Silver vs Gold Jewelry: How Do I Decide?

If you're looking to buy jewelry, you'll be faced with a number of choices. What stones (if any) will you choose? What kind of piece, necklace, earrings, bracelet, do you want? What style are you after?

One of the biggest (and often confusing) choices you'll have to make is whether you want silver or gold jewelry. While both are beautiful and worthy choices, it can be hard to figure out which is best. Keep reading to learn how you can decide on silver vs. gold jewelry!

Consider Your Coloring

One of the best starting points for choosing between gold and silver jewelry is figuring out your skin's undertones. In fact, the traditional rules of jewelry color are tied to your skin tone. Traditionally, cooler skin tones pair better with silver jewelry. Meanwhile, those with warmer colors should wear gold jewelry. If you have neutral undertones, you can choose between either.

This is because gold jewelry on a person with cool undertones can make them appear very pale and possibly unhealthy. On the other hand, silver jewelry with warm undertones may come across as jarring.

You can figure out your own coloring based on a few characteristics. Shine a light on your wrist and look at the veins. If you have green or yellow veins, you have warmer colors. If you have blue or purple veins, it's a sign you have cooler tones. If you can't see your veins, you probably have neutral undertones.

Those with warmer coloring usually tan well, while those with cooler coloring burn easily or turn pink in the sun. Olive and darker skin tones usually correlate to warmer colors. Meanwhile, those with less pigment usually have cooler undertones. In addition, they are more prone to blushing.

Your natural hair color can also help determine your undertones. Usually, light brown or icy blond hair indicates cool undertones. Meanwhile, black, caramel blond, and dark brown tend to be found on those with warm skin undertones. You could have cool, warm, or neutral undertones if you have red hair. This shade isn't as correlated.

Women with different hair and skin tones

Consider Your Wardrobe

Another way to decide between gold and silver is to consider your usual wardrobe. What you usually wear may pair better with one or the other.

First, look at any shoes, bags, or clothing with exposed metal. Some of the items you own may already have silver or gold accents. If this is the case, you may already have one of these color schemes present in your wardrobe. This can give you an idea if gold or silver will flow better with your current wardrobe, as incorporating something you already have will not have a huge impact on your overall wardrobe.

In addition, look at the color of the clothes you wear. Like skin tone, the color of your clothing will pair better with either gold or silver. In general, gold pairs better with warmer colors, like red, while silver pairs better with cooler colors, like blue. So, if you wear a lot of warm colors, you may want to go with gold jewelry, while the inverse is true if you wear a lot of cold colors.

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Consider Your Budget

You should also consider your budget. In general, gold costs more because it is considered to be more valuable and precious. Because of this, some people purchase silver jewelry, which allows them to have high-quality pieces without a high price.

However, the higher price of gold shouldn't dissuade you from looking into gold jewelry, especially if it suits you in other ways. There are gold-colored pieces out there that are not as expensive and can work with many different budgets.

For example, gold-plated options tend to be much more affordable than solid gold pieces. They usually end up looking the same, as the exposed metal is still the same, yet they use less gold overall, so they are less expensive. So, if you are dealing with a more limited budget, your options are not too limited, but you may need to spend more time looking for exactly what you need.

Other Considerations

Sometimes, exactly matching the color of your jewelry to the color of your wardrobe isn't an exact science. There are times when wearing a contrasting color may look even better. For example, silver may pair perfectly against a specific red outfit. So, don't feel you will be limited if you choose one or the other.

In addition, choosing gemstone jewelry in either color is a way to add more interest and excitement to your collection and outfits. In these cases, the gemstone adds a color to the mix. This may have an impact on how the entire outfit looks.

You will also face up against additional considerations if you purchase a piece of jewelry as a gift. In these cases, choosing between gold and silver can be even harder, as you may not be aware of the person's exact preferences. An easy way to know which to pick is to pay attention to what the person tends to wear. If they usually wear more silver, buy them silver as a gift. A gold-colored item will be a better option if they wear more gold pieces.

Breaking the Rules

The "rules" about silver and gold for cool and warm skin tones are the traditional ones. They are not as tightly held by many people anymore. So, if you like the other color, go with it! Instead of thinking of these guides as rules, think of them as a starting point for your decision.

You may also want to consider buying both colors of jewelry. That way, you can wear each depending on your mood, outfit, and occasion. For instance, you may wear gold for special occasions and silver for more casual, everyday occasions. Or, you may want to wear them in different seasons, as your wardrobe may shift from warm to cold colors depending on the temperature.

You can also mix and match if you want. While this would be blasphemous years ago, don't be afraid of it. Wear what you want. If you think it looks good, that's good enough!

Silver or Gold Jewelry: Which Will You Decide?

Traditionally, those with cooler skin tones are recommended to wear silver jewelry, and those with warmer undertones should wear gold. Modern fashion continues to use these rules as a guide while allowing for personal preference and even mixing metals. The choice is up to you on which color metal you will choose for your jewelry.

Is silver your color? Check out our best-selling silver jewelry!

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