https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Sat, 04 Apr 2026 01:08:55 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1224764 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 17:00:13 +0000 Helena 1224764@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>thanks Vix, will have fun looking at this now! And thanks all who provided their insights! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1224660 Wed, 16 Apr 2014 14:13:23 +0000 Vix 1224660@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p></p> <p>Hi TG --</p> <p>A quick post --</p> <p>Bright and jewel tones can be either warm or cool, and I find everyone has a different definition of jewel that ranges from&nbsp;extremely clear and vivid (electric blue sapphire) to deeper shades. So kind of a useless term --&nbsp;except as one personally defines it, of course!</p> <p>Totally agree colors are best compared and contrasted. Here's one seasonal color system's palettes together. </p> <p>Grain of salt etc but it's been helpful to me to&nbsp;see the general characteristics against each other.</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.pinterest.com/pin/77898268528677543/">Link to larger image of combined palettes</a></p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1224094 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 22:54:03 +0000 Caro in Oz 1224094@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Just to add my 2 cents there is no colour without light so colours change as the light source changes </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223938 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 19:05:07 +0000 unfrumped 1223938@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It sounds like you enjoy some of the reds and berry colors, so you should do some "retail research" and toss on some items in several different shades (sounds like go cool, though) and depths and find the ones that you like or that like you most or whatever in between of that you want to achieve. Because you won't be buying things because they are labelled "jewel" or "clear", you will hone in on a visual of the colors that look good on you. In brick &amp; mortar you can try on, &nbsp;of course, and be quite adventurous with "maybe" colors; for on-line, I find it helpful to have a mental idea of the colors I want. Even then, though, monitor colors can vary and so sometimes I try things to see! Usually the easiest thing to tell is if something is too warm (for cool color person) or vice-versa as a way to narrow down choices.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; I have found depth of color to be important--<u>very</u> dark saturated colors maybe too light-sucking and &nbsp;not&nbsp; that much better than black, so a more medium version is better. That varies a lot, though. So you could see where you fall in that respect.<br />&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don't drive yourself nuts! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223879 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:10:37 +0000 Helena 1223879@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thanks everyone and Rabbit the visual is especially helpful, as is the Xmas ornament analogy. Someday I'll figure this stuff out ... with help from you fabbers of course. Thanks again I bought a top this aft. in what I think is a sapphire blue and it's quite flattering I think, so I'll play around with these. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223872 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 18:04:03 +0000 rabbit 1223872@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Here are&nbsp;some jewel tones (there seems to be&nbsp;no set definition, sometimes other colors are included/excluded that still have the same metallic quality):</p> <p>My shorthand for figuring out warm vs. cool red in bad light: &nbsp;</p> <p>-it doesn't matter quite as much if the red is dark (burgundy vs. oxblood for example) it will read close enough to cool for most purposes. &nbsp;As a cool-toned person I try to avoid very&nbsp;brown-y dark reds though.</p> <p>-if the red is light, is it more orangey or pinky? &nbsp;If you are a cool toned person, stick with the pinky. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223857 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:49:23 +0000 AviaMariah 1223857@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Color theory is a confusing to me too. &nbsp;I have a good idea from trial and error what looks good on me. &nbsp;I have figured out reds for the most part because tomato red looks horrid on me and blue red looks good. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223847 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:36:30 +0000 Suzanne (ambergreen) 1223847@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>And just to distinguish primary and jewel tones combining some of the points others have made here, I agree with Aida that jewel tones lean blue-based and cool whereas I think of the 3 primaries as listed by rabbit as "ideal" pure colors that are completely themselves with no other tones (or a perfect balance of them): primary red leaning neither blue or yellow (also known as "true red"), primary blue with no leaning to red or yellow, primary yellow with no lean toward blue or red. (Oh...which Aida also added! :))</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223821 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:07:22 +0000 rabbit 1223821@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>If you ever want to learn about color, just borrow a child's watercolors and mess around. &nbsp;;) &nbsp; If you want to make something cooler, add a little blue, or warmer, add a little yellow. &nbsp; It's the kind of thing that makes sense when you are comparing two things rather than seeing something in isolation IMO. