18 Rose Gold Wedding Bands We Love

In the last few years, rose gold has become a more popular metal option for engagement rings and wedding bands. The pretty pinkish-gold color manages to feel both slightly vintage and trendy at the same time, and it gives any ring a romantic, soft look that you don’t always get with the classic metal choices of platinum, yellow gold, or white gold.

“Rose gold symbolizes true love, which makes it a perfect choice for engagement or wedding rings, especially in combination with a diamond, which we all know is forever,” says jeweler Azra Mehdi. 

One of the first well-known users of the metal—which was formerly known as "Russian gold"—was czar jeweler Carl Fabergé, who used it in his famous Fabergé eggs in the nineteenth century. Mehdi explains, “Rose gold’s popularity vacillated over the next few decades and had a major comeback when Cartier created the famous Cartier Trinity ring in 1924 for the famous French writer, artist, filmmaker, and playwright, Jean Cocteau."

Considering a rose gold wedding band for yourself? Here’s what you should know before purchasing your own. 

Pros of Rose Gold Wedding Bands

Aside from the unique shade, rose gold has a few benefits over other metals. For one thing, it’s very versatile and looks good on everyone. “Rose gold complements all skin tones, both warm and cool, as well as in-between, which eliminates a very important aspect of suitability,” Mehdi says.

It’s durable and strong, making it an excellent choice for everyday wear. Mehdi notes that it’s more durable than other gold variations because of all of the copper, which is an extremely strong metal.

“The color of rose gold does not fade, making it very low-maintenance,” she adds. “For example, white gold is an alloy of fine gold, nickel, and zinc with a thin layer of rhodium, which gives it the bright white finish. However, white gold needs to be re-plated depending on frequency of use to prevent it from looking greyish. Rose gold, on the other hand, derives its pretty pink color from the mixture itself, and not from plating or a finish. Rose gold also does not tarnish, although the pink hue may very slowly get deeper with time. But, this generally takes decades.” 

Cons of Rose Gold Wedding Bands

There may be plenty of positives to rose gold, but there are some negative aspects to the metal as well. “The most significant disadvantage to rings made of rose gold is that they may not be entirely hypoallergenic for people with copper allergies,” Mehdi says. The copper can result in allergic reactions, especially if you choose 10K or 12K rose gold, which has a higher copper content than 14K or 18K rose gold.

And although the metal is durable and strong, it still scratches more easily than white gold. “White gold’s rhodium plating gives it an extra level of protection compared to yellow or rose gold, both of which derive their hues from the alloys' mix of their component metals, rather than plating."

The last disadvantage is aesthetic. As Mehdi points out, rose gold is viewed as more of a trend and has gone in and out of popularity many times. Many worry that rose gold isn’t quite as timeless and classic as other gold options, and for something you plan to wear for many years, this could definitely be cause for concern. 

However, if you decide that a rose gold wedding band is the ring for you, scroll to see 18 baubles on the market right now.