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Writer's pictureBert Levi

What Color Gold Is Best for an Engagement Ring?



Yellow gold engagement ring in San Diego jeweler's showroom.

This isn’t really the right question you should ask yourself. It shouldn’t be an engagement ring. It should be my engagement ring. That’s the question you need to ask because what’s important is going to be different from one person to the next. The color of the gold you choose has everything to do with your own fashion sense and your own idea of what’s beautiful.


Let’s start out with some technical thoughts. You can think of yellow and rose gold as metals that will help you hide a diamond that’s farther along the scale when it comes to color. That means, if you’re using yellow gold or rose gold, your diamond will appear more transparent than it actually is. A diamond may have a very obvious yellow tint on white gold but no apparent tint at all on yellow or rose.


Another thing to think about is the purity of the gold. By purity, I mean the carat. In the case of an engagement ring, purer gold isn’t necessarily a good idea at all. Nearly all men’s wedding bands are no purer than 10 carat gold. That’s because gold is a very soft metal and the addition of nickel or other metal strengthens the ring so it’s not likely to get damaged. Most engagement rings are 14k gold, beautiful but durable.


This is important because regardless of color, you want a ring that stands up to wear. When it comes to color, there are differing degrees. 10k yellow gold looks different than 14k yellow gold. The same goes for white gold and rose gold, which are made by adding different metals to the pure gold. White gold really can’t get any purer than 18k. Rose gold can get up to 22k but, ultimately, you want the richness and strength of 14k when it comes to an engagement ring.


So how do you choose?


I like the symbolism involved. Yellow gold symbolizes faithfulness and fidelity. White gold symbolizes purity. Rose gold symbolizes passion and sweetness. So, the real question is what you want your ring to symbolize. If you want to make fidelity and loyalty the most important aspect of your engagement, go with yellow gold. If you want to put pure love center stage, go for white gold. There are, of course, more ways to symbolize just about anything you want between the metal and the gems.


If you’re looking for an engagement ring in San Diego, we’d love to help. Reach out or drop by our La Jolla Showroom.


You’ll be glad you did.

 

 

 

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