The History and Romance of Rose Gold
Rose, red, or pink gold is more than just gold—the manipulation of color through alloying brings a beauty all its own to fine jewelry. The warm, rose-colored tint provides a vintage, romanticized aesthetic that has captured hearts for over a century.
Malaya Garnet set in Rose Gold
What is Rose Gold?
14-karat rose gold (also called red or pink gold) is a gold-copper alloy that is still 14-karat gold, just as 14-karat yellow gold is itself an alloy of gold, silver, and copper. In each case, gold makes up 14/24 of the material. What is used to make up the remaining 10/24 can widely vary in order to express specific metallic colors.
The Artist's Palette: Metallic Colors
As an art student 40 years ago, Stephen Walker enjoyed working in combinations of copper, brass, bronze (those two themselves being alloys of copper), and silver, using the palette of metallic colors for a study in contrasts. His earlier works expressed this combination of color through married metals and mokume gane techniques.
Rose Gold's Celtic Heritage
These contrasts in color and material have a fine tradition in Celtic jewelry. Pieces from the golden age of Celtic art in the early medieval era, while not necessarily using the rose-gold alloy itself, relied frequently on highlighting and contrasting different metals.
The Ardagh Chalice is a perfect example—this masterpiece is silver overlayed with gold and other materials, demonstrating the Celtic love of metallic contrast. Read Stephen's research on the Ardagh Chalice →
Later Celtic jewelry, particularly from the 19th-century Irish Celtic Revival movement, often used silver pieces with rose-gold highlights. So much rose gold was used in Victorian-era Wales that an incorrect popular belief arose that Welsh gold is naturally red.
The Fall and Rise of Rose Gold
1930s: The Decline
In the 1930s, jewelry manufacturing shifted from wire and stamping technology to casting. Since casting rose gold could lead to oxidation issues, the alloy fell out of style.
Modern Era: The Revival
Buffalo metallurgist Jim Seaverson devised a deoxidation formula that solved the casting problem, giving rose gold a 'comeback' in popularity, especially in the past five years.
Unfinished Rose Gold has a blush hue
Walker Metalsmiths at the vanguard: Having begun casting rose gold two decades ago, Walker Metalsmiths is proud to have been at the forefront of rose gold's recent revival. We perfected the technique long before it became mainstream.
Rose Gold Celtic Jewelry Today
Rose Gold Robin's Heart Pendant and Earring Set
Any item made by Walker Metalsmiths that is available in yellow gold can be made in rose gold. The blush hue is often associated with romance and love, which makes it especially popular in engagement rings, wedding bands, and anniversary jewelry. You will also find that many of our pieces use rose gold to highlight white or yellow gold, creating stunning multi-tonal effects.
Why Choose Rose Gold?
- Romantic aesthetic: The warm pink tones evoke vintage elegance
- Complements all skin tones: Universally flattering color
- Durable: The copper content makes it slightly harder than yellow gold
- Celtic heritage: Connects to Victorian Celtic Revival tradition
- Modern trend: Increasingly popular in contemporary jewelry
Shop Rose Gold Celtic Jewelry
Discover our collection of handcrafted Celtic rings in romantic 14K rose gold. Wedding bands, engagement rings, and custom designs that honor Celtic tradition with modern style.
Romantic rose gold rings
Vintage-inspired settings
Rose gold Celtic designs
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