Rose Gold Color – Exploring a Rose Gold Color Palette

The popularity of some colors can fluctuate from one year to the next. The rose gold color has seen popularity in the past and is now on trend again and can be seen in jewelry, interiors, shoes, and other accessories. To understand why this color is so popular, we will be delving into what color makes rose gold and looking at colors that go with rose gold amongst other interesting information.

What Color Is Rose Gold?

Is rose gold a color? The rose gold color can be described as a darker and softer form of pink, that can have a golden metallic undertone. Rose gold was first a form of metal, which was created by the combination of gold and copper alloy. The copper is what adds that pinkish tinge to the gold, and the more copper that is added, the stronger or deeper the rose gold color becomes. True rose gold metal contains 75 percent gold, just over 22 percent copper, and a small amount of silver. The rose gold metal is now used to describe anything with a similar hue.

Rose Gold: A Brief History

The rose gold metal has been popular for many years, and is used to make a variety of items, especially jewelry. As far back as the 1800s, the metal was admired in Russia, which is why it came to be known as “Russian gold”. One of the more famous pieces made with rose gold was a Faberge egg, which was commissioned by the Tzar, Nicholas II. He had the egg created for his wife, Empress Alexandra, as a gift for Easter in the early 20^th century.

Another well-known example of a piece of rose gold jewelry is Cartier’s Trinity ring, which symbolizes love, friendship, and fidelity. The ring was worn by the famous French writer, Jean Cocteau. This is believed to be what made rose gold more popular, and it has grown ever since.

Rose gold is a popular jewelry choice, but it has also become popular with other more modern accessories. Apple developed a new iPhone in 2015 and chose the rose gold color as its theme. The rose gold color has also become more popular in both fashion as well as interior design. Today, rose gold has a broad application from clothes to cars and kitchen appliances.

Meaning of the Rose Gold Color

Since rose gold metal is associated with jewelry, it does impart a sense of luxury and wealth. The soft pinkish color is also seen as being refined, elegant, feminine, and romantic. Although, rose gold has been mentioned as being a gender-neutral color as well. The color is said to be able to create a sense of calm and can help to ease any feelings of anger.

Shades of Rose Gold

When keeping with the metal, you can have different shades of rose gold, some have more pink, while others are more gold in color. However, when it comes to the color you see on your computer screen, you might not have that metallic shine to it, but there are still a few shades of rose gold you can use. 

These shades of gold can be recognized by what is known as a hex code.

Rose Dust

This particular color can be described as a desaturated dark pink. The rose dust color should not be mistaken for the dusty rose color, which is more of a grayish-red color. Rose dust is a much darker and muted color.

Puce

Puce is more of a desaturated red color, or it can also be described as being a pale, earthy pink color. The name is derived from the French word for flea, and you can try combining purple with brown, and a little white. The first time that the word puce was used in reference to the color, was in 1778. 

Colors that go well with puce include shades of yellow, green, and orange. 

Parrot Pink

The parrot pink can also be described as being a desaturated red, which makes it a part of the red family. You can create the color by simply blending some red and white to make pink, and then adjusting the color by adding a little redder until you reach the desired color. The color can also be described as being a lighter shade of pinkish-red.

What Colors Go With Rose Gold?

A rose gold color palette can add sophistication and a bit of liveliness to any design. The color can be a background color, which creates a soft and romantic look, or an accent color that stands out and adds just a touch of elegance. So, what colors go with rose gold? This is where the color wheel can help out. Neutral colors like gray, white, and cream work great with rose gold. 

You also have various color combinations that can help you create the perfect rose gold color palette.

Rose Gold Complementary Colors

This color combination is quite popular and uses colors that are facing one another on the color wheel. As you can see below in the table, a green-blue or shade of cyan complements the rose gold color. A baby blue color as well as teal would also work quite nicely with rose gold. Complementary colors tend to help each other stand out.

Analogous Colors for Rose Gold

The analogous colors are easier to look at, unlike the complementary colors. These colors do not contrast, are more uniform in appearance, and appear on the same side of the color wheel. 

So, in the case of rose gold, shades of orange and red will always work well with each other.

Monochromatic Colors for Rose Gold

Similar to analogous colors, these colors that go with rose gold are easy on the eyes and are derived from a single color, but with a variety of tones. So, the colors in this combination are lighter and darker shades of rose gold. This color scheme creates a harmonious effect that works well.

