46 Elegant Black and Gold Nail Designs for Every Season and Occasion

Matte black nails with gold foil — @candynailbar

For spring and summer nail colors, our brains often go right to pastels and bold brights—and rightly so, as those are warm-weather classics. For fall and winter, we have a different color scheme in mind, which is a little less traditional and a bit more opulent for the season. This season, we're painting our nails a rich and luxurious combination of black and gold. It's a classically chic look that we've been seeing all over Instagram and at the salon. Think of it as a much-needed change as the temperatures drop—and maybe even as they rise, as some of these designs are so inspiring that you'll want to embrace them year-round.

Take a scroll through some fantastic designs, each one different from the last, as we've curated a collection that ranges from ornate and complex to simple and minimalist. No matter your taste, there's truly a variation of black and gold nails for everyone. Find our favorite picks below.

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Abstract with Gold Studs

Clear nails with abstract black design and gold stud border accent nail — @nail_unistella

Delicate black wire nails paired with a single studded gold accent nail are perfect for people who crave something unexpected and unique.

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Star Accent

Black French manicure with gold star studs — @paragonnails

All you need for this look is a star accent—and a gorgeous black French tip, of course.

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Shiny but Distressed

These fiery gold digits have the appearance of being slightly distressed—as if the polish has peeled back to show vibrant gold beneath.

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Black and Glitter Splatter

We love color-blocking with splats of shiny black and sparkly gold—it makes for an architectural and modern look. Try using a polish like Ella + Mila's Elite Collection in Drippin' Gold ($11).

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Square Cutout

This minimalist design is chic and easy to replicate. Go for a bold black base like Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Black Out ($4), then add a small cube at the top of each nail.

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Matte and Gold Flakes

For a fun play on texture, this elegant matte base looks sleek against contrasting gold flakes. Alternating nails offer an impact via a glossy shine, which contrasts well with the matte.

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Gold Crescents

Black manicure with gold crescent double French tip design and cuticle dots — @threat.level.nails

Black tips add an edge to your standard French mani. Coupled with gold curves across each nail, this surely isn't your typical fare.

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Tuxedo Nails

White, black, and gold tuxedo nail design — @aliciatnails

We can't help but refer to these nails as "tuxedo nails" thanks to the contrasting shapes and polished finish.

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Disco Waves

These disco-esque nails were created using a gold OPI polish called A Mirror Escape ($10), from the brand's Alice Through the Looking Glass collection. Perfect for a Saturday night out, they give us Jerry Hall circa 1978 vibes.

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Gilded Stripes

Certainly glamorous, these charcoal tips get an upgrade with gold stripes at varying angles. We'll wear this elegant design on any occasion.

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Golden Accessories

Black manicure with gems and gold additions — @nail_unistella

Yet another delicately accessorized nail design from one of our favorite Instagram accounts, @nail_unistella, we love how the use of chains and gems takes this celestial design to the next level.

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Small Details

Black and gold nails with small gem details — @adrianagheorghita.makeup

It's all in the details: gold nail jewels, gold chevron, and a rose gold accent nail.

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Accent Nail

Keep it simple and go for all black with a minimal accent nail for a striking effect.

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Censored Outlines

Pale neutral manicure with body outline designs and black and gold nail stickers — @nailsinc

A little cheeky, these silhouettes incorporate gold stars for a pointed censor.

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Graphic Gold

Black manicure with gold thin bar design — @nail_unistella

We can't decide what these dark nails remind us of, but either way, we love the sets of thin gold bars.

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Spray of Dots

Pair black polish with a spray of miniature dots on the tip for a super extravagant manicure.

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Gold Wire

Black and gold nail design with wire and abstract strokes — @nail_unistella

Step outside the box with this creative black and gold freestyle design. Add a contrasting nail by accessorizing with gold wire.

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Minimalist Stripe

Glossy black manicure with thin gold stripe designs — @oliveandjune

This one's good for anyone with super short nails. Break up a plain black base with a vertical gold stripe, adding a dash of elegance and lengthening the appearance of the nail.

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A Twist on Plaid Perfection

White and black plaid nails with gold splotches — @oliveandjune

This one is for anyone who doesn't love bold black nails. Do as the nail experts over at Olive and June did and flip the script by wearing a white base. Then, accent it with linear black patterning and gold detailing.

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Black and Gold Cuticle

Clear nails with black and gold striped cuticle design — @betina_goldstein

This inverted French manicure incorporates a black and gold pattern modeled after fabulous Chanel earrings. It's minimalistic and elegant.

