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UNDERSTANDING GOLD ALLOYS IN FINE JEWELLERY
Colour may be what draws you to a piece of jewellery first, but it is only part of the story. Beneath the surface, the alloy shapes how gold looks, how it wears over time and how it interacts with the stones set into it. Understanding the differences between yellow, white and rose gold offers another way to appreciate a piece, from the material itself to the choices that define its character.
WHY THE ALLOY MATTERS
Pure 24-carat gold is too soft for most fine jewellery. By combining it with other metals, jewellers create alloys with the strength, durability and workability that precision craftsmanship demands, while retaining the qualities that make gold enduring: its richness, weight and permanence.
Much fine jewellery is crafted in 18-carat gold, marked with the 750 hallmark to indicate that 75 percent of the alloy is pure gold. The remaining 25 percent is where the character of yellow, white and rose gold begins to differ. The metals introduced into the alloy influence its colour, hardness and behaviour over time, making the choice of gold an important part of the design itself.
YELLOW GOLD
Yellow gold is the closest expression of gold's natural warmth. Typically alloyed with metals such as silver and copper to increase its strength, it retains the rich, luminous character associated with the precious metal without relying on a surface coating to achieve its colour. With wear, yellow gold can develop a subtle patina as its original polish softens. For many collectors, these changes are not imperfections to be erased, but evidence of ownership and a reflection of how a piece has been worn. Over time, the surface can take on a quieter character while the warmth of the gold remains.
Its natural richness also creates an affinity with coloured gemstones, allowing the metal and stone to complement one another without competing for attention. For brands such as Palmiero and Picchiotti, whose work is deeply connected to the Valenza goldsmithing tradition, yellow gold can serve as a foundation for designs in which craftsmanship and material are closely intertwined.
WHITE GOLD
White gold is created by alloying gold with lighter-coloured metals, commonly palladium or, in some compositions, nickel, to create a cooler appearance. Many white gold pieces are then finished with rhodium, a platinum-group metal applied through electroplating to give the surface its bright, reflective finish. With regular wear, this rhodium layer gradually becomes thinner and may eventually require professional re-plating. This is a normal part of owning white gold jewellery, with the frequency depending on how often a piece is worn and what it is exposed to.
The neutral character of white gold makes it a natural choice for diamond jewellery, particularly when the intention is to allow the stone to take visual precedence. Its cooler tone can create a clean, continuous setting around a diamond, which is particularly suited to designs where the metal is intended to recede. Suzanne Kalan's diamond compositions demonstrate how this quality can become part of the design language itself.
ROSE GOLD
Rose gold takes its distinctive colour from copper within the alloy. In 18-carat rose gold, the composition is typically around 75 percent gold, with copper and a smaller proportion of silver making up the remainder. The balance between these metals influences how warm or pink the finished gold appears. The use of copper gives rose gold its characteristic warmth, while its colour is inherent to the alloy rather than dependent on a surface treatment. Like other gold alloys, its surface will naturally show the effects of wear over time, but its underlying colour remains part of the material itself.
Rose gold was historically known as Russian gold and became particularly associated with 19th-century Russian jewellery, including pieces created by Carl Fabergé for the Romanov imperial family. Today, its appeal lies as much in its versatility as its history.
For Marco Bicego, rose gold can be more than an alternative to yellow or white gold. It becomes a creative material in its own right, shaping the mood and character of a design.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT GOLD
There is no single gold alloy that is right for every piece. The choice comes down to how you want the jewellery to look against your skin and alongside the pieces you already wear, the gemstones you want it to complement, and the way you expect it to be worn over time.
Yellow gold offers warmth and develops a distinctive surface character with wear. White gold provides a cooler, more neutral setting, particularly suited to diamonds, although its rhodium finish may require periodic professional renewal. Rose gold brings a softer warmth through its copper-rich composition, making it a distinctive choice for both contemporary and more expressive designs. Ultimately, the alloy is part of the design language.
