be supported by Pantone’s colour for 2019: a shade they’ve named Living Coral and one that’s definitely in the Millenium Pink or Red Gold family.
Cape Precious Metals has a range of Red Gold products. Ask your sales executive for pricing on the below!
18ER SOLDERS
Back by popular demand! We manufacture these in-house from responsibly sourced raw materials
RED GOLD PLATES
Our standard size is approximately 120mmx35mm and 0.7mm thick but we do also make-to-order, always from responsibly sourced raw materials
RED GOLD BUTTERFLIES IN 18 & 9ct
18RUB442: 18ct Red Medium/Large
18RUF425: 18ct Red 0.25mm
09RUF425: 9ct Red 0.25mm
ROSE GOLD BATH PLATING SOLUTION
Code: C0125
CPM’s HELPFUL TIPS FOR WORKING WITH RED GOLD ALLOYS
18ct RED BENCH
Suitable for: Bench Work and Casting (not rolling)
Alloy Composition: 75.2% AU (AG/CU)
Melting Range/Casting Temp: 890 – 895°C Melting
Solders: 18ct E, M & H, RED
Specific Gravity: 15.9
Annealing Colour: Cherry Red
Hints, Tips & Uses:
Do not anneal often as cracking can occur. Can be annealled in a furnace at 650°C – the time depends on the size of the piece. Alternatively, it may be heated to cherry red and quenched from a black heat for maximum ductility
14ct RED
Suitable for: Bench Work only (not casting or rolling)
Alloy Composition: 58.4% AU (AG/CU
Melting Range/Casting Temp: 920°C Melting
Solders: 9ct or 18ct E, M RED
Specific Gravity: 15.1
Annealing Colour: Red
Hints, Tips & Uses:
- Anneal as little as possible and allow to air cool
- This metal work hardens quickly
- This metal is difficult to roll.
9ct RED
Suitable for: Bench Work and Casting (not rolling)
Alloy Composition: 37.6% AU (AG/CU)
Melting Range/Casting Temp: 900-960°C Melting
Solders: 9ct E, M & H RED
Specific Gravity: 11.1
Annealing Colour: Cherry Red
Hints, Tips & Uses:
- General purpose red gold alloy.
- Work hardens quickly due to high copper content
- Use soft flame when annealing and roll gently
- “Air cool” – no quenching •This alloy is age-hardenable