Rose gold, like all colored variants of yellow gold is an alloy. The rosy hue this variety owes to copper which is precisely 21% of the alloy. Other metals used are gold and a very tiny portion of silver. Being an alloy, the highest available grade of rose gold is 18K. Gold, when mixed with other metals becomes strong and durable, which is easier to work with than pure gold which is too pliable. That is why rose gold ornaments are often adorned with gemstones, mostly diamond. Now aside the standard 18K, there is another less pure grade of pink gold. It is the 14K rose gold. It is stronger than the 18K gold because of higher presence of alloy metals.
In this article, we will discuss the two grades in details, covering both their similarities and differences.
Strength
While 18K rose gold contains 21% copper, the 14K variety uses nearly twice that. 41.6% copper content in the 14K rose gold gives it a lot more strength than the 18K gold. 14K rose gold is widely used to curve gem jewelry. Precision engravings and detailing is possible when working with 14K gold than its purer counterpart. Expect to see complicated designs on 14K rose gold jewelry.
Color
As for the colors, 18 and 14K gold vary visibly. The 14K pink gold looks more desirable because of the rosier tone. Presence of copper in higher content causes that. The yellow gold in 14K gold which is present in 58.5% takes on a more pinkish hue which makes it a little more attractive than the 18K variety which has a lot more pure gold and far less copper to attain that kind of a color. So, as far as the rosiness goes, 14K gold is brighter and visually more attractive than 18K rose gold.
Prices
Evidently, the less pure variety of rose gold costs lesser than the 18K gold. That makes 14K ornaments easily affordable which makes it a preferred metal for crafted inexpensive gem jewelry. Diamond is one of the dominant gem choices for pink gold. Achromatic diamond and pink rose gold make a perfect match that is aesthetically excellent. So, if you are looking for something cheap but durable in gold, consider 14K rose gold. 18K gold is obviously the purer, more worthy investment of the two, but aesthetically 14K beats its purer equivalent by a fair margin.
