Will yellow gold come back into style?

[DoctorD]

In the '70s, it seemed almost all gold jewelry was yellow. During the '80s and '90s, white gold grew in popularity and for the past decade or more, white gold has been the dominant color -- in big American cities at least. Today there are so many silver-colored metals besides white gold -- titanium, stainless steel, tungsten, sterling silver -- that it's harder to tell if it's gold or not. Part of me misses yellow gold. With yellow gold, you knew it was gold. My favorite Rolex is still my yellow gold one. If yellow gold is to return, I'll hang on to what I have. But if it isn't, I might as well sell it. Thoughts?

 

[AGBF]

Very nice photos, DoctorD. I collected threads about yellow gold and kept reposting links to them whenever I saw someone start a new thread like this one. If I find them somewhere, I will add them to your thread in case anyone wants to look up old Pricescope discussions of this matter.

Deb/AGBF

 

[missy]

Yellow gold is very popular these days I think. I see it everywhere and I really never considered it out. Sure it became less popular but it was (and is) always a classic IMO. My dh's main wedding band is yellow gold in fact.

However, I do think that yellow gold is becoming more en vogue and definitely everywhere I look now. Personally I don't care about what metal is in or out, I wear what I prefer and what I think looks best.

I love your photos DoctorD!

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Oh goodness--wear what you like! Like Missy, I have never believed yellow gold went anywhere...just that the variety of other color of metals has increased in popularity.

cheers--Sharon

 

[maccers]

What?! Yellow gold isn't in style? I missed that memo.

For me, yellow gold is classic and at the very least, there will always be certain pieces that look best in yellow gold (e.g. rubies) and there is a certain je-ne-sais-quoi about a solid yellow gold band -- yum! My preference for yellow gold started in childhood, it's deeply engrained. I did hesitate briefly choosing yellow gold for my e-ring (for context, I got engaged about a month ago, not 10 years ago) but ultimately I wanted to get what I wanted and not be swayed by trends.

You have a killer collection btw. Love it.

 

[movie zombie]

I too missed the memo.
yellow gold is classic and not subject to a popularity contest.
fashion may come and go but yellow gold always remains.
wear your yellow gold with pride!

 

[AGBF]

DoctorD-

I thought you should also take a look at this Pricescope thread, "Show Me The Yellow Gold Bling", which is 13 pages long before assuming that no one besides you has been buying and wearing yellow gold recently. We also have a thread nicknamed, "The Gold Thread" which is even longer and is almost entirely devoted to high karat gold, most of it exceedingly yellow!

Link to thread on yellow gold bling...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-the-yellow-gold-bling.162375/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/show-me-the-yellow-gold-bling.162375/[/URL]

AGBF

 

[AprilBaby]

All I wear is yellow gold. If you like it, wear it!

 

[AGBF]

Part of me misses yellow gold. With yellow gold, you knew it was gold. My favorite Rolex is still my yellow gold one. If yellow gold is to return, I'll hang on to what I have. But if it isn't, I might as well sell it. Thoughts?

You do not appear to be a true gold aficionado if you would be willing to sell your gold jewelry simply because it was not not in fashion. I mean, you might be able to take my guns, but you would have to pry my gold out of my cold, dead fingers!

Take a look at The Gold Thread to see what we have been doing the past few years while you were, apparently, "missing" yellow gold. (Hint: we were embracing it! )

The Gold Thread...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-have-a-favorite-gold-designer.29197/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/do-you-have-a-favorite-gold-designer.29197/[/URL]

Deb/AGBF

 

[diamondseeker2006]

You can tell what is "in" by looking at sites like Tiffany and Co. For awhile, they had very little in yellow gold. But now, you see much more yellow gold and some rose gold as well. My coloring is better with white metals, but I have some special, sentimental classic pieces in yellow gold that I will always wear.

 

[JewelFreak]

you might be able to take my guns, but you would have to pry my gold out of my cold, dead fingers!

At the price of gold now, sell what you don't like but not because it's yellow gold. For quite a few years yg was at a minimum from jewelers, annoyed heck out of me. As with all fashion, it's cycling back in now. I've never worn anything else (except rose gold) -- I look awful in white metals. And I love the richness of yellow gold. Don't care what anybody else is buying. Go ahead & enjoy your bling.

