Gold-tone or silver-tone? That's often the first question we ask ourselves when looking at jewelry. There's no wrong answer, but some shades naturally flatter your skin more. The secret: knowing your skin's undertone. We'll explain how to identify it in a few seconds.
Complexion and undertone: what's the difference?
Your complexion is the color of your skin: fair, olive, dark... Your undertone is the shade hidden beneath, and that's what matters when choosing your jewelry. There are three undertones:
- warm: golden, peach, or yellow undertones;
- cool: pink or blue undertones;
- neutral: a balance between the two.
Any complexion can have any undertone: very fair skin can be warm, and dark skin can be cool.
Three simple tests to find your undertone
1. The vein test
Look at the inside of your wrist in natural light. Do your veins look green? Warm undertone. Blue or purple? Cool undertone. Hard to tell? You're probably neutral.
2. The white test
Hold a pure white fabric near your face, then an off-white or cream fabric. If pure white brightens you up, your undertone is probably cool. If cream is more flattering, it's probably warm.
3. The sun test
Does your skin tan easily in the sun? Probably a warm undertone. Does it redden before tanning? Probably a cool undertone.
Warm undertone: gold-tone is your ally
Gold-tone warms up your complexion and highlights the luminous undertones of your skin. Gold-tone hoop earrings, delicate chains, bangles: anything that shines with a sun-kissed glow will look wonderful on you. View our earrings or our full selection of gold-tone jewelry.
Cool undertone: silver-tone flatters you
Silver-tone brings freshness and radiance to rosy complexions. Silver-tone chains, delicate rings and chunky silver-tone hoops create a clean and elegant look. Discover our rings or our full selection of silver-tone jewelry.
Neutral undertone: you can wear it all
Good news: both gold-tone and silver-tone suit you. Take advantage of it by mixing both in the same outfit—it's very trendy.
What if we ignored the rules?
These tips are guidelines, not rules. The color of your clothes and hair, your makeup, and above all, your personal preferences matter just as much. The most important thing is to feel good and radiant with your jewelry. Mixing gold-tone and silver-tone is also a beautiful way to play with both: our tips for layering your jewelry.
