For some odd reason, it has been instilled in our heads that we can only wear one colour of jewellery at a time. Well, not anymore. Mixed metals are having a moment in jewellery, and it is one of the hottest fashion trends.

That means, you can finally dig deep into your jewellery drawer to wear rhodium with copper, pale rose gold with oxidised silver or gunmetal with bright yellow gold. Whether you are wearing a layered neck chain or stacking bangles, the latest mixed metal trend works with everything.

Let’s dive deep and see how you can make this new trend work:

Hardware isn’t everything

From bags to boots and sunglasses, almost everything has some hardware on it. But you don’t necessarily need to match the hardware with your jewellery, whether it’s zippers, buckles, or hinges. Instead, you can use multi-toned jewellery pieces that make your outfit stand out and compliment the hardware as well.

Though, if you are someone who gets stressed about the fact that the silver buckles in your boots don’t match with your rose gold watch, then we recommend choosing clothes and accessories that have much less hardware to worry about.

Focus on the purpose

While mixing jewellery is modern and trendy, you can’t just wear all the different metals colours you have. There has to be some thought put into it. Mixing metals should look stylish and purposeful at the same time. If your jewellery looks haphazard, then you have already crossed the line and made a fashion faux pas.

That is why it is important to make sure that the jewellery pieces you choose compliment each other and make sense aesthetically.

Mind the ratio

When you are mixing and matching different jewellery pieces, it’s important to keep the colour ratio in mind. Instead of going 50/50 with two different colours, mix jewellery in a way that there is a lot of one colour with just a little hint of the other colour.

Think of mixing jewellery like mixing two bright colours together. They can be beautiful when they compliment each other, but things can quickly go wrong if it’s overdone. It all depends on the ratio.

Three is better than two

When you are mixing metals, you don’t just have to stop at two colours. You can add a third colour to your jewellery to help connect the two metal shades. For instance, if you are wearing a necklace which is silver and black, then you can wear a gold and black ring with it.

The colour black will act as an anchor to make both the jewellery pieces work together and look more cohesive. When you are starting to mix metals, and you aren’t confident about your combinations yet, this is the safest way to go.

Instead of a basic colour, you could also use a third metal tone like rose gold to make gold and silver jewellery pieces look good together.

Layer jewellery pieces

The quickest way to wear different coloured metals colours is by layering jewellery pieces. You could wear bangles in two different colours. But make sure that the bangles you are wearing are of the same style and only the colours are different, otherwise the designs may clash with each other.

You could also wear a watch of one colour and bracelet of another colour, all on the same wrist. Stack different coloured rings to make your entire outfit look more stylish and international at the same time.

Get a combination piece

Stacking jewellery pieces is fun, but if you are always in a hurry and you don’t want to spend too much time finding the right pieces that work together, then you can just buy a combination jewellery piece which already has multi tones. A piece like that won’t only cut your time into the half, but it can also work as the base for new combinations.

Before you go: Remember to break the rules

Mixing metals in jewellery is all about breaking the rules. The clear cut boundaries of wearing jewellery have been blurred by this new trend. For you, it means that there are no set rules to mix colours anymore. Go with what feels the most comfortable for you. From statement pieces to delicate fine jewellery, there is something out there for everyone.

Ritika Tiwari
Freelance Writer/ Blogger/ Content Strategist