--- Laurie

 

[AGBF]

you might be able to take my guns, but you would have to pry my gold out of my cold, dead fingers!

At the price of gold now, sell what you don't like but not because it's yellow gold. For quite a few years yg was at a minimum from jewelers, annoyed heck out of me. As with all fashion, it's cycling back in now. I've never worn anything else (except rose gold) -- I look awful in white metals. And I love the richness of yellow gold. Don't care what anybody else is buying. Go ahead & enjoy your bling.

Hey, Laurie...do you remember that thread that showed parts of our dining rooms? You kept confusing diamondseeker and me in it. You just couldn't seem to keep us straight. Well, it's happening again. You attributed what I said (about my gold) to her above!

Deb

 

[DoctorD]

I'm surprised at the sarcasm and hostility over my simple statement about the shift from yellow to white gold. If you "missed the memo," you can consider this to be it. The original was apparently delayed in reaching some parts of the country. I know trends usually start in California, where I live, but I didn't think it took 10 to 20 years to spread throughout the country. Would I be correct in guessing you don't live on the east or west coast, or in a very big city?

All you have to do here in Los Angeles is open your eyes and look around to verify that white gold is by far more popular. At restaurants, theaters, movies, health clubs, sporting events, banks, businesses, men who have gotten married in the past 20 years are not wearing yellow gold wedding rings. The choice was white gold until gold prices went up so dramatically a few years ago, then other metals like titanium, tungsten, stainless steel grew in popularity. They are all silver-colored, not yellow. Men's watches have shown the same trend -- yellow gold used to be popular, but 95% of watches on men in Los Angeles today are silver-tone, probably to match the wedding rings. I've noticed this to be true in NYC, Chicago, Miami, San Diego, and San Francisco as well.

I am a guy and the photos in my post are obviously men's jewelry. My comments mainly apply to men; they may not pertain as much to women's jewelry. For many men, a watch and wedding ring are the only jewelry they own.

I have been dealing with the same two jewelers for 25 years, and I see them regularly. (I have invested in their businesses, and one is the godfather of my sons.) They've noted, and we've discussed, the decline in popularity of yellow gold. They work in the wholesale jewelry district in downtown Los Angeles. Sometimes I walk around the dozens of booths in the jewelry center, and the shift from yellow to white over the years is very obvious.

If you haven't yet noticed it where you live, just turn on the TV and take note of the color of the wedding rings. A yellow gold wedding ring is a sign of age or a very long marriage. Just about everyone under 35 is wearing white gold.

 

[maccers]

Woah, simmer down. My comment about missing the memo was intended to be in good humour. As for 'where' some of us are located, well, it's an international forum. I'm in Canada, perhaps that provides you with an excellent explanation as to why I missed the memo. Truly, I am happy that you enjoy yellow gold, plain and simple.

Peace out.

 

[LaraOnline]

I continue to love and wear yellow gold.
It is true that for a while I did wonder if I in fact was a provincial hick.
But the colour and beauty of yellow gold, for me, was inescapable, and I could not 'swap over'.

Now, I have a strong feeling that the fashion gods are smiling on yellow gold (and me!) again.
Platinum will continue to hold its own, in my view, but yellow gold will be trending upwards for the next decade!
trust me, I'm a PS-er heheh.

Regarding men's jewellery, it is true that it is harder to pick.
Men's jewellery does tend towards the 'classic', and I think you're dead right in saying that the men's side of the jewellery will be stuck firmly to 'white' for a while yet. Men's fashion is very hard to shift.

Ultimately, though, I believe men will follow the women. As you said, it all starts with the wedding ring...
So if women go for yellow gold for their wedders, it is highly likely they many of them will have their men in matching yellow as well.

Although I'm not so sure the US market is going to go back to yellow gold for wedding jewellery. So there's a problem.
Women consumers are definitely being encouraged to 'mix their metals' though.
The resurgence of coloured gems will encourage a switch back to yellow though, at least for women's 'fun jewellery'.

