All three start from the same pure gold and take their colour from the alloy mixed into it. Yellow gold uses silver and copper in roughly equal parts, which gives the warm tone people associate with traditional gold jewellery.
White gold uses silver, palladium or nickel to pull the colour toward silvery white. Most white gold pieces then carry a rhodium plating for a brighter finish, and that plating needs refreshing every few years. Rose gold uses more copper, which gives it the pink tone that has been popular for the last decade. The extra copper also makes it slightly harder than yellow or white gold.
Karat (9k, 14k, 18k) refers to gold purity and is separate from colour. You can have 18k yellow, 18k white and 18k rose gold, all with the same gold content but a different alloy recipe. Our guide to which gold purity suits everyday wear covers how that choice plays out in daily use.
Colour comes down to what sits well against your skin and against the jewellery you already own. You can see all three tones across our everyday rings and everyday necklaces. If you would rather compare them side by side, book a consultation at our Hatton Garden studio.