Just like all fashion, jewellery goes through trend cycles. One season celebrates sculpturing and bold colours while the next puts dainty vintage-inspired pieces at the fore. Chasing every new look is tempting, especially if you love experimenting with styles, but this is unsustainable in terms of the cost to you and the planet. It’s also likely to leave you overwhelmed with pieces you’ll never wear again once fashions change.
Selecting a few pieces with care each season will help you build a diverse yet manageable collection you love that will remain wearable with your wardrobe throughout the years. Follow this guide to find out how to spot the right pieces within the trending styles.
1. Meeting long-term needs
Timeless clothes and jewellery have a clear purpose, so start by considering practical needs and choose pieces that support your routine and future plans. You may want a piece that adds character and continuity to everyday outfits or need an occasion necklace to wear with formal dresses. Before you buy, think about how and where you’ll wear a piece. Frequency isn’t necessarily important if the piece fills an obvious gap in your collection. A versatile design usually earns more wear, making it easier to justify the investment over time.
When shopping for forever jewellery like engagement rings, it’s important to prioritise your lifestyle when looking at designs. Fashionable hidden halo ring settings raise the profile of the central gemstone, increasing the risk of damage from knocks, while trending bezel-set diamonds are a more secure option for those who use their hands a lot.
2. Matching your style
There’s no harm in finding inspiration in trends and branching out from your signature look. However, when choosing pieces that will align with your style over time, you shouldn’t stray too far from core design elements you know you love. These elements are the foundations of your personal taste and will underpin your wardrobe throughout the decades, even as it adapts as you age.
Look at the clothes you wear most often and identify recurring themes. You may notice you favour tailored pieces and clean lines or perhaps softer shapes and vintage-inspired details. Let these themes inform your jewellery choices. Simple gold hoops are a minimalist staple while intricate metalwork and colourful gemstones complement a romantic wardrobe full of whimsical details.
3. Considering the colour
Most of us have a tendency towards one metal colour, even if we include a variety in our jewellery collection. Leaning into this preference will help to ensure pieces are timeless and properly suited to your complexion.
Yellow gold suits warm skin tones and brings warmth to neutral wardrobes, pairing beautifully with cream, camel and earthy tones. Silver-coloured metals like white gold and platinum suit cool skin tones and feel chic and contemporary with black and crisp white clothing. Rose gold suits most people and bridges contrasting styles, a modern way to celebrate romantic styling. Mixing metals by layering colours or wearing two-tone jewellery is decidedly modern, a great way to make a timeless collection feel on-trend.
4. Prioritising quality
Quality separates jewellery you wear for decades from jewellery you replace after a few seasons. Well-made pieces maintain their appearance more effectively and are far more durable, reducing the risk of breakage.
Pay attention to craftsmanship details such as clasps and stone settings, as well as considering the quality of the raw materials and how the pieces are made. Price is usually an indicator of quality, especially if it reflects the time it took expert artisans to craft the piece by hand. Investing in well-made pieces helps ensure they’re able to withstand daily wear, saving you money in the long run and minimising waste to help you do your bit for the planet.
5. Making it personal
Personal touches help jewellery outlast trends because they create emotional significance. Look for ways to include details that hold genuine value to you. When jewellery tells part of your story, it becomes more than an accessory and far more likely to remain treasured throughout the years.
Choosing meaningful gemstones is a subtle way to connect pieces to you, marking your birthday or key relationship anniversaries. Engravings are also elegant and discreet, often concealed on ring bands or without openable lockets. You could add an important date or initials. You could even design a piece from scratch, embracing elements of trending design while adding your own personal spin.
