Jewelry…own it, love it, wear it!
So I found myself lunching at Stanford Mall yesterday. Half way through the meal, a couple of beautiful women sat down just two tables away. Long hair, perfect skin, designer bags…but what was on that one woman’s ears?! Was is a teenager’s bracelet? Oy! She would have looked amazing had she opted for a simpler earring, better in scale with both her own personal features and the necklace she was wearing. I know that color is THE thing for spring, but really, these earrings just need to go!
Black Friday is right around the corner, so you may be thinking about what to buy certain people for the holidays. Though many people think jewelry is too personal of a gift to pick out for someone else, I disagree. It’s definitely doable with some careful consideration to certain points. So here goes:
1. Think about the personal coloring and skin tone of your recipient. Do they have warm, golden skin and cool blue eyes? Then a mixed metal necklace might be just the ticket. A cool, creamy complexion with jet black hair may just adore some striking sterling silver earrings.
2. Think about the scale of the person’s physical features. This includes taking note of the size of their eyes, smile, and how tall they are. The most inherent jewelry for a person will be one that’s in harmony with their own scale. I guess the exception to this rule would be diamonds…they can never be too big, right?!
3. What’s the personal style or jewelry signature of the giftee? For people who know me, they know that they can’t go wrong with a piece with a bohemian luxe vibe: horns, tassels, buddahs, polki diamonds, etc. Someone who really thought about it would never think of giving me a necklace with a pink crystal bow on it — it just wouldn’t be me. Really think about the jewelry the person already wears, and try to picture if what you’re giving her would work seamlessly in her collection.
4. What’s their lifestyle like? A mom with babies or toddlers will love to look at those gorgeous dangling earrings, but really, when would she wear them? Just not practical. So think about what activities (sports, travel, work) the person is involved in and choose accordingly.
5. Finally, think about the “noise” factor and snagability. This piece of advice really goes for all jewelry purchases, not just when giving it as a gift. Certain pieces just make too darn much noise, like earrings that jingle every time you turn your head. Can we say annoying?! Even more so if one works in a quiet environment. Also, think about what would happen if the piece of jewelry rubs against a delicate knit or silk chiffon. Prongs that stick out, rough stones and the like may wreck havoc on the wardrobe.
So keep these tips in mind when heading to the mall on the November 25th. Bring those, patience and parking karma, and you’ll be all set to find the perfect gift for that special someone in your life.
You may have noticed that one of the hot trends in the world of jewelry has been layering necklaces. But have you been afraid to try this out yourself? Don’t be, because there are no hard and fast rules. Instead, just play around a little and see what sparks your creative eye.
Start with one necklace that hits around your upper balance point. Then add another one that’s a bit longer, maybe even two more. You might try one of your longer necklaces and doubling it. The following picture demonstrates how a longer necklace was wrapped around twice and combined with a shorter necklace for a stunning effect.
This photograph shows how a shorter necklace is layered with a doubled longer one. Then added to the mix is yet another one, worn long, for sort of a three-tiered effect. I’m just lovin’ it.
One more thing you may want to experiment with is the scale of the necklaces you’re layering. Sometimes a combination you may have never thought about just looks hot. I practically accosted this woman, Janet, in Neiman Marcus when her creative combination really got my attention.
I just think the chunkiness of the carved wood necklace creates beautiful juxtaposition with the more delicate blue beaded strand with the gold medallion.
So here’s your mission, should you choose to accept it. Go to your jewelry box, haul out all your necklaces (even the ones that have been hiding in the deep recesses) and start playing around. I’m sure you’ll find some combinations that really resonate with your personal style.
You may have noticed that over the years, the scale or size of jewelry goes up and down. I remember the huge plastic jewelry of the 1980’s and the petite chain and crystal necklaces from the 1990’s. (Think Monica and Rachel a la Friends) Currently, jewelry seems to be fairly large scale, though there are many choices when you go shopping. So how do you choose what to buy?
First of all, you need to get a basic understanding of what large, medium and small scale jewelry looks like. Here’s an example shown in necklaces.
This same guideline applies to all types of jewelry, from the thinnest of gold bands to the chunky cocktail ring…from simple diamond studs to shoulder-grazing chandelier earrings. Once you can identify the scale of a piece, you next need to decide what would work best on you.
Think about your physical being and how much “space” you occupy in the world. Are you tall? Short? Somewhere in between? And think about your skeletal frame. Just because I’m quite tall, I actually have very small bones, as shown in my tiny wrists and ankles.
Finally, think about the scale of your facial features. Do you have large eyes? A small button nose? A smile to rival Julia Roberts?
Knowing how you visually come across will help you in determining the most inherent jewelry scale for you. By inherent, I mean the scale that is most naturally pleasing and complimentary to you. For me, I can carry pretty large scale jewelry due to my height and the size of my facial features, but I need to mix it with some medium or small scale to balance out my small bones. Often, I can achieve this by layering necklaces and bracelets of different scales. (I will elaborate on how to do this in a future post.)
Now keep in mind that this is how to get an inherent look. You can also create drama by selecting a scale that you wouldn’t normally choose. For example, picture some five foot tall gal who constantly wears large, oversized necklaces–and she looks fabulous! This is because she’s making a dramatic statement with her necklaces. Plus, it may very well be part of her jewelry signature. Here’s a perfect example of creating drama with a large scale necklace:
So take all this information and look at your jewelry with new eyes. You may get an “ah ha!” or two…