Interested to hear other peoples' thoughts on this! It's a perennial discussion, and a favourite of mine. Can't miss a chance to talk yellow gold up!

 

[Niel]

I'm in love with yellow gold. My FI will be getting g his wedding band in yellow gold. Where I'm from most young girls don't wear it, and most older woman who wear it wear it in tacky 80s marquise disasters. But a few (like my mother and grandma) have simple solitaire and three stone yg rings and they are still just as beautiful (to me)

However, I think it depends on where you live.


Also I will say, who cares of its "in style."? I feel like now a days if it looks good on you its in style.

 

[diamondringlover]

I am a yellow gold lover I do have a couple of pieces in white gold, but I still migrate towards yellow..in particular 18K yellow gold..I am thinking of resetting my rings and thought about doing white gold for about a half of a second, the decided nope if I re-do them it will be in 18K yellow gold...I really dont care much what the trends are..my thoughts are wear what you want and what you love! BTW you have a mighty impressive collection going on

 

[movie zombie]

i'm California born and raised. I could care less what is "popular".
that's part of what being a Californian is about: doing your own thing and being ok with it.
if you want to blend, that's your choice. be ok with it.
if you love your yellow gold, wear it with pride.
there is no right and there is no wrong.
what pleases you and what you're comfortable wearing is the important thing.

must say i'm surprised that you took offense to responses. perhaps its that Men are Mars, Women from Venus communication thing........

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Please do not misunderstand--I had no idea anything I could have written would be potentially offensive; nothing personal intended.

Wear your jewellery in health.

cheers--Sharon

 

[AGBF]

I'm surprised at the sarcasm and hostility over my simple statement about the shift from yellow to white gold.

Hey, DoctorD-

Welcome to Pricescope! You started a lively little thread here! As I said earlier in it, I love your yellow gold jewelry and appreciate your posting photos of it. Anything I said (such as that you were not a true yellow gold aficionado) was meant playfully. We are just a fun loving group here. What can I say? I'm sorry if your induction into the gold lovers club was bumpy. I don't believe in hazing or initiation rites. We were just being friendly according to our lights. No sarcasm or hostility was intended, I assure you!!!

Hugs,
Deb/AGBF

 

[Smith1942]

I know exactly what DoctorD meant about yellow gold being "out". In England everyone always wore yellow gold wedding and engagement rings and then - bam! - it seemd like overnight, everyone went to white gold or platinum. My older sister got married in 1996 when everyone was still wearing yellow gold rings and by the time I got married in 2006 the rings of all my friends, same-age extended family members, peers, co-workers etc were white gold. I would have felt a bit Eighties getting yellow gold at that time, so I know what he's saying.

BUT, I have noticed a comeback in yellow gold in the last three years or so. I myself have bought pieces of yellow gold - delicate ones.

 

[AGBF]

Here are links to a few of the many threads about whether yellow gold is making a comeback started on Pricescope. So far I haven't found one of the threads on which I listed an entire list of threads about gold making a comeback!

Is Yellow Gold Making A Comeback? (2009)...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-making-a-comeback.126693/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-making-a-comeback.126693/[/URL]
Is Yellow Gold Popularity Coming Back? (2007)...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-popularity-coming-back.56645/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-popularity-coming-back.56645/[/URL]
Is Yellow Gold Out Of Style? (2005)...[URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-out-of-style.35446/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/is-yellow-gold-out-of-style.35446/[/URL]

AGBF

 

[purplesilk]

Yellow gold is a classic and classy choice, you can't go wrong with it expecially when buying wedding bands and bracelets: I love YG and I prefer it over other metals because YG gives a sense of luxury but it is low maintenance.
Recently married famous couples who got yellow gold wedding bands (as far as I saw from pictures) :
Justin Timberlake - Jessica Biel
Daniel Craig - Rachel Weisz
Ryan Reynolds - Scarlett Johansson
Tom Brady - Gisele Bundchen

 

[chrono]

I don't think yellow gold will truly be out of fashion; it might simmer on the sidelines but will come back in vogue since fashion seem to be cyclical. In any case, I wear platinum, white and yellow gold because I like them, not because they happen to be fashionable.