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Tiny Leopard Print

Clear nails with black and gold leopard print design — @betina_goldstein

Fierce golden leopard print lines the edges of this delicate design. Add golden accessories on an accent nail for variation.

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Glitter Dipped

Add a fun twist to your mani with a dipped gold glitter finish.

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Gold Accents

Black and gold mixed-pattern nails with smiley face and checkerboard designs — @kakal1105

Simple accent details like checkerboards and a smiley face give this shiny black base a golden touch.

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Outlined Stars

Clear manicure with black and gold star nail designs — @nailsinc/@thehangedit

Sensing a theme? Outline a few stick-on gold stars for an out-of-this-world manicure.

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Geometric

Incorporate white and nude polish into the mix, adding black and gold accents for a standout manicure.

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Half Moon and Gold Accents

Clear nails with black half-moon cuticles and gold stripe accents — @aliciatnails

This half-moon design gets an upgrade with a quick horizontal golden line dashed across the center, incorporating two minimalistic looks into one.

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Chevron Tip

Black and white elongated stiletto French tip — @tiffanyabbigailebeauty

The clear base offers a stark contrast to the overlapping black and gold stiletto tips, essentially creating a tiny piece of art on each nail.

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Art Deco

Positively art-deco, this manicure is easy to recreate. Try using a detailing brush to paint the stripes for a vintage design that's party-ready.

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Gold Glitter Stripe

Peach, black, and gold nail design with glitter stripe — @nailandbrowartist

Manicures like this one look simple, but it takes a steady hand to paint such gold glitter within the black lines.

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Sliver of Color

French manicure with black and gold dual-layered tip — @suzannenicollenails

This stunning, oval-shaped French manicure design offers just a sliver of black and a hint of gold for a subtle look.

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Gold Foil Outline

This design sees varying strips of black polish and gold foil accents, with unique designs on each nail.

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Accessorized

Each nail features a different design here, making this a rather painstaking (but well worth the effort) look. To replicate it at home, try using a mix of press-on stickers (we like this pearl version, $7) and ombré polish.

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Pointed Glitter

Pointy black nails with gold sequin glitter — @lien76

On pointed nails, glitter looks a bit more sophisticated. Here, the glitter adheres to each nail differently, with one accent nail covered nearly entirely in the product, sans black base.

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Glossy Extensions

Black gel nail extensions with black and gold accents — @_daniellesbeauty

One fun way to inject a pattern onto your nails is to add it to only one nail—here, for instance, the alternating matte and glossy black nails are the focus, with sparkly gold details just on a few of the nails. Though the nails are all different, the overall effect is cohesive.

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Matte Black with Gleaming Gold

This design is all about the juxtaposition of matte black with gleaming gold. The two gold nails on each hand feature stripes, dots, and a foil-like texture.

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Floating Gold Flakes

A black base is just the thing to show off flecks of gold that appear to be floating on the nail.

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Sun and Planets

Black and gold nails with sun, planets, and stars designs — @lisastrev

Fans of astronomy (and/or astrology) will appreciate this design, which pairs a black background with gold polish detailing stars and planets.

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Ombré With Dot

Black and gold ombre nails with gold dot near cuticle — @nucalicoletti

The nail bed here is bold, thanks to a large gold dot. But the tip moves into an ombré design.

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High-Gloss

Glossy black and gold nails — @glitmeupnailstudiosxm

This high-gloss design pairs black and gold nails, plus it adds one nail per hand that's a mix of both colors.

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Pointed With Thumb Detail

Here, the nails are all plain black with pointed tips. The thumb nail, however, is more spruced up, thanks to gold glitter in a floral motif.

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Slightly Marbled

Glossy black nails with abstract gold glitter strokes — @zarasesthetics

This abstract design sees swirls of gold polish overtop glossy black. The effect is an interesting take on the marbled design.

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Leopard, Black, and Contrast

Another leopard design, this set uses the dramatic pattern on just two nails (on the ring finger), using the other nails to showcase black or contrasting black and beige designs.

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Subtle Gold Foil

Here, a pointy and slightly rounded set of nails gets the foil treatment. For this look, apply gold foil to various places on jet black nails (try not to mimic the same design on every nail).

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Graduation Set

Black and gold glittery nail design with yellow gems on pinky finger — @naomi.nailz_

This graduation set offers plenty in the celebration department (wide swaths of glitter, a little gold for glam), but also some fun, geometric designs in jet black.

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Swirls

Peachy beige manicure with swirling black and gold nail design — @nailsbyanisaa

This marbled swirl design has a beige background, with subtle swirls in gold and black. You can mimic the look by using a toothpick or similarly thin brush to create the swirls.

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