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223816 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 17:00:27 +0000 Thistle 1223816@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I would fail color theory. I just can't wrap my brain around it.</p> <p>I do have a pretty good idea which colors look good on me (burgundy, forest green, etc.) And which I need to steer clear of (anything yellow or orange). </p> <p>I struggle with colors like red where there is a blue red and an orange red as I cannot, for the life of me, figure out which is which!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223813 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:58:25 +0000 rabbit 1223813@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What carter and aida&nbsp;said. &nbsp;</p> <p>I think of jewel tones as the color of those metallic xmas baubles that you hang on your tree that roughly correspond to&nbsp;the color of gemstones. &nbsp; (for example, holiday satin and velvet girls' party dresses&nbsp;used to be in those colors). &nbsp;Heavier silks often come in these colors. &nbsp;Actually a lot&nbsp;of the time you see jewel tones the fabric has a bit of sheen.</p> <p>Bright is kind of a catch all phrase. &nbsp; </p> <p>Clear means no gray/brown muting the color - it's like a pure watercolor color.</p> <p>Deep is a concentrated pigment that is&nbsp;often darker (but usually pure, no black/brown added)&nbsp;and strong,&nbsp;or like you turned up the saturation levels a lot. &nbsp;It's in contrast&nbsp;to a pale color. &nbsp;So darker roses can be deep red or deep pink, the sky can be a deep blue in the evening, etc.</p> <p>Primary colors are superman red and blue and bright banana&nbsp;yellow. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223812 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 16:56:57 +0000 Aida 1223812@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Brights include <i>any </i>color that is very clear (no black, brown, gray, white mixed in) and fully saturated; they can be either warm or cool.&nbsp;Jewel tones refer to a group of colors (with pretty jewel names like ruby, emerald, sapphire)&nbsp;that tend to look best on "Winter" coloring because they are often&nbsp;cool-toned, and are also often just a bit muddled and darker though this isn't necessary. For example, a jewel tone green will actually have a bit of blue in it. There are a few jewel tone shades that have both warmer and cooler shades (like many colors). If you do a quick image search on "ruby red" and then on&nbsp;"bright red", or "sapphire blue" and then on&nbsp;"bright blue"&nbsp;you'll get a good visual on the difference. It's rather subtle, but it's there&nbsp;:) </p> <p>EDIT: Primary colors are the truest form of red, yellow, and blue. They have no warm or cool leanings for that particular color.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223753 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:20:22 +0000 Helena 1223753@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Carter, thanks, I think I follow! ;)</p> <p>Mo, you are wise ... I am so obsessed it is unhelpful. I should just do that and stick with blue as Angie says for brunettes ... but somehow feel the need to continue making this difficult when it needn't be ... *sigh* ... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223741 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 15:05:14 +0000 Mo 1223741@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is why color theory makes my brain itch. &nbsp;I have decided to simply buy colors I like that look good on me and that play well together. &nbsp;I&nbsp;<i>think</i> they are jewel tones, and I&nbsp;<i>think</i> that they are brights but I don't really know, nor do I honestly care lol. &nbsp; I'm good with warm vs cool, and leave it at that for the most part.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223712 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 14:18:58 +0000 carter 1223712@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I think of (maybe mistakenly) jewel tones as ruby, sapphire, emerald, amethyst, etc. But I think every/most colors can have deep versions that may or may not be bright. I have some deep pink tops that fall in the deep/bright/clear category, but I also have some grey tops that fall in the deep/clear category, but not bright. To me, deep is saturated with color. Clear is the absence of gray/muddiness, and bright can range from light and bright to deep and bright to neon. That was totally unclear, wasn't it? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/jewel-tones-vs-brights-vs-primaries#post-1223703 Tue, 15 Apr 2014 14:11:57 +0000 Helena 1223703@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi all! More color questions - in theory, I think I get the difference between a jewel-tone vs. a bright, vs. a primary color ... but on the rack, not sure how to differentiate ... any tips? I think I am looking to incorporate some jewel-tones ... is it that they have a little more depth and perhaps softness(?) &nbsp;or&nbsp;&nbsp;translucence to them?</p> <p>Thanks as always!! </p>