Why the Rose Gold Obsession Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

Why the Rose Gold Obsession Isn't Going Away Anytime Soon

What do 2017’s most recognizable tech gadgets, hair hues, accessories, and even book covers have in common? Aside from their shared ubiquitousness, the most sought-after items are cloaked in the soft glow of rose gold. Placed squarely between oft-icy blanched white gold and warm, sophisticated yellow, rose gold is at once modern, romantic, and somehow unexpected—a candy-coated surprise in the midst of often impersonal metallics.

Of course, the color itself is nothing new. The luminous shade has lent its whimsical brand of shimmer to jewelry since its inception in nineteenth-century Russia, when Carl Fabergé (of Fabergé egg fame) opted to blend yellow gold with copper to create the alchemic, blush-toned hybrid, originally called “Russian gold.” Cartier’s use of the composite in the opulent tense of the 1920s cemented its popularity within the market, and rose gold has since sprinkled jewelry counters with welcome flecks of pink.

The shade was given full permission to shine this year as one of the first-ever duos of Pantone’s Color of the Year 2017: Rose Quartz. The subtle pink hue plays off the soothing appeal of its partner Serenity (a lilac-imbued baby blue), and both colors pair well with similarly subdued shades across the color wheel.

“It's hard to dislike a color that you will naturally look good in,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, tells Allure. “With pink and any of the rose colors, whether used in a ring, a piece of jewelry, or something you wear around the face, it throws this wonderful glow onto the skin.” Which is probably why the color's influence has spread to iPhones, rosé wine, and even dye jobs (think Elle Fanning’s dusty rose lengths back in July). When used on the face, the hue's natural warmth lends an instant, youthful bloom to complexions, which means the color of your iPhone now doubles as an above-the-neck beauty enhancer.

Special Thanks To Allure.com for this Article