Introduction

Pulling off a great look takes more than just clothes and shoes. In fact, the right accessories can make even the best clothing look above average, while excessive bling may make even the most costly, glamorous, and sparkly outfits appear cheap.

There is a jewelry matching etiquette that has evolved over time. It's a good idea to acquaint yourself with the basic rules. Armed with such knowledge and a little flare you too will be able to successfully combine jewelry of different styles and origins. Being able to do so will allow you to make the best use of your entire jewelry collection.

Combining Different Colored Metals

It was once thought that wearing gold and silver jewelry together was a sign of bad taste. Nowadays, a tasteful combination of precious metals in various colors appears chic and contemporary. But, there are jewelry matching guidelines to follow when mixing jewelry pieces made of different metal colors.

For any one type of jewelry, you can feel free to mix gold and silver colors. This enables you to wear multiple rings, bracelets, or chains at once. The contrast between the cool and warm metal tones will enhance the design and may create a rebellious air. It is however more complicated when several jewelry types are concerned, for instance, a silver pendant will never go well with gold earrings.

When selecting jewelry for outfits, remember that mixing metal colors requires that all the pieces share a unifying component. For instance, none of the ornaments would protrude from the clothing and appear excessive if they all share the elegance of pastel-colored gemstones or similar geometric elements.

Mixing Different Types of Jewelry

An important rule of thumb for jewelry matching is to maintain a certain style for every type of jewelry piece, and, at the same time, keep a connecting thread between all groups.

Let's take earrings for example. Earrings are a must but, unlike other pieces, they are not to be considered jewelry for outfits but rather should be chosen and matched to fit the shape of the face and hairstyle. For instance, a high hairdo should not be forced into competition with large statement earrings, instead studs or piercing rings will do well, and you can also try fancier, hanging earrings, especially if they have a similar style to the rest of the jewelry.

You can mix different types of jewelry, such as bracelets and necklaces, but don’t wear all gold for one and all silver for the other. The different pieces must communicate with each other, they can be of different worlds entirely but share something in common. Matching colors are sometimes the way to go, but you can try more elaborate options such as incorporating, for each area of the body, beads, pearls, antique pieces, etc.

Also, try to combine eye-catching necklaces with less conspicuous earrings and vice versa. Jewelry matching for necklaces and earrings is trickier than matching necklaces with bracelets.

Finally, have sets of jewelry for outfits of different styles, pieces that you already know work together with dark evening attire for instance, or ones that complement formal office dress. For work clothes, minimalism is key. Jewelry matching when dressing to go to work should be much less flamboyant than combinations you can try when dressing for a party or an evening out.

Conclusion

Diamonds are a girl's best friend, but there are other gems and materials that can be used to make great jewelry. Modern decorum is much more lenient, you can use much more jewelry for outfits, be bolder, create unique looks, use what you've got, and try different styles.