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If you want to buy a rose gold wedding ring, you must decide on the gem, size, design, and, of course, the karat.
The essence of the comparison 10k vs 14k vs 18k rose gold comes to: Bigger karat values mean greater gold percentage and lower added metals, mainly copper.
If you want to conclude that “The higher the gold percentage, the better it is.”, please let us say there is more to the story of pink gold than karat values.
- Does 14k rose gold tarnish?
- Does rose gold scratch easily?
- Does rose gold make your finger green?
These are just 3 of the frequently asked questions buyers have during shopping for rose gold wedding rings.
In this post, we answered these clearly and shed light on the subject to help you make the best decision according to your personal preferences!
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What is rose gold?
Gold is a precious metal with symbol Au, short for the Latin Aurum.
Its atomic number is 79 on the periodic table.
Gold has a natural yellow color with red hues. Deposits are found in various geographies from Alaska, to South America, from Turkey to South Africa to Indonesia.
It has been used as money for centuries in forms of gold coins and bars. Even today, national central banks hold gold bullion as reserve.
Some also prefer to keep a portion of their saving in gold coins such as 1 oz gold eagles or gold maple leaves.
But, up to 80% of newly mined or recycled gold goes to the jewelry industry.
Gold has a long history of been used for making jewelry.
However, in its purest form, it is too soft for daily wear.
Had we used 100% pure yellow gold in rings and bracelets, they would have easily got scratched.
They might even get damaged and completely lose their shape.
This is why we use gold alloys for jewelry, obtained by mixing real gold with stronger metals to increase hardness and durability.
The top 3 alloys are yellow gold, white gold and our subject, rose gold.
The added metals distances the gold color from its classic reddish yellow.
The first alloy, yellow gold, is the closest to the metal’s natural color with better durability.
The second one, white gold, is an alloy with white colored metals like zinc, nickel, silver and palladium. It is often coated with a layer of rhodium. This rhodium plating protects the gold core and gives a more overall standard sheen.
Lastly, rose gold is a gold-copper alloy.
Copper hardens the metal, making it fit for jewelry.
It is also responsible for the pink color.
The hardness and the reddish color gradually increases with the copper percentage.
Check out the video below to witness the making of a rose gold ring!
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What is karat?
Karat is the unit used to denote the purity of gold coins, bullion and jewelry.
1 karat represents 1-in-24 parts in weight of the metal.
Pure gold, which is 100% pure, is 24 Karat or 24k.
If we express purity is thousand, that is called fineness.
| Karatage | Karat stamp | Gold parts | Percentage | Fineness |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 Karat | 8K | 8 / 24 | 33.3 | 333 |
| 9 Karat | 9K | 9 / 24 | 37.5 | 375 |
| 10 Karat | 10K | 10 / 24 | 41.7 | 417 |
| 14 Karat | 14K | 14 / 24 | 58.3 | 583 |
| 15 Karat | 15K | 15 / 24 | 62.5 | 625 |
| 16 Karat | 16K | 16 / 24 | 66.7 | 667 |
| 18 Karat | 18K | 18 / 24 | 75 | 750 |
| 20 Karat | 20K | 20 / 24 | 83.3 | 833 |
| 22 Karat | 22K | 22 / 24 | 91.7 | 917 |
| 24 Karat | 24K | 24 / 24 | 100 | 999 |
For example, 18k gold has 75% gold in its mix. Its fineness is 750.
10k, 14k and 18k rose gold alloys are popular choices for jewelry.
They are widely used to produce rose gold rings, earrings and necklaces.
You can easily find jewelry at these karats in every store.
Copper is not the only metal used in the composition of rose gold alloys. Silver is also included to finetune the color.
From the table below, you can compare compositions by karat value.
| Karat | Gold | Silver | Copper |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9k | 27.5 | 20 | 42.5 |
| 10k | 41.7 | 20 | 38.3 |
| 14k | 58.3 | 9.2 | 32.5 |
| 18k | 75 | 2.8 | 22.2 |
| 22k | 91.7 | — | 8.4 |
10k vs 14k vs 18k rose gold: which one is better?
| Karat | Stamp | Gold parts | Percentage | Hardness | Color | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Karat | 10K | 10 / 24 | 41.7 | +++ | +++ | + |
| 14 Karat | 14K | 14 / 24 | 58.3 | ++ | ++ | ++ |
| 18 Karat | 18K | 18 / 24 | 75 | + | + | +++ |
The plus(+) signs in the table are used for illustrating the changes in hardness, color and price levels. They do not show a ratio relation in any terms.
Each karat has its pros and cons. Now, let’s take a closer look at their advantages side by side by durability, color, hypoallergenic property and price.
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1. Hardness and Durability
Rose gold’s hardness elevates with the copper percentage in the alloy.
Thus, 10k rose gold will be more scratch resistant than 14k, which in turn will be more durable than 18k rose gold ring.
10k rose gold ring is harder than 14k and 18k rose gold rings.
