Yellow gold is the oldest answer to this question and, after a long period out of favour, it is once again one of the most requested. It is warm, it needs nothing done to it, and it is the most forgiving metal you can choose for a diamond.
We work in 9ct, 14ct and 18ct yellow gold.
Which carat to choose
Carat measures how much of the alloy is pure gold, and it changes both the colour and the behaviour of the metal.
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18ct is 75% gold. The richest, deepest yellow, and the one most people picture. Softer than the lower carats, which matters slightly for very fine detail but not for ordinary wear.
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14ct is 58.5% gold. A little paler, a little harder, and a sensible middle ground.
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9ct is 37.5% gold. The palest yellow and the hardest of the three, and the most affordable by a clear margin.
There is a trade-off worth naming plainly: higher carat gives you better colour, lower carat gives you a harder ring and more budget for the stone. Neither is the right answer universally. For an engagement ring worn every day we are asked for 18ct most often, because the colour is the reason people chose yellow gold in the first place.
It makes the diamond easier to buy
This is the practical argument, and it is a strong one.
Yellow gold reflects its own warmth into the stone, which masks body colour. A diamond that would show a hint of yellow against platinum reads as clean and warm against yellow gold. In practice that means you can move two or three grades down the colour scale, to J or K, without anyone seeing a difference.
Colour grades are one of the more expensive things on a certificate and one of the least visible in wear. Choosing yellow gold and spending the saving on cut instead is one of the most reliable ways to end up with a better looking ring for the same money.
Nothing to maintain
Yellow gold is the colour it is throughout. There is no plating to wear off and nothing to renew, unlike white gold which needs rhodium plating redone every few years to stay bright.
It scratches, as all precious metals do, and gathers a soft lustre over years of wear. A polish restores it whenever you want.
Which settings suit yellow gold
It carries traditional and vintage designs particularly convincingly, because those designs were originally made in it.
A solitaire in yellow gold is the most classical engagement ring there is, and a four or six claw setting in warm metal against a white stone is a combination that has not needed improving in a century. Three stone designs sit beautifully in it, especially with tapered baguettes. A bezel in yellow gold gives a clean, modern look that is quite different from the same setting in platinum.
Yellow gold also pairs naturally with coloured stones. Our sapphire and emerald commissions are very often set in it.
What it costs
Gold is priced by weight and purity, so 18ct costs more than 14ct, which costs more than 9ct. All three are less than platinum for the same design, both because the metal is cheaper and because gold is less dense, so a given ring needs fewer grams of it.
Settings start at £910 and a complete bespoke ring at £2,000. The configurator prices every metal live, so you can switch between the three golds and platinum on your own design and see exactly what each costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is 9ct or 18ct better for an engagement ring?
18ct has the richer colour and is what most people mean by yellow gold. 9ct is harder and considerably cheaper. If the warm colour is why you chose yellow, 18ct delivers it best.
What diamond colour grade works with yellow gold?
You can go two or three grades lower than you would in platinum. J or K reads clean and warm against yellow gold, and the saving is better spent on cut.
Does yellow gold need re-plating?
No. Only white gold does. Yellow gold is the same colour throughout.
Does yellow gold scratch easily?
All precious metals scratch. Lower carats are harder, so 9ct resists marks better than 18ct, though the difference in normal wear is modest.
Is yellow gold old fashioned?
It was less requested for a period and is now firmly back. It is also the metal most engagement rings in history have been made in, which is worth something.
To compare the three golds and platinum on your own design, build it in the configurator. To understand the commission first, read how designing your own ring works, or book a consultation.
