How to Match Jewelry with Your Outfit

In a 2011 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Elizabeth Taylor gave us a narrow glimpse into her famous infatuation with jewelry. She notably exclaimed: “I love to be casual and comfortable, but I also love the easy glamour of wearing jewelry all the time.” Matching jewelry to an outfit can radically transform your look. A simple black ensemble can go from sleek and chic to vivaciously glamorous with the right assortment of complimentary jewelry. 

We created a “How to Match Jewelry” guide to help you identify the best jewelry styles for popular color palettes. We also include a few evergreen jewelry styling tips to give you a foundation from which to build your own, unique style. 

Matching Jewelry Metals

Before we dive into the best jewelry matches for each color palette, it is important to note which colors pair nicely with the core metal colors: white gold, yellow gold, and rose gold.

White Gold Metal Compliments Cool Tones

1.65 Carat Round Diamond Five Stone U-Shape Wedding Band, $4,450

White gold is, by nature, a cool-toned metal. White gold (and silver for personal reference) pairs best with cool tones on the color wheel like green, navy, and violet. 

A white gold metal looks brilliant with a diamond, sapphire, emerald, or plum garnet gemstone since these all fall within the cool-toned gemstones. Whether you are choosing an engagement ring and wedding band, or matching everyday jewelry to a particular outfit, white gold and cool tones are the way to go.

Yellow Gold Compliment Warm Tones

Yellow gold, on the other hand, pairs well with warm tones. When you compliment yellow gold with a warm tone like red, orange, or yellow, you will notice that the warm tone looks warmer and more vibrant. 

In addition, rose gold metals can pair nicely with warm or cool tones depending on the pairing and style. Pairing rose gold with cool colors can bring out the bluish undertones of the metal while pairing rose gold with warmer colors can enhance the metal’s rosiness. 

Matching Jewelry Using Color Palettes

While matching jewelry to your outfit is entirely based on personal and aesthetic preferences, there are a few loose guidelines from which to draw inspiration. 

We curated a few of the most popular color palettes while providing the best metal, gemstone, and jewelry style to use for maximum visual appeal. 

Pretty Pastels

Pastels are soft, delicate, and dreamy. Pale yellows, flush pinks, mint green, and baby blue are sweet and friendly colors that pair well with any color metal. A pastel color palette looks particularly charming with a rose gold metal and a diamond or pastel gemstone. 

When matching jewelry to your pastel palette, look for rose gold, diamonds, morganite, aquamarine, prasiolite, or any other light-colored gemstone. 

Metal Recommendation: White Gold, Yellow Gold, or Rose Gold

Complimentary Jewelry: 

Milgrain Oval Bezel Studs, $800

Floating Diamond Huggies, $625

Bezel Diamond Necklace,  $450

Cushion Morganite Signature Wrap Engagement Ring, $4,500

Nautical Breeze

A nautical color palette is bold yet refined and structured. Matching jewelry with a nautical color palette is simple: choose either white gold metal or yellow gold metal and call it a good day on the water.

Rubies and sapphires are fun gemstones to incorporate into your nautical color palette while diamonds are, of course, timeless addition to any color palette. Bonus points if you can incorporate knotted jewelry or delicate pieces with chain links for a subtle ode to the sea.

Metal Recommendation: White Gold or Yellow Gold

Complimentary Jewelry:

Sapphire & Diamond 18k Gold Bracelet, $3,300

2.85 Ct Round Sapphire Halo Earrings, $4,700

Pave Chain Link Ring, $550

Ruby Heart Necklace, $500

Bezel Set Diamond & Ruby Eternity Band, $1,440

Tropical Paradise

What’s the secret to matching jewelry with a vibrant, tropical color palette? Go big, or go home. The bolder the better with this color palette. 

Yellow gold or rose gold metals mesh best with the warm, happy hues of the tropics. You can elevate your luminous ensemble even further with an eye-catching gemstone like amethyst, emerald, pink sapphire, or aquamarine. No need for perfect jewelry matching with this palette; stark contrast is a key element to what makes the tropical palette so alluring.

Metal Recommendation: Yellow Gold or Rose Gold

Complimentary Jewelry:

Baguette And Round Diamond Flower Petal Earrings, $1,760

Aquamarine and Diamond Ring, $4,550

Evil Eye Sapphire Ring, $570

Lariat Drop Pendant, $750

Diamond 18k Rose Gold Bangle Bracelet, $4,250

Winter Forest

A winter color palette is a compelling assortment of rich, natural colors that evoke feelings of comfort and calm. The cool undertones of the navy blue, forest green, and charcoal colors in this palette are enhanced with a white gold metal pairing. 

Diamonds are the best gemstone to pair with this palette, though a deep emerald or a Tahitian pearl will add a bit of flair to your getup.

Metal Recommendation: White Gold

Complimentary Jewelry:

Petite Pear Diamond Halo Pendant, $1,920

1.65 CT Round Diamond 'SnowFlake' Eternity Band, $3,450

2.30 CT Diamond Snowflake 18K White Gold Dangle Earrings, $3,920

2.25 CT Round & Baguette Diamond White Gold Eternity Band, $5,080

Shades of Brown

Can you smell it? The rich aroma of a steaming hot cup of freshly brewed coffee? The deep, brown colors of the coffee bean, the light brown swirl after you add a dollop of creamer. The tan, walnut, mocha, and caramel colors of this palette are earthy and comforting. 

When matching jewelry to your brown ensemble, stick with yellow gold tones that keep the palette warm and homey. Citrine, pearl, and diamond gemstones pair well with this palette, especially when incorporated into an intricate design.

Metal Recommendation: Yellow Gold

Complimentary Jewelry:

Citrine & Diamond 18K Yellow Gold Dangle Earrings, $3,780

4.03 Carat Fancy Brown-Yellow Pear Shape Diamond Halo Ring

1.12 CT Yellow Gold Diamond Stud Earrings, $3,680

Solid Gold Bar Earrings, $250

Black & White Vogue

Think of a black and white ensemble as a blank canvas on which you can paint a colorful or muted masterpiece… When matching jewelry to this palette, you can mix and match metals, gemstones, and styles. Whatever your heart (and your style preference) desires.  

Metal Recommendation: White Gold, Yellow Gold or Rose Gold

Complimentary Jewelry: 

3.28 CT Sapphire and Diamond Black Rhodium Platinum Engagement Ring

0.70 CT Black Diamond Prong Set White Gold Eternity Band, $700

Diamond 18k White Gold Drop Earrings, $2,960

Diamond 18 Karat White Gold Pendant Necklace, $5,150

White & Black Diamond 18K Gold Cluster Style Earrings, $1,940

Style Your Outfit with Lauren B Jewelry

Our jewelry styling recommendations are merely suggestions from which to establish your own personal jewelry style. If you want to pair white gold metals with a tropical color palette, lean into your style! If you want to add gold accents to your winter forest-themed wedding, embrace the contrast! 

At Lauren B, we encourage individuality; we believe that jewelry can enhance your uniqueness and reveal to the world just how special you truly are. We curate and design jewelry for every personality and aesthetic preference, and we guarantee you will find a special piece of jewelry that will become a lifelong wardrobe staple. Happy shopping!