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Gold or Silver Jewellery: Which Suits You (and When to Mix Them)

“Undertone is a starting point, not a rule. If you love gold and your wardrobe is camel and cream, wear gold. The real mistake is wearing a metal you don't love because a quiz told you to.”Her take

How do you tell whether gold or silver suits you?

Do the test in daylight by a window, with your face bare and your hair pulled back. Hold a gold piece and then a silver piece close to your face, or drape them against your neck. Look for which one makes your skin look clearer and brighter, and which one makes it look sallow, grey or tired.

If you're unsure, try the same test with a pure white top and an ivory or cream one. In most colour guides, if bright white suits you better, silver usually will too; if cream suits you better, gold usually will. Treat it as a second opinion, not a verdict.

The vein test, where greener-looking veins on the inner wrist suggest warm undertones and bluer ones suggest cool, is popular but rough. Lighting changes it, so use it alongside the daylight test, not instead of it.

Which metals suit warm, cool and neutral undertones?

Your undertone is the colour beneath the surface of your skin, and it doesn't change with a tan. It's different from how light or deep your skin is, so every undertone appears across every skin tone.

• Warm undertones (skin looks peachy, golden or yellow): yellow gold, rose gold, brass-toned and antique gold.
• Cool undertones (skin looks pink, red or bluish): silver, white gold, platinum and polished steel.
• Neutral undertones (a mix of both): gold, silver and rose gold all work, and mixed metals look effortless.
• Olive undertones (a green or grey cast): often softer yellow gold or oxidised and antique silver rather than bright, shiny finishes.

Does the colour of your coat and knitwear matter?

Yes, often as much as your skin. In winter, jewellery sits against coats, scarves and jumpers for months, so it should work with the colours you wear most. If your wardrobe is mostly one family, let the metal follow it.

• Camel, cream, chocolate, rust, olive and mustard: gold.
• Grey, charcoal, icy blue, navy and pure white: silver.
• Black: both; gold looks warmer and richer, silver looks sharper and more graphic.
• Burgundy and forest green: both; gold looks traditional, silver looks modern.
• Pastels: silver or rose gold.

Does your hair colour make a difference?

It can. Warm hair colours such as copper, golden blonde and warm brunette often look harmonious with gold. Ash blonde, cool brown, black with a blue sheen, and grey or silver hair often look striking with silver and white metals.

Grey hair is a good moment to try silver again, even if you have always worn gold, because the two pick each other up.

How do you mix gold and silver so it looks deliberate?

Mixing metals looks intentional when each one appears more than once. Wear at least two pieces of each metal, rather than a single silver ring in a stack of gold. A two-tone piece, such as a ring or watch that combines both, ties everything together.

Keep the finishes similar, all polished or all brushed, and the scale consistent. Another easy approach is to separate them by zone: gold at the neck and ears, silver on the wrists and hands.

Where do pearls, rose gold and white gold fit in?

Pearls are the great neutral and sit happily with either metal, which makes them a good bridge between the two. Rose gold is warm but softer than yellow gold, and it often suits neutral and cooler skin as well as warm.

White gold and platinum look like silver but are brighter and whiter, and silver will tarnish over time if it isn't cleaned and stored away from air. If you're choosing one metal to start with, pick the one that matches your watch and the hardware on the bag you use most.

Questions people ask

The takeaway

Test both metals against your bare face in daylight, let your wardrobe colours and hair cast the deciding vote, and if you mix, repeat each metal at least twice.

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