There are many elements to consider when selecting a piece of jewellery that you will love and wear every day. The design, the shape and colour of gemstones and diamonds and of course, which precious metal to create the setting. When selecting the precious best metal to suit you - silver, white gold, yellow gold, rose gold, platinum etc., there are several things to consider. However, first and foremost, it’s best to select the metal colour that best compliments your skin tone.
Your skin tone, also called undertone, is different from your complexion, which is the shade of your skin (light, medium, dark). Your undertone will remain the same no matter how much sun you get, even if you’re pale in the winter and tan in the summer. There are three different undertones - cool, warm, and neutral. So how does one determine their own skin tone? First of all, it’s best to cleanse your skin of any cosmetics and creams. You need to be able to view your skin in its “raw” state after cleansing. Wait 15 minutes so that your skin has time to settle and adjust after any cleansing or scrubbing is just experienced…a flushed face would detract from your real skin tone.
The next step is to find a place with natural light only. Lighting can cast either green or yellow tones on to your skin which will affect your analysis. If you can sit next to a window on a sunny day you can get the right light otherwise you may need to take a mirror outside. Hold a white piece of paper up to your face. Looking in a mirror, try to see how your skin looks in contrast to the white paper. It may appear to have a yellow cast, a blue-red or rosy-coloured cast. It could also possibly seem to have a greyish cast.
The following is a guide to help you to determine your skin’s undertone.
Besides the white paper there is another simple test. A sheet of gold and silver foil is required. Hold a sheet of gold foil in front of your face so that it reflects light back on your skin. Note whether it makes your face look greyish or washed out, or if it enhances your skin. Then try with a sheet of silver foil.
Once you have determined your skin tone its best to try on jewellery in different metal colours and see how well the different colours sit with your skin.
A few final points:
To conclude, it’s a question of experimenting and we would be delighted to assist you in selecting the perfect piece of jewellery to suit your skin tone.