How to Choose the Right Jewelry for Your Skin Tone and Face Shape

Co-authored by Nicole Wegman

Last Updated: October 8, 2024 Fact Checked

Choosing the right jewelry to buy can be a confusing experience. Make it easier by using a tried and true method of success. Matching your jewelry to your face and skin tone will ensure that you will find pieces that look great on you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Matching Your Skin Tone with the Right Jewelry

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Determine your skin tone. There are two reliable ways to determine what skin tone you have. The first is to look at the color of your veins. The second is to carefully look at your skin color and consider its behavior.^{[1]
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- You have a cool skin tone if your veins are blue. Your hair is probably blonde, dark brown, or black. Your eyes are most likely light blue or brown.^{[2]
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  Research source} You also fit into this category if you burn easily or if your skin is a pale shade or shows signs of redness.^{[3]
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- You have a warm skin tone if your veins are greener. Your hair is probably red or light blonde. Your eyes are most likely bright blue, green, or hazel.^{[4]
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  Research source} You can also tell you have a warm tone if you tan easily or your skin is ebony or espresso colored.^{[5]
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- You have a neutral skin tone if your skin has no obvious espresso, olive, or redness in color. Neutral skin tones tend to fit in with the cool skin tone category.^{[6]
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  Cleveland Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  
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Match your skin tone with the right jewelry. Now that you know what your skin tone is, you can match your tone to the right gemstone and jewelry metal colors for a perfect personal collection that will look best on you. ^{[7]
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- Cool skin tone looks best with red, purple, and blue gemstones. Red stones include the ruby, garnet, and tourmaline. Purple stones include the amethyst, fluorite, and sapphire. Blue stones include the blue sapphire, topaz, and aquamarine.
- Cool skin tone also matches best with white metals. Examples of this would be silver or white gold.
- Warm skin tone looks best with yellow, orange, and green. Yellow/gold stones include the yellow sapphire, citrine, and zircon. Orange stones include the spessartite garnet, imperial topaz, and moonstone. Green stones include the emerald, jade, and peridot.
- Warm skin tone also matches best with yellow metals. Examples of this would be yellow gold or copper.
- Diamonds look good with any skin tone.
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Match your skin tone with the right pearls. Pearls generally come in three shades. Most people are familiar with the traditional white pearls but there are also rose tinted pearls and silver tinted pearls. Knowing this, you can match your skin tone to the proper tint of pearls.
- Cool skin tone looks best with the traditional white pearls and rose tinted pearls.^{[8]
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- Warm skin tone matches best with silver tinted pearls, but can also pull off white pearls.^{[9]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Matching Your Face Shape with the Right Jewelry

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1
Take measurements of your face. These measurements are going to tell you what shape of face you have so you can match your face to the best jewelry that complements that shape. You will need a flexible tape measure and something to pull back your hair (like hair clips or a hair tie). It helps to look in a mirror while you are taking measurements.
- Tie back your hair so that it is out of your face. If you are using clips you can clip your hair to the back or top of your head.
- Measure your hairline (in inches or centimeters). With your tape measure, place one end at your left front temple (just below the hairline), and the other end at your right temple. Write down that number.
- Measure your cheekbones (in inches or centimeters). With your tape measure, place one end at the top of your left cheekbone (just above the apple of your cheek), and the other end at the top of your right cheekbone. Write down that number.
- Measure your jawline (in inches or centimeters). With your tape measure, place one end at the left edge of your jawline (just below your earlobe), and the other edge of your right jawline. Write down that number.
- Measure the vertical length of your face (in inches or centimeters). With your tape measure, place one end at the bottom of your chin (at the very tip), and the other end at the very top of your forehead (right at your hairline or widows peak). Write down that number.
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Determine the shape of your face. Now you can use the numbers from your measurements to figure out which shape best matches your face. Stand in front of a mirror, read the shape descriptions, and choose the one that best matches your shape and measurements.
- Round faces are close to a perfect circle. The face is symmetrical across all quadrants; it is not longer than it is wider, nor wider than it is longer. A celebrity example of someone with a round face is Penelope Cruz.
- Oval faces are one and a half times longer than they are wide. They are closer to a vertical circle. A celebrity example of someone with an oval face is Beyoncé Knowles.
- Square faces show their shape in the jawline. People with square faces have the same width jawline and hairline. A celebrity example of someone with a square face is Angelina Jolie.
- Heart shaped faces are widest at the cheekbone and have a narrow forehead and jawline. A celebrity example of someone with a heart-shaped face is Jennifer Garner.
- Diamond shaped faces have a narrow chin with a wider forehead and temples. A celebrity example of someone with a diamond-shaped face is Halle Berry.^{[10]
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Match your face shape with the right jewelry. Now that you know the shape of your face and the different types of jewelry you can adorn your facial area with, you can match them together with confidence.^{[11]
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- Round faces match with jewelry that offsets the round shape of the face. Long necklaces that hang low on the chest are good options. Long, angled earrings will also complement the round face. Earrings shapes like rectangles and trapezoids are good options.^{[12]
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- Oval faces are versatile. This shape can wear almost any style of necklace or earrings. Hoop and chandelier earrings are particularly flattering.^{[13]
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- Square faces should wear necklaces with pendants or trinkets at the bottom of them to draw attention away from the angular jawline. Pendants with curved shapes are good options. Large hoop or chandelier earrings will complement the face shape.
- Heart shaped faces look best with a choker or short necklaces to add roundness to the narrow chin. Triangle or heart shaped dangled earrings will be flattering for this face shape.^{[14]
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- Diamond shaped faces should opt for choker necklaces and short hoops. They add length to the narrow chin.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Considering Other Matching Qualities

