Gold or silver: which suits me better? (+ quick undertone test)
Gold or silver — it is probably the most asked question before you buy a piece of jewelry. And the good news: there is no wrong answer. Still, one color will look that bit more natural on you than the other, and that has everything to do with your undertone: the underlying color of your skin. In this guide you will take the undertone test in a matter of seconds, discover which metal looks best with your skin tone, hair color and eye color — and see straight away which pieces go with it.
Warm or cool — two sides of the same coin
1. The quick test: do you have a warm or a cool undertone?
Your undertone has nothing to do with how light or dark your skin is — it is about the color underneath. Broadly speaking there are three types: warm (yellowish, peachy, golden), cool (pinkish, bluish) and neutral (a mix of the two). Together, these four checks give you a fairly reliable picture:
The vein test
Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist in daylight. Do they look more green? Then you probably have a warm undertone and gold will suit you. Do they look more blue or purple? Then you lean cool and silver will show you off better. A mix of both points to a neutral undertone.
The jewelry test
The most direct test: hold a gold-tone piece and a silver-tone piece up to your face in turn, in front of a mirror in daylight. With one metal your skin seems to light up and look fresher; with the other you fade a little or shadows show up faster. The metal that makes you glow is your match.
The sun test
If you burn quickly and go red rather than brown, you often have a cool undertone (silver). If you tan easily and evenly, that points to a warm undertone (gold).
The white-versus-cream test
Does pure white make you look radiant while cream or ivory looks a little dull on you? Then you are cool. Is it the other way round — warm shades like cream, camel and olive flatter you — then you are warm.
2. Gold suits you if…
Gold-tone looks its very best with a warm undertone. If you recognize yourself in this, gold is a safe bet:
Your skin has a yellow, peach or olive glow; your veins look green; you tan easily. When it comes to hair, you often see warm brown, chestnut, golden blonde or black with a warm shine, and your eyes are usually brown, amber, hazel or warm green. If you naturally gravitate toward earth tones — camel, olive, terracotta, cream — gold only strengthens that warmth. Gold gives your look something sunny, which makes it extra lovely in spring and summer.
Beautiful in gold-tone — four favorites
Want to browse further? See all gold-tone designs in the earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets collections.
3. Silver suits you if…
Silver-tone is the match for a cool undertone. These are the signs:
Your skin has a pinkish or bluish undertone; your veins look blue or purple; in the sun you burn before you tan. When it comes to hair, it is often ash blonde, cool brown, gray or blue-black, and your eyes are usually blue, gray or cool green. If you feel best in bright jewel colors such as ice blue, emerald, fuchsia and pure white, silver underlines that fresh, cool look. Silver reads clean and modern — perfect if you love minimalist, streamlined jewelry.
Beautiful in silver-tone — four favorites
4. Not sure? Then you are probably neutral — and both work
Did the tests leave you undecided, or did gold seem to win on one check and silver on another? Then you probably have a neutral undertone, and that is really the nicest outcome: both gold and silver suit you. You can simply choose by mood, outfit or season.
Two tips for those in doubt. First: rose gold (a pinkish gold tone) is the natural middle ground and flatters almost every undertone. Second: you do not have to choose at all. Wearing gold and silver together — mixed metals — stopped being a fashion mistake a long time ago; today it is a deliberate, contemporary choice. We explain step by step how to do it tastefully in our guide on combining gold and silver.
5. Quick overview: gold or silver by type
Not in the mood for tests? This short overview will usually point you in the right direction. It stays a guideline — your mirror and your gut always have the last word.
Choose gold if…
- Warm, yellowish or olive skin
- Green veins at the wrist
- You tan easily in the sun
- Brown, amber or hazel eyes
- Warm brown, chestnut or golden blonde hair
- You like wearing camel, olive and cream
Choose silver if…
- Cool, pinkish or bluish skin
- Blue or purple veins at the wrist
- You burn before you tan
- Blue, gray or cool green eyes
- Ash blonde, cool brown, gray or blue-black hair
- You like wearing jewel colors and pure white
Would you also like to match your jewelry to your outfit or to a particular dress? Then read which jewelry goes with which dress, or take a look at the complete guide to every type of women's jewelry.
6. Does the material matter?
For the color choice the material makes no difference, but for how long your jewelry stays beautiful it matters a great deal. All Lundholm jewelry — the gold-tone as well as the silver-tone pieces — is made from premium stainless steel (surgical steel). The gold-tone versions get a PVD gold layer, the silver-tone ones their bright silver color. The result is the same in both cases: waterproof, hypoallergenic and low in nickel — nickel release stays well below the European limit — and it does not discolor the way cheaper gold-plated brass does over time. So you can wear it every day, in the shower too.
That also means something nice for your choice: you can happily bring both into your jewelry box and switch between them as you feel, without the color fading after a few months. Want to know more about discoloring and care? Read which jewelry material does not discolor.
Discover gold & silver side by side
Earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets in premium stainless steel — waterproof, hypoallergenic and made for daily wear, in both colors.
Browse the whole collection →Frequently asked questions about gold or silver
Gold or silver — which suits me better?
That depends on your undertone. With a warm undertone (yellowish or olive skin, green veins, tans easily) gold usually looks best. With a cool undertone (pinkish skin, blue veins, burns quickly) silver comes into its own. If you have a neutral undertone, both suit you.
How do I know whether I have a warm or a cool undertone?
Look at your veins in daylight: green points to warm (gold), blue or purple to cool (silver). On top of that: if you tan easily you are warm, if you burn quickly you are cool. And the most direct test is holding a gold-tone and a silver-tone piece up to your face in turn — the metal that makes you light up is your match.
Can you wear gold and silver together?
Yes, absolutely. Combining gold and silver (mixed metals) stopped being a fashion mistake a long time ago; it is a deliberate, contemporary choice. A handy tip is to pick one piece that already brings both colors together, so the combination works by itself. We explain it in our guide on combining gold and silver.
Which color looks best with blue eyes?
Blue eyes often go together with a cool undertone, and then silver usually looks best. But eye color is only one of the signals: be sure to look at your skin undertone and hair color too for the full picture.
Which color is the most timeless?
Both are timeless — gold reads warm and classic, silver clean and modern. If you want a choice that lasts for years, go for the color that matches your undertone; that is the one you will keep loving longest. A neutral set in both colors is the most flexible basis.
Do Lundholm's gold-tone or silver-tone pieces discolor?
No. Both the gold-tone (PVD gold-plated) and the silver-tone designs are made from premium stainless steel: waterproof, hypoallergenic and colorfast. They do not discolor the way cheaper gold-plated brass does and they are made for daily wear, in the shower too.
Which color is the safest gift if I am not sure?
Look at what the recipient already wears: if she mostly wears gold or mostly silver, go for that same color. If you really do not know, rose gold is a safe middle ground, or a delicate design in the color she combines most often. Every piece of women's jewelry arrives gift-ready in a box with a gift pouch.
Love, the Lundholm team
