Designing with Neutral and Universal Colors

Though neutral colors like brown, cream beige, tan, and taupe may seem directionless, they are actually combinations of all three primary colors in different proportions. This gives them undertones of red, yellow, or blue. Warm neutrals contain more red and yellow, while cool neutrals contain more blue.

White and black, along with the grays created from mixing them, are not formed by blending primary colors. However, they are still treated as neutrals in design. These neutrals also lean warm or cool. Grays made from black and white tend to be cool, while grayish browns like greige or taupe read as warm.

Even black and white can lean warm or cool. A quick look at paint color chips shows how many variations exist within each label.

Being aware of undertones can transform your design.

Picking up a neutral's undertone with your other colors or metals creates harmony.

Using colors that complement the undertone creates contrast and gives your jewelry a completely different feel.

In fashion, colors that fall outside the white, black, and brown family are often called neutrals, though a better term may be universal. These hues work with nearly any color without changing the overall effect.

It seems like a new universal color appears every few years, but current examples include navy, olive, and teal. Metallics are also widely considered universal.

Most people already have wardrobe staples in these shades, so it makes sense to use them in your jewelry designs, whether you are creating pieces for yourself or selling your work.

These universal colors suit almost everyone because their qualities blend a little bit of everything, according to an article on The Chic Fashionista website.

They are not too dark or light, warm or cool, and they never overpower an outfit. Who does not look good in teal? Olive can also be mixed effectively with shades like raspberry, navy, and coral.

Gray can be a perfect companion to everything from lemon yellow to fire engine red, sea foam, and violet.

Neutral gemstones to explore:

Grays

Cool: Banded agate

Warm: Willow Creek jasper

Whites

Cool: Moonstone

Warm: Montana agate

Blacks

Cool: Onyx

Warm: Sapphire

Browns

Cool: Smoky quartz

Warm: Tiger eye