Precious Metal 18K Rose Gold
18K Rose Gold (Au750(Cu)) is 75 % gold with the balance weighted toward copper, giving a pink hue and a hardness of about 143 HB at 210 MPa yield, 460 MPa tensile and 32 % elongation.
Reference datasheet — 18K Rose Gold is not in the instant-quote catalog. Upload your part and an engineer will quote it in this grade or suggest the closest stocked equivalent.
Values for the O condition
18K Rose Gold tempers and conditions
18K Rose Gold is supplied in 6 conditions, soft to hard. O is the default FabDigit quotes; the values on this page are for it.
Compare all 6 conditionsHide
| Condition · open for datasheet | Best for | Yield MPa | Tensile MPa | Elong. % | Hardness | Conductivity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ODefault Annealed | Standard stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be bent, drawn, set or hand-formed. | 210 | 460 | 32 | 143 HB | 19 % IACS |
As cast | Choose for cast jewellery bodies and hollow/organic shapes straight from the flask before hardening. | 230 | 400 | 15 | 157 HB | 18 % IACS |
1/4 Hard | Pick when parts must hold shape during setting yet still allow moderate bending. | 450 | 600 | 15 | 166 HB | 18.5 % IACS |
1/2 Hard | General-purpose stiff sheet/wire for chain, findings and stamped components. | 580 | 700 | 8 | 185 HB | 18 % IACS |
Hard / spring | Use for springy clasps, pin stems, drawn fine wire and thin sections needing maximum stiffness. | 730 | 820 | 4 | 204 HB | 17.5 % IACS |
Age (order) hardened | Best when maximum hardness and wear/dent resistance are needed — AuCu ordering nearly doubles the annealed hardness. | 850 | 980 | 5 | 270 HB | — |
What is 18K Rose Gold?
18K Rose Gold (Au750(Cu)) is 75 % gold with the balance weighted toward copper, giving a pink hue and a hardness of about 143 HB at 210 MPa yield, 460 MPa tensile and 32 % elongation. It is used for vintage-style and fashion pieces and is supplied as castings, sheet, wire and cold-worked or age-hardened tempers. The copper content causes fire-scale during torch work and hot-cracking sensitivity in the weld pool, and the alloy can embrittle through an ordered phase if cooled slowly from anneal; 18K yellow is the lower-risk option when colour is not fixed. 18K Rose Gold has a density of 15.3 g/cm³ (0.553 lb/in³), heavier than 75% of precious metal grades. It melts at 890°C (1,634 °F). 18K Rose Gold has a yield strength of 210 MPa (30.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 460 MPa (66.7 ksi) — stronger than 61% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 32% and the elastic modulus is 88 GPa (12.8 Msi).
What is 18K Rose Gold used for?
- fashion jewelry
- wedding bands
- watch cases
Advantages
- Easy to machine — 58/100, better than 95% of precious metal grades
- Ductile — tolerates forming and impact — 32%, better than 75% of precious metal grades
Limitations
- High embodied carbon — 13,000 kg CO₂/kg, worse than 81% of precious metal grades
- Heavy — 15.3 g/cm³ (0.553 lb/in³), worse than 75% of precious metal grades
18K Rose Gold properties
Typical room-temperature values for 18K Rose Gold-O; bars are the position among precious metal grades.
Physical3
18K Rose Gold has a density of 15.3 g/cm³ (0.553 lb/in³), heavier than 75% of precious metal grades. It melts at 890°C (1,634 °F).
Mechanical14
18K Rose Gold has a yield strength of 210 MPa (30.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 460 MPa (66.7 ksi) — stronger than 61% of precious metal grades. Elongation at break is 32% and the elastic modulus is 88 GPa (12.8 Msi).
Thermal6
18K Rose Gold is rated for continuous service to 300°C (572 °F). It conducts heat at 130 W/m·K (75.1 BTU/hr·ft·°F), better than 64% of precious metal grades. Thermal expansion is 16 µm/m·K (8.89 µin/in·°F).
Electrical3
18K Rose Gold conducts electricity at 19 % IACS, worse than 51% of precious metal grades.
Chemical & Environmental3
Corrosion resistance is very good (78/100), worse than 56% of precious metal grades.
Sustainability4
Producing a kilogram of 18K Rose Gold takes about 180,000 MJ of energy and emits 13,000 kg of CO₂ — more than 77% of precious metal grades. Typical recycled content is 40%.
Manufacturability8
18K Rose Gold's machinability is good (58/100, better than 95% of precious metal grades); weldability good (62/100); formability excellent (85/100).
Common Calculations5
Values are nominal handbook figures for design screening. Certified mill or lot data ships with every FabDigit order on request.
Strength versus weight in the precious metal family
Yield strength against density for every precious metal grade FabDigit runs. 18K Rose Gold is highlighted; hover a dot for its name, or open the interactive family chart.
Working with 18K Rose Gold
Is 18K Rose Gold easy to machine?
