Matching Jewelry And Skin Tone: A Guide To Selecting Colors For You

When you purchase jewelry whether it be earrings and a necklace to frame and highlight your face or a ring and bracelet to add something extra, most likely you chose it because you like the color and design, correct? If you like a piece of jewelry and are able to buy it, then why not? However, there is another way to make jewelry purchase decisions based on whether or not the color of the metal and stones match go well with the color of your skin tone.Not everyone follows this rule and you don’t have to, but if you wish to try it out, you can read up on the following tips:

What color is your skin tone?

When it comes down to deciding what your skin tone color is, there are three different types: neutral, cool, or warm but many people find that their skin tone is between cool or warm tones. People who have a cool skin tone have the following characteristics:

• Rose or blush undertones
• Blue veins

If a person has a warm skin tone they will see the following visible characteristics:

• Yellow or gold undertones
• Green veins

The best places to check the color of your veins are the wrist or sometimes the inside of the elbow. Is it still difficult to figure out what color your skin tone is? Ask a couple of friends about their opinion, otherwise a jeweler will be able to help you figure it out as well.

Go for gold or silver metals?

Figure out what color your skin tone is by paying attention to which jewelry you wear the most or which pieces receive the most compliments from people. Jewelry metals tend to match up exactly with the skin tone and with that being said, silver is a cool tone so it matches well with cool skin tones and gold matches well with warm skin tones.

Sometimes hair and eye color can be indicators of skin tone color and what metal looks best with it. Just remember that hair and eye color are not exact indicators of what color of metal you should purchase and wear for jewelry and you should always go by the color of your skin tone.

Gold metals go well with:

• Red, auburn, strawberry blonde, and other red-tinted colored hair colors
• Brown, black, and hazel eyes

Silver metals go well with:

• Blonde, black, and brown hair
• Blue, green, and grey eyes

As an example of warm or cool skin tones, think about these female celebrities.

Cool skin tones:

• Jessica Biel
• Alex Wek
• Anne Hathaway
• Alexa Chung

Warm skin tones:

• Nicole Kidman
• Kim Kardashian
• Cameron Diaz
• Viola Davis

The sweater test

Another way to tell if your skin is cool or warm is to try different tops of neutral colors. Cool tones go well with vibrant white and black shades but warm tones look better with ivory, off-white, brown, and tan shades.

Another color test is blue versus orange. If you look better in a blue top with silver jewelry, then your skin is a cool tone. If you look better in an orange top with gold jewelry, then your skin is more of a warm tone.

When it comes to selecting jewelry for yourself or another person, you don’t have to be limited to deciding between gold and silver either. Warm skin tones go well with pewter, brass, and copper metals. Cool skin tones go well with platinum silver and white gold.

Which gemstones to pair with your skin tone?

Now that you know which metal, whether it’s gold or silver that goes best with your skin tone, which gemstones go best with your skin tone? For cool skin tones, try the following jewel-toned gemstone colors:

• Pink: Pink Topaz
• Purple: Amethyst
• Magenta: Botswana Agate
• Red: Ruby
• Blue: Sapphire

For warm skin tones, consider jewelry with following earthy colors and gemstones:

• Yellow: Citrine Quartz
• Orange: Mexican Matrix Opal
• Brown: Jasper
• Green: Peridot
• Teal: Blue Topaz

What is your “season?”

As if figuring out the color of your jewelry and skin tone might not be quite as easy as you thought if you display characteristics of both tones, then you may be surprised to find that it can be broken down even more by the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter!

If your skin is a cool tone and you have dark hair and eyes, then you are a “winter” and if they are both light, then you are a “summer.” If you skin tone is warm and your hair and eyes are dark, then you are considered an “autumn, “and if they are both light then you are a “spring.”

“Winter” complexions go well with navy, red, bright pink, and very light colors (lighter than pastels). “Summer” complexions go well with pastels and neutrals tones of powder blue and pink. For both “winter” and “summer,” try to avoid orange.

“Autumn” complexions should stick with gold tones of beige, orange, and deep brown. “Spring “complexions go well with arm peach, gold, and yellow. Both “autumn” and “spring “complexions can steer away from white and black.

Mix and matching out of style?

Despite what this article or anyone else has told you, mix and matching is never out of style with the right balance. If you prefer silver over gold metals or green over purple gemstones, don’t let this hold you back from purchasing a piece of jewelry you like or feel you need to return a gift you purchased for someone. Use this article as a guide to help you make a purchase decision for a piece of jewelry that is as unique as you or someone you know.

People once followed the rule of only wearing jewelry that was either all silver, gold, or another metal color. Today, people are steering away from those ideas to mix and match from a casual to a formal look. In fact, jewelers are selling silver and gold pieces that have already been mixed and matched for their customers to wear whether they are chain necklaces, bracelets, or rings with a unique design.

Mix and matching not only different metal colors but designs from skinny to chunky necklaces and small gemstones or charms can be seen on the runway and in real life.