All that glitters isn't (yellow) gold

All that glitters isn’t (yellow) gold

Date July 19, 2007

Strut your stilettos into any swish nightspot of late and you’ll find that amid the usual bar banter and eyelash batting, the style set is looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses. From the Barbie-inspired bubbly (pink champers is the trendy new tipple) to the swingy frocks in petal and high-powered pink, it appears that everything is coming up roses. So it isn’t surprising that the ladies-with-the-latest are warming to the trend of rose gold jewellery.

Since its bloom in popularity in the early 19th century, rose gold (or pink gold) has been admired for its vintage-inspired look and rich, feminine tones. But lately, the alluring combo of yellow gold and copper alloy has caused the sparkling world of jewellery to blush in the glow of this warm metal. It’s often combined with yellow and white gold to highlight the hues of each (think: the Cartier Trinity ring), and women’s and men’s jewellery and watch collections are now feeling the flush.

And while we might expect rose gold to be hanging from the lobes, necks and wrists of any well-heeled woman, there is nothing more distinguished (read: very James Bond) than a sophisticated men’s timepiece with pink gold detailing. Of course, such professional polish should be reserved for the board meeting rather than the baseball game. Alas, it takes the right man (more “in-the-know” than “average Joe”) to realize that a rose gold watch paired with a foam finger and a foamy draft beer does not make for a winning team.

Rose gold may never replace the more traditional yellow or white gold, but with prestigious international houses like Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier and Tiffany & Co. including pink gold pieces in their collections, it appears as though this trend has a very rosy future.