 

[lambskin]

Like D., I too had noticed the white metal trend-plat, stainless steel, titanium and white gold. Here in Chicago, in the 70-s and 80s the selection of white gold chains, bracelets, and rings was far fewer at retail establishments for the average consumer. If you went to a jeweler, a piece that was available in yellow gold could always be ordered in WG. Jewelry is fashion and and fashion has its trends. Tastes and cultures differ. I prefer diamonds set in plat or white gold but I adore my gold charm bracelet. It depends on the piece- I have a ruby set in YG and an emerald set in plat. Now I see a trend with setting diamonds in sterling silver to offset the price of gold. There seems to be no cheaper option for yellow gold.

 

[AGBF]

There seems to be no cheaper option for yellow gold.

Vermeil. I love it.

Deb

 

[DoctorD]

I know exactly what DoctorD meant about yellow gold being "out". In England everyone always wore yellow gold wedding and engagement rings and then - bam! - it seemd like overnight, everyone went to white gold or platinum.

Thanks, Smith, and the others who have also noticed the trend I innocently commented on.

Thanks, Deb, for re-phrasing what you had written. It was your comment accusing me of not being a gold afficianado that I found hostile. Especially because as a guy who likes and wears jewelry, it seems like I am just the opposite -- not only an afficianado, but also a crusader for the cause of it being okay for men to wear jewelry.

The threads you referred to are all locked, so I couldn't comment. At what point is a thread locked (and why)? I did a search for men's jewelry and there were several threads I wanted to comment on, but they were locked, too.

I think the advice to hold on to my favorite yellow pieces and sell others makes the most sense and is probably what I will do. Perhaps my sons will want my wedding rings one day. When I was younger, every couple of years I bought one that was one millimeter wider than my original. I liked the bigger, wider bands right off, because of my big fingers and hands, but we were students when we got married and on a very tight budget, so I got only a thin 4mm band. I actually have yellow-gold, milgrain-edge bands in 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm!

Then I grew interested in, and was able to afford, buying rings with diamonds of gradually increasing size -- always with my wife's approval and encouragement, of course. She has gone through similar upgrading of her jewelry as the years pass, with my encouragement and support. We both have developed very particular taste in jewelry and no longer try to surprise one another with something we haven't both looked at together. It took me about ten minutes to choose my first wedding ring. Now I contemplate a new purchase for weeks or even months before making a final decision (see my other thread about choosing a ring to complement my bracelet).

I have reached a point in my career where I am looked up to by many people. I'm not bragging; it's taken a long time and been a lot of hard work. It is important for my appearance to be fashionable. I wouldn't dream of attending an important event in an out-of-style business suit; the same goes for the accessories.

For people who say they're not influenced by fashion trends, and they couldn't care less what others think, I wonder if you're truly being honest with youself. Are your clothes and hairstyle the same as they were 10 or 20 years ago? Very few people want to stick out and be shunned for being "oddballs." It's human nature to want to "fit in" and be accepted. Not caring what others think of you is generally considered sociopathic.

Many have commented on skin tones influencing their choice of gold color. Does anyone feel, like I do, that when I have a tan, white gold looks better, but when I'm pale, yellow gold looks better?

 

[AGBF]

I found this pair of sterling earrings on Etsy in 2008 and asked the vendor if she could plate them in 22K or 24K gold and make them without the pearl. The result was a pair of gorgeous vermeil swirl earrings in what appeared to be high karat gold. That gave them the look of primitive gold earrings. (Vermeil is sterling silver with gold plating. The gold plating has to be 10K or above. It can be in higher karat gold.)

I love vermeil. It uses all precious metals, but is versatile.

Deb/AGBF

 

[missy]

I know exactly what DoctorD meant about yellow gold being "out". In England everyone always wore yellow gold wedding and engagement rings and then - bam! - it seemd like overnight, everyone went to white gold or platinum.

Thanks, Smith, and the others who have also noticed the trend I innocently commented on.