Other Color Combinations for Rose Gold

When you start getting more than three colors in a color scheme, it can get a bit more difficult to create a design that is appealing or not overwhelming. When creating a design, it is then best to choose your base or main color and then choose accent colors that only use sparingly. 

The below color combination includes three and four-color combinations.

Triadic Color Combinations

Triadic colors comprise three colors, which can be located on the color wheel. The three colors are positioned in an equal-sided triangle form on the wheel. These colors also form a contrast and help each other to stand out.

Tetradic Color Combinations

This color combination takes it up a step with four colors. These colors are also contrasting, so they need to be used carefully together in designs. The colors form a rectangular outline on the color wheel. 

You can also get colors spaced evenly around the color wheel in a square shape. 

Creating a Rose Gold Color With Paints

Rose gold is originally from metal, so a more realistic rose gold paint color should also contain that metallic effect. You can try mixing red and white to create pink and then add in a little gold and silver to achieve a shade of rose gold. You can experiment with all the paint color ratios and create a color palette to keep records of your paint colors.

If you do not have gold or silver, you can create a gray color with black and white, then add a little yellow to get a gold-type effect. You can leave it at mixing black and white to achieve a color as close to silver. To achieve the shine, you can try using silver or gold metallic paint and not matte paint.

Rose Gold Color Palette for the Home

Rose gold has become quite a popular color in fashion and all kinds of design projects including interior design. Less feminine than pink and not as showy as gold rose gold is a nice alternative to both these colors. Some even consider the color to be neutral, as it works well with most colors.

Rose gold is a choice for those looking to produce a more refined and luxurious look, but with an added romantic feel that is warm and inviting. You can incorporate the color in your home in a variety of ways from walls to tiles, appliances, wallpaper, tiles, and other accessories like throws and scatter cushions. Rose gold adds a glamorous feel without it being too showy.

• Pair rose gold with metals. The rose gold color is derived from metal, so pairing it with other metallic hues can work. Just remember, you also get warm and cool color metals. Brass and copper metals are warm like rose gold.
• Pair rose gold with cooler shades of color. For example, if you pair rose gold against a cooler gray, it can help keep the pinkish side of the color in check.
• Use pink gold as an accent color. Accents of rose gold can bring in a pop of color against a darker color scheme.
• Combining rose gold with wood. Rose gold matches up nicely with wood tones and creates a beautifully balanced look.

Rose gold can be a beautiful and elegant color choice for all kinds of designs. If you are looking for something a little different, that has a certain radiance, then the rose gold color may be what you are searching for.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Color Makes Rose Gold?

What color is rose gold? The color can be defined as a darker shade of pink that has a metallic undertone. The color was derived from the metal rose gold, which contains gold, copper, and a little silver.

What Colors Go With Rose Gold?

Rose gold goes well with a variety of colors, and you can generate many color combinations. Rose gold complementary colors like various blue and green shades, go with rose gold. Other colors like different shades of pink, red, and orange also go with rose gold. Neutral colors like white, gray, black, and cream are also good choices.

Is the Rose Gold Color Similar to Copper?

These two colors are quite close, and many can get confused by the two. However, rose gold has a distinctive pink undertone, while copper has more of an orange-brown undertone.

Charlene Lewis( Content Creator and Creativity Writer )

In 2005, Charlene completed her Wellness Diplomas in Therapeutic Aromatherapy and Reflexology from the International School of Reflexology and Meridian Therapy. She worked for a company offering corporate wellness programs for a couple of years, before opening up her own therapy practice. It was in 2015 that a friend, who was a digital marketer, asked her to join her company as a content creator, and this is where she found her excitement for writing.

Since joining the content writing world, she has gained a lot of experience over the years writing on a diverse selection of topics, from beauty, health, wellness, travel, and more. Due to various circumstances, she had to close her therapy practice and is now a full-time freelance writer. Being a creative person, she could not pass up the opportunity to contribute to the Art in Context team, where is was in her element, writing about a variety of art and craft topics. Contributing articles for over three years now, her knowledge in this area has grown, and she has gotten to explore her creativity and improve her research and writing skills.

Charlene Lewis has been working for artincontext.org since the relaunch in 2020. She is an experienced writer and mainly focuses on the topics of color theory, painting and drawing.

Learn more about Charlene Lewis and the Art in Context Team.