The debate over whether or not it is okay to combine silver and gold jewelry is about as old as the debate on wearing white after Labor Day. Long ago it was seen as incredibly gauche and tacky to wear gold and silver in one look. Now, it seems, the rules around this dictum are much more lax. Despite the loosening of metal mixing protocol, it still doesn’t make it any easier for most women to figure out a how to mix silver and gold jewelry in a way that looks purposeful and stylish. In today’s accessorizing post I am going to give you my tips on how to do it.
Your wedding ring should not rule into the equation
Should the fact that you have a platinum engagement ring and wedding band restrict you to silver colored jewelry for the rest of your life? Absolutely not! My belief is that the color of your wedding rings should not be considered at all. Whatever your rings are made of don’t let that limit you.
Don’t drive yourself crazy with hardware colors
Another thing I don’t think you should get too fanatical about is matching the hardware on your accessories and shoes, like your handbags or the buckles on a pair of boots with the metal of your jewelry. I mean, you can, of course, but it’s not necessary. Besides, you are going to drive yourself nuts doing this. It’s just not worth it. If the idea of combining silver jewelry with boots that have gold buckles then you are better off just avoiding shoes and bags with too much visible hardware.
The Gold and silver jewelry should work together aesthetically
What makes mixing gold and silver work is when the pieces you are combining look like they belong together, aesthetically. If the colors aren’t going to match then have the styles of the pieces make sense as a combination.
How to Mix Silver and Gold Jewelry
Below are three outfits along with three additional tips on how to mix silver and gold jewelry. Like I said earlier, to make the mixing of these metals look stylish it is important to make the combination look purposeful instead of haphazard. Here are some easy ways to do it.
Tip #1- Wear one piece of jewelry that has silver and gold combined
I think one of the easiest ways to blend metals in an outfit is to wear a piece of jewelry that combines both colors. Take for example this necklace from Stella & Dot that has both gold and silver in it. Having a piece like this is so practical because you can go in either direction, or both, in one look. Here, with this necklace, I added a silver pair of earrings and a gold bracelet. Lastly I added a silver handbag and a pair of grey pumps. Nothing looks out of place, yet both silver and gold is used.
Tip #2- Stack your metals
Another tip is to stack or layer two metal colors in one place. You can also do this by layering several necklaces in silver and gold or like I am here with a watch and bracelet. The goal is to combine different metal colors together. In this outfit the gold bracelet and silver Cartier watch is successfully combined and the gold earrings from Banana Republic fit in perfectly with the overall look. If you also notice the hardware on the Frye boots and Michael Kors handbag is silver, yet it doesn’t look ridiculous. This is why it’s not worth worrying too much about the hardware of your bags and shoes matching perfectly to the color of your jewelry.
Tip #3- Bring in a third color
I tend to keep my metals the same in one outfit. If I am wearing a silver necklace than my earrings are silver, and vice versa. If I want to mix I follow either of the two previous tips. However, a third way to consider combining metals is to introduce a third color into your jewelry that connects the two metal shades. Here, for example, I am using black to do this. In this outfit, the necklace from Tory Burch is gold and the bangle is silver. Wearing just these two pieces alone may create an awkward combination. However, with the black and gold earrings and the cocktail ring that combines all three shades, black, gold and silver, the accessories look more cohesive when combined. With the black acting as an anchor the combination of metals work, even when the gold handbag from Nine West is added.
Mix metals or don’t mix metals, it’s your call
Even though there are no firm rules any longer on how to mix gold and silver jewelry it certainly doesn’t mean you have to throw out your beliefs that you can’t combine the two. Admittedly, I’m a bit on the old fashioned side when mixing my metals. The only time I do it is when it makes sense that both colors should be included in one outfit. If you’ve been been trying to branch and combine gold and silver, these easy tips should help you do it in a way that stylishly makes sense.
Shop for mixed metal jewelry
I think everyone should own at least one piece of jewelry that combines both silver and gold. It just makes the whole metal combining process easier. Here are some additional silver and gold styles from around the web for you to check out.
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