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1
Wear jewelry that compliments your body. You can choose jewelry that enhances or offsets your body type, depending on your goal. You can draw attention to, or away from, certain body parts, or balance proportions using strategically placed pieces.
- To draw attention to body parts you are proud of, wear jewelry with bold colors on or near those body parts.
- If you are a larger person, wear larger jewelry. Petite people should buy smaller, daintier pieces. Scale your jewelry to your body’s size.
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Match your jewelry to your eye color. Some people are proud of their eyes. The eyes are the doorways to our soul, right? Maybe. They are certainly one of the first places people look when they talk to us. It makes sense that you might want to match your adornments to your eye color.
- Blue eyes look best with blue gemstones like blue topaz and sapphire. If you want to contrast the blue of your eyes, wear gemstones that are pink sapphire or spinel.
- Brown eyes match best with red gemstones like garnet and ruby. To contrast brown eyes wear deep blue gemstones like blue sapphire.
- Hazel eyes go well with green gemstones like emerald and peridot.
- Green eyes also look great with green gemstones like jade and emerald.
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Match your jewelry to your personality. Some people prefer to match their jewelry to something less tangible- their personality. Most people end up doing this naturally, why not get ahead of the curve and do it on purpose?
- Outgoing, bold people tend to wear large pieces like big, bold rings or many bracelets on one wrist.
- Reserved people are more likely to be wearing one small gemstone, or a pair of earrings, maybe with a ring to match it. Usually a favorite piece.
- Eccentric people tend to go after vintage pieces. Something that is one of a kind, not worn by anyone else.
- Consider your lifestyle, as well. For instance, if you're an active person, you might avoid large hoop earrings, which can easily get snagged on things. Instead, you might opt for studs or very small hoops.^{[15]
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  Expert Source
  
  Nicole Wegman
  Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
  
  Expert Interview. 23 April 2020.}

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Question

What type of earrings should I choose if I lead an active lifestyle?

Nicole Wegman
Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge
Nicole Wegman is the Founder and CEO of Ring Concierge, a New York City-based fine jewelry brand. Specializing in engagement ring and wedding band trends, Ring Concierge creates a luxury experience catered towards millennials. Ring Concierge offers engagement rings along with earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and anklets. Nicole's work and Ring Concierge have been featured in Vogue, Glamour, Who What Wear, Martha Stewart Weddings, Brides, and Cosmopolitan. Nicole is a GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Accredited Jewelry Professional and holds a BS in Fiber Science and Apparel Design from Cornell University.

Nicole Wegman

Jewelry Professional & Founder of Ring Concierge

Expert Answer

Your best bet will be a stud earring, because they're the least likely to get caught on something and lost. Very small hoops can work, as well, but avoid larger hoops, as they're more likely to get pulled out.

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Tips

Always buy jewelry within your budget. The average person will never know if your jewelry is real or fake (unless it is tarnished).

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No matter what, wear jewelry that you like and feel confident in.

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When in doubt, wear diamonds.

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Warnings

Some people may have allergic reactions to certain types of jewelry whether it is real or fake. Always be conscious of your body’s reaction to certain types of metal!

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