Rose, Yellow, or White Gold?
Once upon a time it was very difficult to find jewelry in white gold and then the tides of trends changed and it was very difficult to find jewelry in yellow gold. Nevermind rose gold, which has been in use since the Georgian and Victorian periods, but rarely the top color choice.
Hunt Country has always worked in all three of these metal colors; we actually can work in green gold as well, but it’s not a strong color in 18K and a very rare request for us. And as custom jewelers who specialize in colored gemstones as well as diamonds, we’ve always been a little isolated from the white versus yellow gold trends. It’s one of my favorite things about what we do here- the design aesthetics are always about YOU and not about what’s common or trendy right now. This is a trend I am thrilled to see gaining popularity: choosing what works for you no matter what anyone else chooses! We see fairly equal requests for white and yellow gold, with platinum and rose gold holding their own, albeit smaller, slice of the pie and an increasing number of two tone requests.
So how do you choose the best color for you?
Photos online are great, but the very best way to choose a gold color is to see it and try it on in person. When you have a chance to do that consider a few things:
Consider Your Skin tone
When you try on a yellow gold ring, does it stand out on your hand or blend in? Do the rose gold earrings disappear in your hair? Does that white gold pendant glow when you wear it?
And what is your goal for the color color? Do you want higher contrast with your skin tone/hair color so it stands out? Or do you prefer the gold color to blend for a more subtle effect?
Everyone’s skin tone has shades, tints, values that are unique to them and there is no intrinsically correct answer to what color looks best on any skin tone. The question is: what do YOU like on YOUR hand? Whatever the answer to that question is a great choice for you!
Consider the Stone
Are you shopping for or designing a piece for a diamond or a colored gemstone? Classic white diamonds are the most neutral in terms of color and the question becomes how much do you want the metal to blend in with the diamond or stand out in contrast to it? Rose and yellow gold will highlight the shape of your diamonds, white will blend in more. Higher contrast can enhance strong lines in the design; white may make those lines more subtle. Yellow versus white gold can create small visual illusions with the body color of your diamond; do you prefer that or not?
Colored gemstones present a huge range of colors- cools, warms, blends. How does the gold color interact with your chosen gemstone color? Do you prefer to stick with all cool tones? Do you like to mix and match cool and warm tones? How much contrast do you want to create between the metal and the gem; does that contrast serve your design or hinder it?
Pro Tip: If you are working with a loose stone and trying to decide, coil up a yellow gold, a white gold, and a rose gold chain into a little pile and set your loose stone in the middle of it. It’s a neat way to see your stone surrounded by the different colors to gauge your preferences.
Again, there are no intrinsically correct answers here! If you love aqua in rose gold (I happen to love this combo!), then it is a perfect choice for you.
Consider Your Collection
What colors do you wear most often? If you love the concept of yellow gold, but don’t already own any yellow gold pieces, do you think you’ll reach for this one often or do you default to white metals? How will this new piece work with other pieces in your collection; do you like to mix and match metals or would you want a suite of colors to wear together?
My own personal collection is made up of all the metals and colors, with my very favorite being platinum and rose gold two tone (random, right?). My personal collection priority is focused on the gemstone, so my metal choices tend to reflect what I feel serves the gem best. This is what works for me and what makes me happy in my own jewelry collecting! What I hope the larger conversation about metal colors does for all our clients is encourage you to be confident in asking these questions and trusting that your answers are the right answers for you. Noodle your way through the questions as a way to ascertain your goals and priorities for your design and an answer will present itself-what’s the best gold color for you? The one you like best!