Rose gold does not scratch easily, especially 10k pieces.
This quality makes 10k rose gold the better choice for everyday jewelry.
As rose gold has copper in its mix, it can leave a black-green color behind. This is the sign that there has been a copper oxidation with humidity and skin oil.
Does rose gold rust?
Rose gold does not rust. Rust is the result of oxidation of iron and iron alloy. It occurs after a long exposure to humidity and oxygen.
Rose gold alloys do not include iron, thus they are immune from rusting.
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2. Color
The rose color of this alloy comes from copper.
The richer it is in copper, the closer the original color gets closer to red.
10k rose gold has a stronger reddish pink color than 14k and 18k rose gold.
Does rose gold tarnish?
Rose gold does not tarnish like sterling silver.
However, it may accumulate dirt, dust, skin oil which takes away its shine.
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How to clean rose gold jewelry
Jewelry pieces with gemstones require special attention as not every gem is strong like a diamond. These should be treated according the nature of the stone in order to not harm or damage it.
Dealing with watches may also be tricky. They should be examined on a case by case basis.
Gemstone jewelry and watches might be better left to professionals for this reason.
But, for classic rose gold jewelry, with no gems, cleaning can easily be done at home.
- Take a bowl of lukewarm water and pour a few drops of soft soap.
- Dip a soft cloth in the bowl and gently remove dirt away.
- Always completely dry your pieces and don’t leave humidity on them.
Does rose gold look good on pale skin?
The rule of thumb in comparing ring versus skin color is to make sure there is a sufficient level of contrast.
If the metal color blends to your skin color, the ring will get invisible.
That’s something we wouldn’t want.
Thus, stronger pink color rings will look good on pale skin.
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3. Hypoallergenic property
Not all materials play nicely with the human skin. And not everyone reacts negatively to the same metal.
People with sensitive skin may experience unease from some metals and materials.
This is called hypersensitivity or metal allergy.
Some symptoms are redness, itching, swelling, blisters etc.
The main culprit for metal allergy is nickel.
It is estimated that about 17% of women and 3% of men are allergic to nickel. Also, 1-3% are allergic to cobalt and chromium.
Allergy risks arise even when the alloy does not include nickel, lead or cobalt directly.
The metal may not be an alloy of nickel or other allergenic metals, yet it may have indirectly these metals in trace amounts via other ingredients in the composition.
For example, a 14k gold alloy may have tiny amounts of nickel entering with copper.
After a sufficient period of exposure, if a safety verge of metal absorption is passed, skin may show allergic reactions to the metal.
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Copper allergy
Some people with skin sensitivity are allergic to copper in rose gold jewelry. This allergy comes with a variety of symptoms, including itching, redness, and swelling of the skin.
If you notice these symptoms on your skin after wearing rose gold jewelry for a long time, you may have developed an allergy to it.
You should stop wearing your rose gold jewelry immediately if you notice any itching or other signs of skin irritation.
If the symptoms persist after you stop wearing the jewelry for a while, consult your doctor and ask about getting tested for copper allergy.
4. Price
Rose gold is not a pure metal. It does not exist in nature.
It is a man-made alloy. Thus, its production is controlled from beginning to end.
And, gold is the most expensive metal in the alloy.
So, higher gold purity items will have higher prices.
Between 10k, 14k and 18k rose gold, the latter will command a higher price, other things being equal.
18k rose gold is more expensive than 10k and 14k.
However, gold content is not the only factor that affects price.
Supply and demand, design, brand, gems, craftsmanship in details will all add up to the price tag.
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The Verdict: 10k vs 14k vs 18k rose: Which is better?
There is no doubt rose gold is a good choice for your wedding rings or the next piece of your collection.
It is a precious and durable metal, ideal for jewelry.
Rose gold is made of real gold alloy with copper as the supporting player.
While the latter has a smaller weight, it gives the final rosy pink color.
It makes rose gold resistant to scratches and fit to serve you for many years.
The most common karats are 10k, 14k and 18k rose gold.
18k rose gold is the richest in gold of these three.
It is the softest and the closest one to 100 percent pure gold.
While 10k and 14k rose gold have less gold, they are more durable and more scratch resistant than 18K pieces.
Between 10k vs 14k vs 18k rose gold, the 10k gold jewelry will be the strongest. It shows higher resistance to scratching and everyday wear and tear.
It will have a warmer reddish rose color than 14k or 18k items.
Yet, 10k rose gold will have the biggest percentage of addition, which does increase allergy risk.
Its composition has more than 50% added metals.
If you have sensitive skin, you may want to pick 18k gold jewelry as they have the highest gold purity.
It contains less added metals, and more gold, which is a very hypoallergenic metal.
Of course, higher gold purity will be reflected in a higher price tag.
Where to buy rose gold jewelry?
You can check the designs and prices of rose gold jewelry on Amazon. As it has a very wide selection, you can easily make comparisons and discover a plethora of new designs! pieces.