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 straightforward.
Here’s the thing…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.
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 tends to look good on Light Summers.
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.
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.
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.