Metal Tone Guide
gold isn't just gold. silver isn't just silver.
Metal color can vary more than you think. Warmth, brightness, depth, and undertone can all change how a piece looks in real life, even when two pieces are technically the same color.
That difference can be difficult to judge when shopping online. Photography, lighting, editing, and even your screen can affect the way metal appears.
So, we created our own tone system.
Every Stardust & Clovers piece is classified by its true-to-life metal tone, giving you a better idea of what to expect when it arrives.
find your tone
Our spectrum ranges from lighter, more delicate tones to richer and deeper ones. Each tone describes the way the metal looks, independent of what the piece is made from.
champagne gold
the lighter gold
crisp • delicate • understated • refined
Champagne Gold is our lightest gold tone. Soft and refined, it has a more delicate warmth and less saturation than a traditional rich yellow gold.
Think subtle rather than golden, with a crisp finish that makes it especially easy to wear. It's the kind of gold that quietly catches the light without feeling overly warm or yellow.
Its understated warmth can be especially complementary to neutral and cool-neutral undertones, or anyone who finds traditional yellow gold a little too warm against their skin.
honey gold
the richer gold
warm • radiant • golden • rich
Honey Gold is our richer, warmer gold tone. It has more depth and saturation, giving it that unmistakably golden glow.
Radiant and warm without leaning brassy, Honey Gold has a more pronounced presence than Champagne Gold. If you love gold that looks decidedly gold, this is your tone.
Its richer warmth can be especially complementary to warm, golden, olive, and warm-neutral undertones, or anyone who loves the way saturated yellow gold looks against their skin.
moon silver
the brighter silver
bright • luminous • cool • glowy
Moon Silver is our brightest silver tone. Crisp, cool, and luminous, it has a clean silvery-white appearance that reflects light beautifully.
It's polished and glowy rather than gray, giving it a fresh brightness that feels delicate, classic, and refined.
Its bright, cool character can be especially complementary to cool, rosy, and cool-neutral undertones, or anyone who gravitates toward crisp white metals.
mercury silver
the deeper silver
fluid • dimensional • steely • deep
Mercury Silver is our deeper silver tone. Slightly darker and steelier than Moon Silver, it has a dimensional quality that shifts beautifully as it catches the light.
Rather than the bright-white appearance of Moon Silver, Mercury Silver has more visible depth and gray undertones, giving it a fluid, modern character.
Its deeper, steelier character can be especially complementary to neutral and olive undertones, or anyone who prefers a little more contrast and dimension from their silver.
tone vs. material
Tone describes color, not composition.
The material listed on each product tells you what your piece is made from. Its tone tells you what that piece actually looks like in real life.
For example:
Material: 14K Gold-Filled
Tone: Champagne Gold
Material: 18K Gold PVD Stainless Steel
Tone: Honey Gold
A tone isn't permanently tied to one particular material. Different materials can share a similar visual tone, and variations in finish or manufacturing can affect the appearance of pieces within the same general material family.
That's why we classify the tone of the piece, rather than asking you to assume its color from the material alone.
why metal color varies
“Gold” and “silver” aren't single colors.
The appearance of jewelry can vary based on the metal or alloy itself, karat, plating or coating, finish, manufacturing process, and other characteristics of the individual piece.
And when you're shopping online, there's another layer.
Lighting can make gold appear warmer or cooler. Reflections can make silver appear brighter or darker. Photography and editing can shift color, and the screen you're viewing it on can shift it again.
We've experienced that frustration ourselves: ordering a piece that looks like one shade online, only to discover that its color is noticeably different in person.
Our tone system is designed to take some of that guesswork out of shopping for jewelry online.
Rather than relying on product photography alone, we classify each piece according to how its metal tone appears in real life.
a note on color
We classify each piece as closely and consistently as possible according to our tone spectrum, but with the goal of simplicity and ease as well for a more enjoyable shopping experience. Because metal is reflective and color can appear differently depending on lighting, surroundings, screen settings, and natural variation, you may notice subtle shifts in different environments.
Think of our tone classifications as a helpful reference for understanding the overall character of a metal, lighter or richer, brighter or deeper, so you can choose the piece(s) that feel most like you.
And when it comes to what you should wear? There are no rules. Undertones can be a helpful starting point, but contrast can be just as beautiful as harmony.
The best tone will always be the one you love on you.