What metal is added to gold to create rose gold?

What metal is added to gold to create rose gold? Copper is added to gold to create rose gold.

Rose gold is not a separate element but a gold alloy whose warm pink or reddish color comes mainly from copper. Because pure gold is naturally yellow and relatively soft, alloying it with copper changes both its appearance and its mechanical properties. Silver is sometimes included as a secondary alloying metal to soften or balance the color.

The exact recipe varies with the karat rating and the desired shade. A typical 18-karat rose-gold alloy contains 75% gold, about 22.25% copper, and 2.75% silver. A copper-rich alloy with no silver may be called red gold, while a lighter copper proportion may be described as pink gold. Jewelry terminology is not perfectly standardized, so the boundaries between these names can overlap.

Rose gold became associated with “Russian gold” after becoming fashionable in Russia in the early 19th century, and it later spread through European jewelry. It is commonly used for rings, bracelets, watches, and other decorative pieces. Nickel is more closely associated with many white-gold alloys, while zinc can be used in some recipes to adjust color or workability.