Coordinating Jewelry with Skin Tone

I was having a rather bad fashion day on Sunday, incapable of deciding what to wear to a concert at a local winery. It certainly wasn’t going to be a style fest, but I was still having an inordinate amount of trouble putting myself together. No matter what I tried, it looked blah–and then it hit me. It wasn’t the clothing, it was the accessories.

I’d been trying on gold and brass jewelry, and it just wasn’t working. The warm tones of the metals seemed to dissolve on my skin (which is olive), blending in so completely that they almost disappeared. It wasn’t until I put on a chunky silver necklace that everything seemed to pop into place.

While most of us like to wear what we like to wear, it’s nevertheless a style truth that certain skin tones look better in certain metals. If your skin tone is cool, you look best in silver, white gold, and platinum. If your skin tone is warm, it will be flattered by gold, pewter, brass, and copper.

Here’s a guide to help determine what your skin tone is.

Rose (warm)—You have light-toned skin, with pink or porcelain undertones.  A day at the beach is no day at the beach, because you burn very easily and seldom tan. Nicole Kidman, Renee Zellweger, and Mariska Hargitay are rose-skinned.

Yellow (cool)—Your skin tone is light to medium, with yellow or beige undertones. You might be Caucasian, Asian, or a lighter-skinned ethnic mix. You usually burn first, then tan. Think Claudia Schiffer, Charlise Theron, and Naomi Campbell.

Olive (cool)—You have medium-toned skin, with a suggestion of green undertones. You’re Mediterranean, Latina, a fair-skinned African American, or a darker-skinned mixed race. You most likely tan easily. You share this category with Cindy Crawford, Penelope Cruz, and Tyra Banks.

Brown (warm)—You are dark-skinned, probably African-American or East Indian.  Sunburn is never an issue for you. Celebrities in this group include Angela Bassett, Alfe Woodard, and Parminder Nagra.