Written by Jeweller Laurence Coste
Jeweller Laurence Coste
Choose your metal
The first step towards finding your signature jewellery look is choosing your metal. Depending on your skin tone and hair colour, one metal will look better than others. For example, whereas women with mediterranean, olive skin look great in just about any metal, women with fair skin and slightly red undertones should steer clear of rose gold and go for silver or platinum and women with dark skin should always go for gold. Blondes will normally look better in gold as it illuminates their golden hair tone and brightens the complexion, whereas brunettes will usually shine more in silver or platinum.
Find the best colours for you
Different colours affect our complexion almost transformatively and can affect the way we look significantly. The right colours will make you look healthy, energetic and radiant, whereas the wrong colours will often make your complexion dull and tired. Figuring out what colour best flatters you starts with knowing your skin tone group: warm, cool, and neutral. Women with a warm skin tone will look striking in reds, golden yellow, amber, honey gold, magenta, olive, deep turquoise, green moss, taupe and creamy whites. Women with cool skin tone should go for colours like hot pink, cobalt blue, royal blue, navy blue, emerald, deep purples, lavender, lilacs, grey and white. And finally, women with neutral skin tone will look beautiful with neutral colours like dusty pink, soft blues and greens, taupe and grey. Eye colour is also key when thinking about which stones will suit your complexion.
Find the right length
The right length for your earrings will depend on your face’s shape (below) and the length of your hair. Most women that change their hair length dramatically will find that some of their old earrings that looked great with long hair will no longer do the trick.
Make sure it’s the right shape
Oval faces will look great with long earrings that get wider as they get longer as the shape will fill out the lower area of the face. Women with long and thin faces should wear earrings that widen their face and bring out their eyes, like on the ear earrings or studs. Round faces should avoid circular shaped earrings and go for long ones and those with square faces and accentuated jawlines should wear mid-size earrings that frame their jaw.
Get excited!
Jewellery should feel special, and the best choice will always be the piece that makes you feel most excited to wear it and own it the same night you buy it.
Clip or pierced?
An important decision too as some earrings sit better on the lobe as clip-ons, especially if their tops are big.
Adapt the earrings to suit the occasion
Jewellery should be fun and versatile; some jewellery can go jeans to black tie, but other pieces can’t and shouldn’t. It is fundamental to know the difference. There is nothing worse than seeing accessories that stick out for their inadequacy - like turquoise earrings with a black wooly winter outfit, or overly casual hoops at a wedding.
Don’t be afraid to dress around your jewellery
Have you ever tried planning your outfit around your jewellery? You should! So much inspiration can be drawn from your own jewellery box.
In or out of your comfort zone
Some women enjoy feeling challenged and will go for the bigger, bolder pieces. But the bottom line is that you have to feel comfortable and confident in your jewellery, otherwise you will never wear it.
Look to the stars for inspiration
If you are ever stuck or run out of ideas and inspiration, look at style icons and celebrities you identify with style-wise or that you look similar to. Draw inspiration from Iris Apfel’s art of stacking, or Loulou de la Falaise and her bohemian and eccentric look, or even the queen of regal minimalism: Grace Kelly. For modern day inspiration, just remember that celebrities are dressed by experts that know exactly what looks better on their A-list clients and are great at mixing colours, prints and styles with the perfect piece of jewellery.
Tagged in Jewellery