Silver or Gold Jewelry Test

Look at the veins on the inside of the wrist in natural light. Blue or purple veins usually point to cool tones, which suit silver, white gold, and platinum.

Green veins usually point to warm tones, which suit yellow and rose gold. Veins that look both blue and green usually point to neutral tones, which suit either family.

Hold a white sheet beside the face in natural light. If the skin looks pink or rosy beside white, cool metals usually flatter best.

If the skin looks yellow or golden beside white, warm metals usually flatter best. If neither stands out, both families will work.

Check the jewelry already worn most. If it is mostly silver-toned, staying in that family keeps everything wearable together.

Check the wardrobe too. Cool wardrobes with black, white, and jewel tones pair naturally with silver tones, while warm wardrobes with earth tones pair naturally with gold tones.

Try one silver-toned and one gold-toned piece in the same style, in natural light, and step back from the mirror. The metal that makes the face look rested, rather than the metal itself, is the winner.

Rose gold sits between the families and suits many people who cannot decide. It reads warm but softer than yellow gold, and pairs with both wardrobes.

Mixing metals is fine when done deliberately. Keep one metal dominant and use the other as an accent, or keep metals in separate pieces that do not touch.

Harder metals wear against softer metals where they touch, so avoid stacking a platinum band directly against a soft gold band for years without checking.