Many women wonder: should I choose gold earrings or silver earrings? Or perhaps even more specifically: gold or silver, what actually suits me and my skin?
Sometimes you only see it when someone else shows it to you. Fabrics in unexpected colors, close to your face, and suddenly something subtle changes in your skin, or the light softens, or it disappears completely.
That's exactly what happened with Maya Mea.
Wietske Doreleijers (Donna Dorée) & Maya Mea (Color Specialist)
I turned out to be a summer/autumn type. Warm and cool at the same time.
“A rare balance,” she said. Neutral in undertone.
And as she said it, it felt less like a discovery than a confirmation of something that had always been there.
However, that's not obvious for everyone. The choice between gold and silver is almost never random. Often, it's closer to the skin than you think.
And precisely there, near the face, everything begins.
Maya Mea:
“When the right metal illuminates your skin,
you understand the power of undertones.”
Which metal suits my skin? It all starts with your undertone
Gold or silver, what suits my skin type? Your skin has a color you see and an undertone you feel. That undertone doesn't change when you get a tan in summer or return pale in January after a long work week. It's always there, subtle but decisive.
There are three types: warm, cool, and neutral.
A warm undertone has yellow hues, a peachy or golden glow in the skin. A cool undertone has blue, pink, or red tones. And the lucky neutral types are exactly in between. A soft olive color, or a mix that's hard to define.
How do you discover your type?
It remains a fact that someone trained in color analysis can do this best. But if you want to test a few things yourself, try turning your forearm over and looking at the veins on your wrist in daylight. Are they blue or purple? Then you're probably cool. Are they greenish? Then you probably have a warm undertone.
But that certainly doesn't tell the whole story!
Your natural hair and eye color can also provide clues. Golden blonde, coppery, or warm chestnut brown hair often goes with a warm undertone, while ash blonde, cool brown, or deep black hair is more common with a cool undertone. The same applies to eyes: warm golden-brown, amber, or warm green eyes often indicate a warm undertone, while bright blue, gray, or cool green eyes are more often associated with a cool undertone.
But there's also a third possibility. Some women have characteristics of both sides. Like me! Perhaps you have grey-green eyes, dark blonde hair with both warm and cool nuances, or skin that looks good with both gold and silver. Then chances are you have a neutral undertone. In that case, you don't have to choose between gold or silver; both metals can work beautifully. The choice then becomes less about what suits you and more about what look you want to create.
Still in doubt? Then there's another simple test. Hold a gold and a silver cloth or earring and/or necklace next to your face one at a time in daylight. Do you see your skin looking warmer, fresher, and more even with one of the two? Then you usually have your answer immediately.
If you really want insight into your color palette, a professional color analysis at Maya Mea is definitely worthwhile.
Gold earrings or silver earrings; start with your face
Rings, brooches, bracelets, they are beautiful, but they play a supporting role. Earrings do not. A pair of earrings hangs at eye level and catches the light precisely there. The wrong metal color near your ears does more damage than the wrong ring on your finger.
That makes earrings the first and most decisive choice when it comes to gold or silver.
Maya Mea:
“The most beautiful jewels don't draw attention to themselves.
They make you shine.”
At Donna Dorée, the Female Figures collection, statement earrings named after Greek goddesses, is available in both 925 sterling silver and gold. Not by chance. Precisely because not every woman wears the same metal. Rhea, Gaia, Circe: each available in the color that suits you.
Are you a spring or autumn type? Then your skin has that soft, golden glow that seems to come from within in daylight. Gold enhances that. It reflects the warmth that is already there and makes your skin appear to glow instead of fading.
Silver jewelry can feel harsh on a warm type. Not always, not on everyone, but if you ever felt you looked tired with silver on, that wasn't your imagination. The contrast between the cool metal and your warm skin can make your face look dull.
Rhea and Gaia in gold from the goddess jewelry collection are specifically made for that woman. Statement, yet in harmony with who she naturally is. And if you want to go beyond earrings? The Donna brooch from our Iconic Elegance collection is also available in gold. Timeless, wearable as a pendant, and on warm skin: absolutely irresistible!
Cool skin type: silver makes you shine
Summer and winter types have skin with blue or pink undertones. Porcelain, clear, sometimes almost luminous complexions or a deeply cool dark skin with the same cool glow. For these types, silver does something special: it enhances clarity. It's as if the light finds a way.
Gold can feel heavy on cooler skin types, or even create a strange yellow contrast. While a pair of silver statement earrings makes the face speak.
The Circe and Rhea in silver, also from our Female Figures collection, are made for this. 925 sterling silver, handmade, with the power of a goddess. And on your skin: absolutely perfect. The Donna brooch from the Iconic Elegance collection also looks stunning in silver as a finishing touch on a jacket or dress.
Warm skin type: gold jewelry feels naturally right
With a warm skin type, the skin already carries light within it. Not an outspoken color, but a soft golden undertone that becomes visible in daylight, for example, peachy or olive-toned. Gold moves with that.
Silver does something different. It cools. It puts a boundary around the warmth that is already naturally present. Sometimes refined, sometimes just a little further away from what the skin itself conveys. And precisely there, the recognition arises. Gold doesn't feel chosen, it feels logical. You'll see it for yourself!
Neutral or combined type: the freedom to choose
And then there are women who, like me, are told they can wear both gold and silver. That freedom is wonderful, but it can also be confusing.
The special thing about a neutral undertone is that both metals can work. Not because everything suits you, but because your skin has enough balance to carry both warmth and coolness.
I often choose silver during the day and gold in the evening, or I let it depend on the color of clothing I'm wearing. You'll often notice your preference naturally. On some days, gold makes your skin look softer and more radiant. At other times, silver provides more freshness and clarity.
The choice is not about what is allowed.
But about what effect you want to achieve.
That makes a neutral undertone perhaps the most versatile of all.
Not yet sure about your color type and skin undertone? Trust what you see
Color analyses, undertones, and seasonal types are valuable tools. But ultimately, there's one thing that's at least as important: how you see yourself when you look in the mirror.
Do you feel powerful in gold? Wear gold. Does silver give you that extra bit of freshness and elegance? Then that's your answer.
The most beautiful jewelry is not necessarily the jewelry that suits you according to an analysis. It's the jewelry in which you recognize yourself.
A color analysis can provide direction, but your feeling completes the choice.
Every piece of jewelry at Donna Dorée is made to be worn by a woman who knows herself. Whether you shimmer in warm gold or sparkle in cool silver: the important thing is that you shine.
And you do.
Whether you choose gold earrings or silver earrings, the most important thing is that the metal enhances your natural radiance. By considering your undertone, seasonal type, and personal preference, you make a choice you'll enjoy for years to come.
Discover all our jewelry with statement earrings in gold and silver, the Iconic Elegance collection with the Donna brooch/pendant, or delve into our vintage collection for unique gold and silver rings with a story.
Bisous bisous,
Donna