April Moodboard: Yellow
Which yellow is right for your customer's skin tone? Looking for jewellery design inspiration around the colour yellow?
Yellow isn't a colour that suits every skin tone, but we've found that in the more intense colour tones, it is really suitable for all wearers. While lighter, cooler colours, tend to suit paler skin tones, deeper more intense warmer colours generally suit warmer skin tones better. That doesn't mean you can't mix it up a little.
How do you tell which skin tones will suit your customers better?
There is a reasonably straightforward way to tell which colour tone works best with your client. Does your client look better in white gold or yellow gold jewellery? I'm not talking about preference, I'm talking about an objective view. If white gold suites them better, then chances are they have a cooler skin tone. If they look better in yellow gold jewellery, then they are more likely to have a warmer skin tone.
Nina Ricci Spring/Summer 2018 look, Verdura yellow sapphire bracelet and Haruni Fine Gems 1.84 ct Yellow Oval Sapphire.
If the customer you are designing a piece of jewellery for looks better in yellow gold, then you can go bolder with your colour choice. Canary yellow, or intense yellow diamonds will suit them better. Likewise stronger yellow sapphires work as well for a fraction of the price. Don't be afraid to use diamonds or coloured gems with an orangey, or brownish undertone either. This will only help and might help your customer fit a stone to a budget.
If your customer suits white gold jewellery, or platinum jewellery for that matter, better, go for the paler, cooler, pastel yellows. Light yellow sapphires or diamonds are ideal in this instance, and much more affordable than their more intense counterpart.
One final consideration might be where is the jewellery going to be worn. If the piece you are making is going to be a summer holiday jewellery favourite, then chances are strong colours might do the trick for any skin tone.
All the above doesn't mean that you can't mix and match gold colour, gem intensity and skin tone. There are plenty of more intense yellow stones set in white gold or platinum rings. And there are plenty of lighter stones set in yellow gold (often used as a way to enhance the colour of a stone, giving the perception of a more expensive stone). The trick is to find a balance that really suites your customer and make jewellery they'll love to wear.
Erdem Spring/Summer 2018 look, diamond cluster earrings by Graff and Haruni Fine Gems 1.43 ct intense yellow cushion diamond
Hermes Spring/Summer 2018 look, Golden Empress necklace by Graff and Haruni Fine Gems 1.06 ct vivid yellow oval diamond
Chanel Spring/Summer 2018 look, Chanel Les Bles collection earrings and Haruni Fine Gems 2.65 ct Yellow Oval Sapphire
Let us know how you use yellow in your jewellery or how you match colours to your customer's skin tone. If you want to receive our weekly jewellery trade insights, please sign up to our weekly newsletter.