Mixing and matching your jewellery doesn’t have to feel overwhelming.
In fact, it can be a great way of sparking inspiration for a new outfit, as well as highlighting an element of your personality or character.
There are no hard and fast rules for how to mix and match pearl jewellery. As long as you feel confident, you’ll look confident.
With that said, this article is designed to help you make some informed decisions for making the most of your jewellery box – or adding in some versatile new designs.
How to mix and match pearl jewellery – 6 top styling tips
Choose according to pearl type
If you feel overwhelmed by choice when mixing and matching pearl jewellery, keep your choices streamlined by choosing according to pearl type.
Different kinds of pearl afford you different colours, moods and looks. Freshwater pearls are readily available and abundant. As such, they’re both cost-effective and more robust for daily wear, making freshwater pearl jewellery a superior option if you want a large jewellery box, full of ready-to-wear designs to mix and match.
Keep it sophisticated by pairing a freshwater pearl necklace like our white freshwater pearl and opaline ‘tsarina’ design with matching white pearl earrings.
Alternatively, mix and match Tahitian pearl jewellery. Coming in iridescent peacock tones including aubergines, emerald and deep blues, the multi-tonal qualities of these gems make for ideal matching jewellery.
Wear our Tahitian pearl and tourmaline gold ring with matching black Tahitian pearl, tsavorite and diamond gold pendant. Pair our black Tahitian pearl and rainbow moonstone necklace with a bracelet made of the same gems. Our Tahitian pearl ‘moon’ diamond and tourmaline earrings are designed for wear with the matching Tahitian pearl ‘moon’ diamond pendant.
Mix and match your earrings
As reported in our guide to autumn winter 2023 jewellery trends, asymmetric and mismatched earrings were seen on runways, including those of Gucci and Fendi.
Mix and match pearl earrings of alternative styles, size, lengths and more for an attractively off-beat look.
Choose pearl stud earrings like our white freshwater pearl large studs with an alternative style like a pearl hook earring for a minimalist take on the trend.
For a more impactful look, choose a pearl hoop earring paired with complementary pearl drop earrings for a look that elongates your neck. Our black freshwater pearl and 18carat gold skinny hoops would quirkily offset black freshwater pearl mini drop earrings.
Wear your silver and gold
Gone are the days when mixing silver and gold jewellery was considered a major fashion faux pas. Mixing and matching jewellery according to metal type is more popular than ever.
Pearl pendants come in silver and gold and look fantastic when worn together, the colours overlapping. Our grey freshwater pearl short pendant can be nicely offset with either our grey baroque freshwater pearl gold-plated pendant or grey freshwater pearl ‘back to basics’ gold-plated pendant. Don’t forget to choose a set of silver pearl earrings to wear, too – perhaps with the matching ‘back to basics’ short-drop earrings.
Pearl rings provide the ideal opportunity to wear silver and gold alongside each other. Pair a gold pearl ring like our 18carat gold-plated ‘branch’ ring with its complement – our silver ‘branch’ ring with sapphires.
If mixing silver and gold jewellery just isn’t your thing, don’t forget to read our advice on how to choose the right metal type for you.
Stack your bracelets
Celebrate the versatility of pearl bracelets by mixing and matching different bracelet designs. You’ll be creating a key focal point that celebrates pearl wristwear.
Pair a black pearl bracelet like our black freshwater pearl and leather ‘warrior’ design with a companion leather pearl bracelet. Double-down on the look by choosing complementary pearl and leather earrings for maximum punch.
Wear multiple multi-strand pearl bracelets together for maximalist wristwear. Our copper freshwater pearl five-strand design brings out the warm tones of our pink freshwater pearl, rose quartz, amethyst and garnet design.
Alternatively, pair several multi-coloured pearl bracelet designs together. The abstract geometry of our dark multi-coloured pearl bracelet enhances the light multi-coloured pearl companion piece.
For a simpler stack, choose pearl and silk designs worn together. Our black-copper, pink-black and black-copper freshwater pearl bracelets work well in one look.
Same colour, different style
It may no longer be the year of Barbie, but you can still celebrate your femininity by wearing pink pearl jewellery. Keep it rosy by choosing to wear a design like our pink freshwater pearl, citrine and rose quartz drop earrings with a pink pearl necklace, like our pink freshwater pearl three-strand necklace. You could also add in a pink pearl bracelet to maximise the look – our pink freshwater biwa pearl three-strand bracelet would do well.
Don’t forget about the mixing and matching jewellery opportunities afforded by pearl accessories. Our black freshwater pearl raw cufflinks are appealingly offset by a black biwa pearl tie pin. The abstract and on-trend appeal of a pearl brooch like our biwa pearl and diamond ‘abstract’ pin enhances other baroque pearl jewellery designs.
Play with tactility and layering
Play with texture, tactility, length and layering when mixing and matching pearl jewellery designs.
A chunkier design like our white freshwater pearl and rock crystal choker can be both complemented and offset with a simpler white pearl pendant.
Wear a shorter piece like our grey biwa pearl and silver chain necklace with our grey biwa pearl and rock crystal short lasso design.
Offset the brown velvet of our grey freshwater pearl and brown velvet ‘charro’ choker with our copper freshwater pearl and smokey quartz single lariat.
Professional advice from pearl experts
Feel beautifully confident in perfectly matched (or mixed!) pearls by booking into a consultation with Coleman Douglas Pearls. We’ll bring over thirty years’ worth of experience to your appointment, helping you design a bespoke piece or leave with more experience and know-how for styling pearl jewellery.
