I'm a layperson trying to understand jewelry and I'm left a bit surprised by the lack of look-alike, cheaper alternatives when it comes to rose gold rings.

From what I can see, metals with a comparable hue do exist, such as red/silicon brass/bronze, but I cannot find many rings with them as their material, and those that are there are quite thick and stocky. In theory, I have a specific type of ring in mind, such as a size 11 holding a hard stone (i.e. moissanite) with a thin shank; from all I can see, this style of ring is very much not available in anything but real rose gold. To be clear, I would be okay with getting one of those, and I'm even on board with commissioning one as well.

Still, I would like to know if it's even possible to explore other options or if the only viable golden yellow with shades of light red is genuine rose gold, be it plated or otherwise. Are bronze/brass equivalents too difficult to work with? Do they stain fingers when worn every day? Or is it just a market issue?