Thanks, Deb, for re-phrasing what you had written. It was your comment accusing me of not being a gold afficianado that I found hostile. Especially because as a guy who likes and wears jewelry, it seems like I am just the opposite -- not only an afficianado, but also a crusader for the cause of it being okay for men to wear jewelry.

The threads you referred to are all locked, so I couldn't comment. At what point is a thread locked (and why)? I did a search for men's jewelry and there were several threads I wanted to comment on, but they were locked, too.

I think the advice to hold on to my favorite yellow pieces and sell others makes the most sense and is probably what I will do. Perhaps my sons will want my wedding rings one day. When I was younger, every couple of years I bought one that was one millimeter wider than my original. I liked the bigger, wider bands right off, because of my big fingers and hands, but we were students when we got married and on a very tight budget, so I got only a thin 4mm band. I actually have yellow-gold, milgrain-edge bands in 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 7mm, and 8mm!

Then I grew interested in, and was able to afford, buying rings with diamonds of gradually increasing size -- always with my wife's approval and encouragement, of course. She has gone through similar upgrading of her jewelry as the years pass, with my encouragement and support. We both have developed very particular taste in jewelry and no longer try to surprise one another with something we haven't both looked at together. It took me about ten minutes to choose my first wedding ring. Now I contemplate a new purchase for weeks or even months before making a final decision (see my other thread about choosing a ring to complement my bracelet).

I have reached a point in my career where I am looked up to by many people. I'm not bragging; it's taken a long time and been a lot of hard work. It is important for my appearance to be fashionable. I wouldn't dream of attending an important event in an out-of-style business suit; the same goes for the accessories.

For people who say they're not influenced by fashion trends, and they couldn't care less what others think, I wonder if you're truly being honest with youself. Are your clothes and hairstyle the same as they were 10 or 20 years ago? Very few people want to stick out and be shunned for being "oddballs." It's human nature to want to "fit in" and be accepted. Not caring what others think of you is generally considered sociopathic.

Many have commented on skin tones influencing their choice of gold color. Does anyone feel, like I do, that when I have a tan, white gold looks better, but when I'm pale, yellow gold looks better?

I agree. Tan skin looks great with white metals. I actually think yellow gold looks great on tan skin as well. I guess it depends on the individual skin undertone/color.
I'm always pale so I don't get that added benefit when wearing my white gold and platinum but I totally agree with your observation. For me, yellow gold is less flattering even on my pale skin but that just has to do with my skin color I guess. I still wear yellow gold because I like them all. I am not sure how rose gold would look on me but I am thinking of getting a rose gold piece because I love it so much. I do have a pair of earrings that combine white, yellow and rose gold and I love them.

 

[AGBF]

Thanks, Deb, for re-phrasing what you had written. It was your comment accusing me of not being a gold afficianado that I found hostile. Especially because as a guy who likes and wears jewelry, it seems like I am just the opposite -- not only an afficianado, but also a crusader for the cause of it being okay for men to wear jewelry.

The threads you referred to are all locked, so I couldn't comment. At what point is a thread locked (and why)? I did a search for men's jewelry and there were several threads I wanted to comment on, but they were locked, too.

I'm glad to be able to speak to you personally, DoctorD. I apologize for hurting (and or angering) you with apparent hostility. I can only say that I didn't have a scintilla of hostility in me while writing what I did. My sense of humor is a bit offbeat and I am playful and I sometimes assume that others are on the same wavelength that I am on when they are not. This has resulted in my angering other Pricescopers in the past. I always apologize; I know my humor is at fault. Clearly you are a gold aficionado! I was drawn to this thread because you are a gold aficionado! Forgive me.

As for the locked threads: the threads are locked if no one posts to them within a certain amount of time. If you request that a thread be re-opened, Ella or Andrey will usually do that for you and then you can resume posting to it. I listed the threads for you to see, however, not necessarily to re-open. If any of them appeal to you, by all means ask Ella or Andrey to re-open them!

There are other matters about which you posted which I would like to address later, like skin tone and metal color. (There is a thread in Hangout about that right now.) I tend to think that white metals look good on tanned skin and that gold looks good on fair, pink, skin with blue undertones. I can see gold looking good on tanned skin, too, however!

Deb/AGBF