Turns and mills cleanly with sharp uncoated carbide/HSS and light oil, but the annealed alloy is gummy — hard or age-hardened stock gives the best finish, and all chips must be collected for refining.
Can 18K Rose Gold be welded?
Laser and PUK welding are routine with matching 18K rose filler; the copper-rich melt oxidises and hot-cracks easily, so use argon shielding and low, well-focused energy.
Can 18K Rose Gold be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold rolling, drawing and stamping in the annealed state; work-hardens quickly so interanneal at 650–700 °C and water-quench to avoid the brittle ordered phase.
18K Rose Gold chemical composition (wt %)
Limits by weight percent from the governing specification, written the way the spec states them — a single maximum for impurities, a range for alloying elements, and the base element as balance. Nominal is the typical mid-range value.
| Element | Spec limit (wt %) | Nominal |
|---|---|---|
| Au750‰ hallmark minimum (ISO 9202 / GB 11887) | 75 – 75.5 | 75 |
| Aglowers redness, improves ductility and tarnish resistance | 0 – 5 | 2.75 |
| Znoptional deoxidiser / flow aid in casting alloys | 0 – 1 | 0.3 |
| Sitrace grain refiner/deoxidiser in casting grades | 0 – 0.05 | 0.02 |
| Ir/Co (grain refiner)trace addition in casting alloys | 0 – 0.05 | 0.01 |
| Cuhigher Cu = redder (5N ≈ 25 % Cu, 4N ≈ 22 % Cu) | ≥ 18 (balance) |
What surface finishes work on 18K Rose Gold?
Polishes to a bright mirror; pickle in warm dilute sulphuric acid to remove copper firescale, and finish with barrel/rouge polish or protective rose-gold PVD/electroplating if extra tarnish resistance is wanted.
How much does 18K Rose Gold cost?
18K Rose Gold is a high-cost precious metal ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
18K Rose Gold — frequently asked
What is 18K Rose Gold used for?
18K Rose Gold is typically used for fashion jewelry, wedding bands and watch cases. In short: hardest 18K colour; copper-rich, fire-scale prone; age-hardenable rose alloy.
What is the yield strength of 18K Rose Gold?
18K Rose Gold has a typical yield strength of 210 MPa (30.5 ksi) and a tensile strength of 460 MPa (66.7 ksi) — stronger than 61% of precious metal grades. Strength varies by condition: see the 6 listed tempers.
Is 18K Rose Gold easy to machine?
Reasonably — machinability is rated good (58/100, better than 95% of precious metal grades). Turns and mills cleanly with sharp uncoated carbide/HSS and light oil, but the annealed alloy is gummy — hard or age-hardened stock gives the best finish, and all chips must be collected for refining.
Can 18K Rose Gold be welded?
Yes — weldability is rated good (62/100). Laser and PUK welding are routine with matching 18K rose filler; the copper-rich melt oxidises and hot-cracks easily, so use argon shielding and low, well-focused energy.
What surface finishes work on 18K Rose Gold?
Polishes to a bright mirror; pickle in warm dilute sulphuric acid to remove copper firescale, and finish with barrel/rouge polish or protective rose-gold PVD/electroplating if extra tarnish resistance is wanted.
Can 18K Rose Gold be formed, bent or molded?
Excellent cold rolling, drawing and stamping in the annealed state; work-hardens quickly so interanneal at 650–700 °C and water-quench to avoid the brittle ordered phase.
What is the maximum service temperature of 18K Rose Gold?
18K Rose Gold is rated for continuous use to about 300°C (572 °F). Strength falls off well before that limit — check the elevated-temperature data for load-bearing parts.
What is the difference between 18K Rose Gold-O and 18K Rose Gold-AH?
O is the default condition — standard stock condition for sheet, wire and tube that will be bent, drawn, set or hand-formed. AH: best when maximum hardness and wear/dent resistance are needed — AuCu ordering nearly doubles the annealed hardness. Yield strength is 210 MPa in O versus 850 MPa in AH.
How much does 18K Rose Gold cost?
18K Rose Gold is a high-cost precious metal ($$$$), pricier than about 78% of the materials FabDigit quotes. Part price depends far more on geometry, tolerance and quantity than on the raw stock — upload a CAD file for a live quote.
Sources
- ISO 9202 Jewellery — Fineness of precious metal alloys — ISO (2019)
- The Properties of Gold Jewellery Alloys (Gold Technology / Gold Bulletin series) — World Gold Council (2001)
- ASM Handbook Vol. 2 — Properties and Selection: Nonferrous Alloys (precious metals) — ASM International (1990)
- 18K red/rose casting and mill-product alloy datasheets — Legor / Hoover & Strong / Heraeus (2023)
Property data is compiled from published supplier and standards handbooks and normalised for comparison; hardness values on non-Brinell scales are converted approximately for charting only. Manufacturability limits are FabDigit quote-engine defaults and may be relaxed by engineering review. Nothing on this page is a certification — request mill certs, CoC or material test reports with your order.