Mix or Match: How to Mix Your Metal Colors
Growing up, I was always taught that accessories need to match. Brown belt? Brown shoes, of course. Yellow gold earrings? Yellow gold necklace, obviously. And heaven forbid you carry a white bag after Labor Day (although, to be honest, I still semi-abide by this fashion tradition. A white bag seems so light and springy). Thankfully, as my style evolved, I began to see these rules as dated and restrictive. Most of the fashion and style world tends to agree. Mixing styles, metals, and colors is no longer the faux pas it used to be. Now, you can mix to your heart’s content.
Now, my mom will tell you that I have always dressed to the beat of my own drummer. My style is pretty eclectic. I am known for odd combinations and jewelry. All of the jewelry. Fine, costume, I don’t care; I love it all. I’m Elizabeth Taylor…without the budget. I have so much jewelry that I bought a new dresser to house it all. Don’t judge. Because jewelry has long been a passion of mine, it should come as no surprise that I have been mixing my metals for many years. In honor of many years of mixing it up, I will share with you some tips on how to maximize the impact of metal mixing and eclectic jewelry combinations.
The most important thing to remember about mixing metals is that it is your chance to express the diversity that exists within all of our personalities. So even though I like to wear three colors at once, you might find that you are most comfortable with just two. You may also find that you don’t always want to mix metals in a flashy way. A great, understated place to start is with your wedding ring. My wedding ring is two-tone actually. The diamonds are set in white gold bezels. And the flattened knife shank (the shank is the part of the ring that wraps around the sides and bottom of your finger) is 18k yellow gold. I chose 18k yellow gold because it is 75% pure gold, giving it a more vibrant yellow hue than 14k, which is 58.5% pure gold. This yellow color is a personal choice. Some people don’t like the yellowness of my ring. But I find that is a great way to mix my metals. Almost all of the wedding bands Timeless Wedding Bands carries are available in either 14k or 18k, so no matter which karat you prefer, we’ve got you covered.
When it comes time to accessorize my outfit in the morning, I like to first consider any stand-by jewelry I’ll be wearing (like my wedding set or diamond studs, which are set in white gold). Then I can add different pieces to coordinate with that color scheme or add another color layer to my ensemble. I do recommend this: try to keep your metal mixing pretty balanced. I don’t care for wearing three pieces in one color and then one piece in an outlying color. I don’t feel like that gives a cohesive fashion statement. So if I am wearing white gold earrings, I might add two necklaces, one in white gold and one in yellow gold, plus a yellow gold or copper bracelet. I like to try to keep things balanced. The exception to this “rule” is when I am wearing three or more colors of metal. Then I will probably only wear one of each, because otherwise I might start to look like I really AM Elizabeth Taylor (but there are worse things than looking like the prettiest lady to ever grace the silver screen).
Another important note about mixing your metals is your color choice. A common misconception is that you only have three options: yellow gold, white gold (or platinum or sterling silver), or rose gold. But you also have green gold, black gold, plus jewelry that is plated in black rhodium, and sterling silver that is patinaed to have that black antiqued look. Moving out of the precious metals, you also have copper and tungsten. All of these metals can be mixed to tell a fashion story that is as intriguing as it is chic.
I really like the idea of black gold or black rhodium-plated jewelry with patinaed sterling silver and rose gold pieces. I love that color story. It is feminine but edgy and strong at the same time, which is how I like to view myself and how I imagine most women would want to view themselves.
The last thing I would recommend to you is this: take your clothing’s colors into consideration when planning your jewelry narrative. A bright sunny yellow probably isn’t the best backdrop for my black, white, and rose color story. But a grey, mauve, or any type of beige would be quite the fetching combination for black, white, and rose. And if you adore the sunny yellow, yellow gold and copper is my favorite pairing.
For the bride and groom who appreciate the mixing of metals and want the loveliness and modernity of two- or tri-tone wedding rings, be sure to check out Timeless Wedding Bands’ collections of multi-tone rings. To help you out a little, I have a couple suggestions. For him: although technically unisex, I think the Euro Cobblestone Wedding Band is better suited for a man’s hand. Likewise, I really love the detail of the Parisien Wedding Band. The diamonds are channel set, making the ring look strong and capable, which are both good traits in any good man…or ring. For her: I adore the Monica Wedding Ring. The differently-shaped bezel set diamonds really take the ring to a whole new level. While we’re on the subject of diamonds, consider the Diamond Florence Rope Wedding Band. Roped outer bands surround a delicate band of diamonds set in an alternate color gold.
Until next time,
Rebecca
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