When it comes to determining your skin tone, knowing what colors look best on you can provide important clues. Jewel tones like emerald green, sapphire blue, and ruby red tend to look striking against certain complexions. If you find these rich, saturated hues are flattering on you, it suggests you likely have a particular undertone that complements the vibrancy of jewel tones.
So what exactly does it mean if you look good in jewel tones? Here’s a quick overview of how skin undertones, overtones and jewel tones interact to help decipher your complexion:
What are Jewel Tones?
Jewel tones refer to deep, supersaturated shades inspired by precious gemstones. Some of the key jewel tones include:
– Sapphire Blue
– Emerald Green
– Ruby Red
– Amethyst Purple
– Amber Yellow
– Garnet Red
These colors have clear, high chroma that allows them to stand out. Rather than being muted or dusty, jewel tones are meant to be eye-catching and bold.
They can be found across the color spectrum, from cooler blues and greens to warmer yellows, oranges and reds. But what unifies them is their richness and intensity.
How Jewel Tones Interact with Skin Tones
When choosing clothing and accessorizing, jewel tones tend to look best on people with high contrast between their skin, hair and eye colors. The vibrancy of jewel tones flatters higher contrast complexions.
On the other hand, those with low contrast coloring tend to look better in softer, more muted shades rather than the brilliance of pure jewel tones.
A person’s coloring is made up of undertones and overtones. Understanding both is key to finding colors that are harmonious with your natural complexion.
Undertones
Your skin’s undertone refers to the color underneath the surface. It remains constant no matter how tanned or pale your skin becomes. The main undertones are:
– Warm – hints of yellow, peach or golden
– Cool – hints of pink, red or blue
– Neutral – no obvious warm or cool leanings
Warm undertones tend to look great in warmer jewel tones like ruby reds and amber yellows. Meanwhile, cool undertones shine in sapphire blues and emerald greens.
Overtones
While your undertone stays the same, your overtone can change with sun exposure, circulation and other factors. These are the more surface-level tones that give you your unique coloring:
| Skin Tone | Overtone Description |
|---|---|
| Fair | Very light skin, may appear porcelain |
| Light | Few if any freckles, may burn easily |
| Medium | May have freckles, tans moderately |
| Tan | Evident tanning ability, Mediterranean skin tones |
| Brown | South Asian, Middle Eastern, or Latin skin tones |
| Dark | Sub-Saharan African skin tones |
Your overtone adds nuance to your coloring and changes more readily. But keep in mind it’s the undertone that most impacts how jewel tones look on you.
Determining Your Undertones
How do you know if your skin leans warm, cool or neutral? Here are some ways to read your undertones:
Veins
Look at the veins on the inside of your wrist. Are they greenish (warm), purplish (cool) or neither (neutral)? This provides a clue to your inner coloring.
Jewelry
Do you look better in yellow gold or silver jewelry? Yellow gold flatters warm skin while silver brings out coolness. If you look great in both, you likely have a neutral tone.
Clothing
Think about what shade families tend to be most flattering on you. Warm tones glow in camel, cream, olive and terra-cotta. Cool tones shine in pastels like sky blue, soft pink and lavender. Neutrals take to off-whites, grays and navy.
Hair & Eyes
Those with warm undertones often have brown, hazel, amber or golden eyes with hair in shades of red, chestnut, black or golden blonde. Cool undertones tend to accompany blue, gray or green eyes with ash blonde, black or chestnut brown hair. Neutral tones commonly have blue or green eyes with strawberry blonde or salt & pepper hair.
Sunlight
Do you turn golden brown in the sun or just burn and freckle? Warm skin readily tans while cool skin doesn’t. Neutral skin tans moderately.
Best Jewel Tones for Each Undertone
Once you’ve zeroed in on your dominant undertone, you’ll have a better idea of which jewel tones are most harmonious.
Warm Undertones
Warm skin comes alive against ruby reds, citrine yellows, peridot greens and earthy amethysts. The most flattering jewel tones for warm undertones include:
– Ruby red
– Garnet red
– Amber yellow
– Peridot green
– Bronze
– Terracotta
– Amethyst purple
These vibrant yet burnished jewel tones play beautifully off golden, olive and tawny warm complexions. Deep oranges, brick reds and ochre yellows also look radiant.
Cool Undertones
For those with cool pinkish, porcelain skin, the jewel tones of the cool spectrum bring out the best. Prime choices include:
– Sapphire blue
– Royal blue
– Emerald green
– Jade green
– Amethyst purple
– Mauve pink
– Burgundy red
Cool jewel tones with blue and green undertones allow fair, rosy skin to shine. Icy blues, deep greens and bright fuchsias provide an exciting counterpoint.
Neutral Undertones
Since neutral skin doesn’t lean particularly warm or cool, it has more flexibility when it comes to jewel tones. But for best results, focus on richer teals, purples, berries and midnight shades like:
– Teal blue
– Plum purple
– Eggplant purple
– Berry red
– Fuchsia pink
– Midnight blue
– Forest green
Vibrant yet slightly muted jewel tones in this palette give neutral skin a gorgeous glow. Neutral complexions can also branch into warmer or cooler jewel tones as long as they aren’t too bold.
Tips for Wearing Jewel Tones
Here are some top tips for wearing jewel tones in a way that flatters:
– Stick to your undertone. Sapphire blue may look amazing on your friend but wash you out. Wear the jewel tones made for you.
– Use jewel tones strategically. A single vibrant garment in your best shade makes a statement. Don’t overdo it.
– Add warmth. Olive skin? Warm it up with bronzer. Fair skin? Add a peachy pink blush. This boosts harmony with jewel tones.
– Contrast is key. Pairing a saturated jewel tone with neutrals stops the look from becoming overwhelming.
– Watch intensity. Sheer, muted jewel tones offer an easier way to wear these colors if the full saturation is too bold.
Conclusion
If you look radiant in ruby reds and emerald greens, you likely have clear, high contrast coloring that pops in supersaturated jewel tones. Determining if your undertones are warm, cool or neutral helps narrow down the specific jewel hues that will be most harmonious with your skin. Finding your best jewel tones comes down to observing your natural coloring and seeing which rich shades make you glow. So go ahead and adorn yourself in the jewel tones that display your unique beauty.
