How to Properly Mix Metals According to the Occasion

A long time ago, people used to look upon the practice of mixing metal jewelry with disdain. Who would want to pair a gold bracelet with a silver ring? Luckily, people no longer consider this style a fashion faux pas. In fact, many fashion experts encourage people to branch out with their jewelry style and try mixing metals! From weddings to graduation ceremonies, many special occasions present a fun opportunity to try metal mixing out!

Not sure how to start? We’ve got you covered. As the leader of designing and creating custom jewelry in Pittsburgh, Lisa Kotchey has plenty of tips and advice for mixing metals. Check out our full guide to mixing metals according to the occasion now!

Need Help Mixing Your Jewelry? Pittsburgh Jewelry Expert Lisa Kotchey is Here to Teach You the Art of Mixing Metals.

From upscale weddings to big birthday bashes, mixed metal jewelry pieces are always appreciated!

General Metal Mixing Tips to Keep in Mind

Before we take a deep dive into mixing metals for special occasions, we’ll start by reviewing general metal mixing practices you should keep in mind:

1. Layering: To create visual interest, try layering different pieces of jewelry over each other. Multiple necklaces around your neck or several rings on a couple of your fingers keep your style both interesting and put-together. It also makes it clear to any viewer that the act of mixing these metals together was intentional. 
2. Tone: Remember to take the “tone” of each piece into consideration. A ring with a thick band encrusted with diamonds evokes a different tone than a thin gold bangle. Try to pair jewelry pieces with similar tones together. 
3. Skin Undertone: Warm skin undertones tend to go well with yellow and rose gold while cooler undertones tend to go nicely with silver and white gold. 
4. Mixed Metal Pieces: If you want to mix up some metals, but you don’t have the time to assess each of your pieces closely, you can purchase pieces that already have different metals attached to them. 
5. Ratios: Don’t forget ratios! To help add interest and excitement to your look, try to stray away from a 50/50 blend of your metals. Instead, add an extra piece or two of a particular metal to really make it pop.

Now that we’ve addressed the basics of metal mixing, it’s time to take a deeper look at how you can style different metals according to the occasion. 

Weddings

When it comes to mixing metals for your wedding, remember that you don’t need to take your wedding band into consideration. Most people overlook this more “permanent” jewelry choice. Just as you would with other outfits, make sure it looks like you are mixing jewelry on purpose. To do this, try to match your metals with your unique undertones while also repeating different metals. Adding a gold and silver accessory and help you complete the look. 

Job Interviews

When it comes to job interviews, you want to keep your look simple and understated. Most people actually discourage women against layering necklaces or wearing big statement earrings. That said, the consensus does vary across different industries. In general, the creative industry is known to be more lax about this rule. 

Just in case, try to keep it to one or two pieces of jewelry. Once you start the new job, you can see how others dress themselves and style their jewelry to see what is acceptable and what should be avoided in the workplace. 

Happy Hour and Other Casual Get-Togethers

You can probably experiment the most with metal mixing when it comes to preparing for a casual get-together with your friends or family. Whether you want to layer a gold necklace over a silver one or spruce up your outfit with some new metal rings, you can express your style however you want. 

That said, you should still follow the best practice of focusing on one area of the body. Rather than layering both your necklaces and rings, you should pick one area to focus on. This will prevent your look from becoming overwhelming. It also lets you focus and put your all into perfecting your mixed metal look whether it is displayed on your neck or wrists. 

Now that you’ve learned the art of metal mixing, it’s time to go out and experiment! Need to add some new jewelry pieces to your collection? Pittsburgh jewelry designer Lisa Marie Kotchey is an expert on helping people design stunning pieces of jewelry they can wear for any occasion. Get in touch with Lisa Marie Kotchey designs today to start creating a gorgeous new piece of jewelry that you will never want to take off.