Choosing the Right Metal Color
for Your Skin Tone

Understanding Jewelry Metal Colors: Find the Best Metal for Your Skin Tone

It may not surprise you that certain jewelry metal colors look better on you than on others, but have you ever wondered why a specific metal flatters your friend with the same skin tone but looks unflattering on you? The secret lies in your skin’s undertone—not just your surface skin tone! In this article, we break down the relationship between skin undertones and types of jewelry metals, helping you choose the best colored metal jewelry for your look.

What’s the Difference Between Skin Tone and Skin Undertone?

Your skin tone is the color of your skin on the surface, while your undertone is the subtle hue underneath the skin. Undertones are typically categorized as cool, warm, or neutral, and they play a significant role in how different jewelry metal colors appear on you. This explains why you and someone else with similar skin tones may look completely different when wearing the same metal.

How to Determine Your Skin Undertone

There are a couple of simple methods to help identify your skin’s undertone and find the best jewelry metals for you.

# 1. The Vein Test

Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. 

• If they appear bluish-purple, you likely have a cool undertone.
• If they appear more green, you have a warm undertone.
• If they’re a mix of both colors, you have a neutral undertone.

# 2. The Foil Test

Hold a piece of silver-colored foil to one side of your face and a gold-colored foil to the other. 

• If your skin looks brighter and more radiant with the silver foil, you have a cool undertone.
• If your face glows with the gold foil, you have a warm undertone.

Best Fine Jewelry Metals for Cool Undertones

If you have a cool undertone, your skin likely has pink or bluish hues. Cooler metals will complement your complexion beautifully. Look for jewelry metals like:

• Silver
• White gold (although be sure to pick a whiter alloy of white gold, since typical white gold alloys are slightly “creamy” in color)
• Platinum
• Palladium

The underlying scientific explanation is that hemoglobin, a dominant pigment in cool undertones, reacts well with cooler jewelry colors, enhancing the skin's natural glow.

Best Fine Jewelry Metal Colors for Warm Undertones

With warm undertones, your skin likely has golden or peachy hues. Gold-colored jewelry enhances your natural warmth, creating a harmonious look. Consider metals like:

• Yellow gold
• Rose gold
• Warmer alloys of white gold

Within the category of “warm undertones,” there is a further distinction which must be made. That distinction is between yellow gold and rose gold. Generally speaking, rose gold tends to look best on natural redheads, or blonds that have a redhead’s complexion. 

For those with warm undertones, the pigment carotene is more dominant in the skin, making these warmer types of jewelry metals the perfect match.

Best Fine Jewelry Metal Colors for Neutral Undertones

Lucky you! If you have a neutral undertone, you can pull off just about any metal. Both warm and cool jewelry metal colors will complement your skin, so feel free to mix and match metals like:

• Yellow gold
• Silver
• Platinum
• Rose gold

For those with neutral undertones, there’s no need to worry about sticking to one side of the color spectrum—your skin tone plays well with all types of jewelry metals.

Choosing Jewelry Based on Personal Taste

While understanding jewelry metal colors can help you make flattering choices, it’s essential to prioritize personal style and preference. At Alara, we encourage bold, eclectic, and unique fashion choices. One very creative way to get around the fact that you seem to be attracted to a metal color that isn’t what looks best on your skin is to wear two-tone jewelry. For instance, I happen to look best in yellow gold, but I love the look of rustic silver. So, I wear a number of pieces that have a silver “interior” that is framed by gold. You can certainly do the opposite if you love the look of gold but have a cool undertone…

We Love to Help You Discover Your Best Jewelry Metal Color

Confused? Want to know more about your ideal jewelry metal color for your skin tone and undertone? Want to learn how to best combine your existing pieces with new ones that better complement your coloring? Contact us to have us help you with a virtual assessment or pop into the gallery any day.