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Gold or silver: which actually suits your skin
There is a real test and it takes two minutes. There is also a good argument for ignoring the result.
Zayr Studio3 min read
Updated
The advice that gold suits warm skin and silver suits cool skin gets repeated everywhere without anyone explaining how to tell which you are, or admitting how small the effect actually is. Both parts are worth fixing.
Undertone is not the same as how fair you are
This is the confusion at the centre of the whole topic. Undertone is the colour beneath the surface, and it is independent of depth. Two people with identical complexions can have opposite undertones, and someone very fair and someone very deep can share one.
Across South Asian skin, warm and neutral undertones are the most common by a distance, with olive — which behaves as its own category — very well represented. Cool undertones exist here too and are simply less frequent.
Four tests, two minutes
- Veins at the wrist, in daylight. Greenish suggests warm. Blue or purple suggests cool. Both or unclear suggests neutral. Daylight matters — indoor bulbs make everything look warm.
- White paper against your face. If your skin looks yellow or golden beside pure white, you are warm. If it looks pink or slightly blue, you are cool.
- Jewellery you already own. Hold gold to one side of your face and silver to the other. One will make your skin look even and the other will make it look slightly grey or slightly flushed. This is the most reliable test on this list.
Common questions
How do I know if I have warm or cool undertones?
Look at the veins on your inner wrist in daylight — greenish suggests warm, blue or purple suggests cool, and a mix suggests neutral. The more reliable test is holding gold against one side of your face and silver against the other, and seeing which makes your skin look more even.
Does gold or silver suit brown skin better?
Most South Asian skin has warm or neutral undertones, which means yellow gold and warm metals tend to be especially flattering. That said, neutral undertones are extremely common and they suit everything, so silver is far from ruled out — test with a piece against your face rather than assuming.
What metal suits olive skin?
Yellow gold, warm brass and bronze sit well against olive skin's green cast. Rose gold also works nicely. Very cold, high-polish silver is the least flattering, though a softer brushed silver finish is much more forgiving than a mirror one.
Does skin tone really matter when choosing jewellery?
A little, and mostly for pieces near your face like earrings and short necklaces. Fit, occasion and personal preference all matter more. If you have cool undertones and love gold, wear gold — the rule is a starting point for people with no preference, not a restriction.
Ready when you are
Bank or wallet payment nationwide, exchanges on sizing.
