La vie en rose

Gold’s blushing cousin has come into her own. Charlie McCann notes the blossoming popularity of rose gold

By Charlie McCann

Mix copper with gold and you end up with a metal more elegant than either: rose gold. Its popularity has waxed and waned through the generations: it was in vogue in 19th-century Russia, when Carl Fabergé incorporated it into designs for his jewelled eggs, and in the 1920s, when Cartier started to make trinity bands (also known as Russian wedding rings). It is now so fashionable that it has spread from jewellery to beauty and accessories – even Apple makes an iPhone in the colour.

The ratio of copper to gold determines the shade. Some jewellers use more gold, to produce a delicate hue, like the pale pink of a primrose bud. Roberto Coin, an Italian designer who created the bangle shown above, tips the balance towards copper, to create a shade that puts him in mind of a peach flower in full bloom.

Nautilus self-winding watch with chronograph in rose gold, ref 5980/1R, Patek Philippe , £61,730/$85,050
Seven-row Pois Moi bangle in rose gold, Roberto Coin , £15,000/$21,000
Octo chronograph date automatic watch in steel-rose gold, Bulgari, £9,550/$13,400
Boule ring in rose gold with white and icy diamonds, De Grisogono , £21,800/$28,000
Coco Crush rings in 18k rose gold, Chanel , £1,775/$2,350 (small), £2,425/$3,250 (medium)
Royal Oak self-winding watch in rose gold, Audemars Piguet , £35,400/$44,100

PHOTOGRAPHY MITCH PAYNE

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