Gold or Silver: What Color Jewelry Works Best For Your Season?

You know how people say that if you have cool undertones, you should wear silver jewelry, and if you have warm undertones, you should stick to gold? Well, it’s actually not that simple...
Not all gold jewelry is the same shade of gold, and not all silver jewelry is the same shade of silver. Put two random gold pieces next to each other, and they might look totally different. One might be really saturated and warm, while the other is softer and cooler. Same with silver: one piece might have a bright, almost platinum look, while another has a darker, bluish-gray tone.
These differences in undertone, chroma, and value are actually pretty important. So instead of asking “Should I wear silver or gold?” the better question is “Which shade of silver and which shade of gold works best for me?”
Now, before we go into all the different variations of gold and silver out there, let’s keep in mind two basic rules about color and jewelry: how close it is to your face, and how much of it you’re wearing. Some jewelry sits right by your face where the color really matters, but most pieces are small enough that they won’t make or break your whole look. Big statement necklaces and earrings are a different story. But you really don’t need to stress over every little delicate necklace or skip wearing pieces you love just because you’re worried about color matching.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Pale yellow gold

When gold has more silver mixed into the alloy, you get a pale, desaturated yellow color.

Pale yellow gold is warm-neutral, so it works well for Soft Autumns, True Springs, and Light Springs. It also looks great on other Autumn and Spring types, plus Light Summers.

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Catbird and Mejuri. Designer options: Van Cleef & Arpels and Cartier.

Apricot gold

This peachy yellow shade is kind of halfway between being a rose gold: it has a decent amount of copper in it. Apricot gold is a warm neutral pastel, which makes it perfect for all the Spring types and also looks good on Light Summers.

A mid priced option for this metal is: Monica Vinader. Designer option: Piaget.

Deep yellow gold

You’ll find this deeper yellow with a slightly greenish tinge in fine gold pieces with lower karats (or in gold-plated jewelry). Because it’s got more depth to it, deep yellow gold is a warm-neutral rich shade, making it perfect for all the Autumn seasons and also works well for Deep Winters.

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Gorjana and Missoma. Designer options: David Yurman and Bulgari.

Rose gold

When you mix fine gold with a lot of copper, you get rose gold…which used to actually be called red gold. Rose gold is a warm-neutral pastel that’s almost neutral in undertone, making it the most universally flattering gold shade out there.

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Aurate and Mejuri. Designer options: Chopard and Cartier.

What is white gold?

White gold is designed to look like platinum. It’s usually made by coating yellow gold with a thin layer of rhodium (another silvery-white precious metal). Even though white gold is technically still gold, its color properties are basically the same as silver.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Blue Nile and Mejuri. Designer options: Harry Winston and Tiffany’s.

Shades of Silver

Silver jewelry doesn’t vary as much in color as gold does, mainly because silver alloys typically contain fewer other metals. However, not everything that looks silver is actually silver, some pieces are stainless steel, which tends to be darker and has a cooler tone. Here’s how to tell different silver-toned metals apart.

Sterling Silver

Pure silver is too soft for jewelry on its own, so it needs a bit of copper added for strength, just like gold. Sterling silver is the most common silver alloy, made from 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. It has a very light, cool-neutral tone that’s pretty consistent and not all that different from pure silver. Silver-filled and silver-plated jewelry use this same sterling silver alloy as a coating over a brass or steel core.
Because of how it reflects light, sterling silver looks best on people with cool-neutral undertones. It’s particularly flattering for Light Summers, True Winters, and Clear Winters, and generally works better than gold for most other Summer and Winter types. A note on Sterling silver….unlike gold, it will tarnish over time when exposed to air and moisture. Regular wear prevents tarnishing. Its best to search for a jeweler who offers rhodium plated sterling silver.

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Monica Vinader and Pandora. Designer options: David Yurman and Tiffany’s.

Stainless Steel

Silver and steel might seem similar, but they actually have quite different color characteristics. Steel is noticeably darker and cooler than silver, often with a slight green or blue tint, putting it closer to a cool, dimmed tone. This means stainless steel jewelry tends to look better on Soft Summers, Deep Winters, and all Autumn types. In contrast, it’s less flattering on Light Summers, Clear Winters, and Spring types. True Summers and True Winters can usually pull off either metal equally well.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Some mid priced options for this metal are: Swarovski and Fossil. Designer option: Bulgari.