The quickest way to settle the gold or silver question is to look at your skin's undertone. Warm undertones are usually flattered by gold, cool undertones by silver, and neutral undertones sit comfortably in both. Undertone is not the same as how light or deep your skin is, which is why two people with a similar complexion can suit completely different metals. In this guide, we explain how to find your undertone in under a minute, which metal tends to flatter each type, and why your personal style still gets the final say. If you already know yellow metal is your colour, you can browse our gold charms collection while you read.
How to Find Your Skin's Undertone
Your undertone is the subtle hue sitting beneath the surface of your skin, and it stays the same all year, whether you tan in summer or fade in winter. It falls into one of three groups: warm, cool or neutral. A few quick checks at home will usually tell you which one you are.
Start with the vein test. Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in natural daylight. If they appear greenish, your undertone is likely warm. If they look blue or purple, it is likely cool. If you see a mix, or genuinely cannot decide, you are probably neutral.
Next, try the white paper test. Hold a sheet of plain white paper beside your bare face in front of a mirror. Skin that looks golden, yellow or peachy against the paper points to a warm undertone. Skin that looks pink, rosy or slightly blue points to cool. If your skin simply looks grey-ish or shows no obvious cast, neutral is the likely answer.
How your skin reacts to the sun adds one more clue. People who tan easily and rarely burn often lean warm, while those who burn before they tan often lean cool. No single test is perfect, so run two or three of them and trust the answer that keeps coming up.
Gold Jewellery for Warm Undertones
Gold jewellery suits warm undertones because its yellow tone echoes the golden and peachy hues already present in the skin. Rather than sitting on top of your complexion, gold blends into it, which is why warm-toned skin often looks softer and more radiant in gold pieces.
If your tests pointed to warm, gold is a safe starting point for your first charm bracelet or watch. It pairs naturally with the colours warm undertones tend to wear well, such as cream, brown, olive, rust and warm red. On deeper skin with a warm undertone, gold is especially striking, as the contrast makes both the metal and the skin look richer. On a charm bracelet, gold also gives the whole piece a warmer, slightly vintage character that suits sentimental charms like hearts, letters and lucky symbols.
Silver Jewellery for Cool Undertones
Silver jewellery suits cool undertones because its crisp white tone mirrors the pink and blue hues beneath the skin. On cool-toned skin, silver has a brightening effect: it makes the complexion look fresh rather than tired, where a strong yellow gold can sometimes look slightly harsh. If that sounds like you, our silver charms collection is the natural place to start.
Silver also matches the wardrobe colours cool undertones usually reach for, including black, grey, navy, white and jewel tones like emerald and sapphire. Fair skin that burns easily in the sun is very often cool-toned, which is one reason silver is such a reliable choice across northern Europe. On a charm bracelet, silver reads clean and modern, and it lets colourful enamel and stone-set charms stand out clearly against the chain.
Neutral Undertones Can Wear Both
A neutral undertone carries a balance of warm and cool hues, which means neither gold nor silver fights against your skin. If your vein and paper tests gave mixed answers, treat that as good news: you are in the group with the most freedom.
For neutral undertones, the sensible way to choose is by wardrobe, occasion and mood rather than by complexion. Try both metals on in daylight and notice which one you keep reaching for. Many neutral-toned wearers end up building two bracelets, one gold and one silver, and switching between them depending on the outfit.
Does Rose Gold Suit Every Skin Tone?
Rose gold sits between the two camps, because its pink tone carries warmth without the strong yellow of classic gold. That middle position makes it one of the most forgiving metal colours across all undertones. Warm skin reads rose gold as a softer take on gold, while cool skin usually finds it far easier to wear than yellow metal. If you are undecided after every test, the rose gold collection is a comfortable middle ground.
Choosing by Style, Not Just Skin Tone
Undertone is a guide, not a rule, and the metal you reach for most says as much about your style as your skin. Before committing to one side, it is worth doing a quick audit of what you already own and wear.
Open your wardrobe and look at the overall palette. If it is built on earthy, warm colours, gold will tie your jewellery into almost every outfit. If it leans towards black, white and cool blues, silver will do the same job. Look at the jewellery you already wear daily, including your watch, since matching your new pieces to it keeps your whole wrist consistent.
Colour is only half of the decision as well. If you are also weighing up how a piece is made, our guide to gold plated vs stainless steel explains what each term actually means. And remember that on a charm bracelet, the metal is really the backdrop: the charms you choose carry the story, so pick the base that makes you want to keep adding to it.
Can You Mix Gold and Silver Jewellery?
Yes, mixing gold and silver is now a styling choice rather than a mistake, and it works best when the mix looks deliberate. The simplest rule is repetition: wear each metal at least twice across your look, so one gold ring with an otherwise silver stack reads as intentional rather than accidental.
A two-tone piece makes mixing even easier, because it bridges everything else you are wearing. A charm bracelet is arguably the easiest mixed-metal piece of all, since you can place gold and silver charms side by side on one chain. Neutral undertones in particular suit mixed stacks, as neither metal pulls against the skin.
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