Jewellery is a great way of expressing who you are and elevating your personal style, but should you follow fashions and wear pieces that are on-trend or stick to those classic styles? Here’s how to tell if your jewellery style is timeless or trendy.
Recognising Timeless Patterns
Some jewellery designs have a timeless quality, and hold their appeal and value well over time. This is in comparison to seasonal styles or jewellery trends, that tend to rise quickly and then fade almost as fast. When it comes to identifying timeless jewellery pieces, think: clean lines, classic settings, minimal embellishment, durability and quality.
The metals, settings and gemstones used to create a piece all play into this difference so when choosing jewellery it’s important to think about how it will look when you’re wearing two, ten or even twenty years down the line.
The more sentimental a piece is, the more timeless it needs to be, to ensure it stands the test of time. For example, if you favour a refined, enduring look you might opt for a platinum engagement ring, whose naturally white lustre and robust nature mean it will remain elegant for decades to come.
Spotting Trend Cues
When it comes to spotting the tell-tale signs of trendy jewellery, there are a few things to look out for:
- Bold size changes beyond the usual range (for example, oversized or extremely dainty pieces)
- Mixed metals
- Unusual gemstone choices
- Heavy ornamental detail.
You can see this played out in recent trends, for example, earlier this year in the UK we saw a trend for layering and mixing different coloured metals. Meanwhile, those in the know are predicting upcoming trends of chunky bangles and cuff bracelets and ring stacking on all four fingers.
Trends like this can be fun and a great way to express yourself through style, but are perhaps less likely to stand the test of time if your aim is a ‘forever’ piece that you’ll want to wear no matter what.
Assessing Your Lifestyle and Long-Term Value
When opting for a new piece of jewellery, it’s important to consider how it fits into your lifestyle and why it makes a good investment.
Ask yourself how often it will be worn, and whether or not it’s for daily use (for example, an engagement ring), or only occasional wear? You’ll also want to consider cleaning and maintenance, durability, and potential resale value.
For instance, when it comes to jewellery, metals matter. If a piece is designed for heavy wear, such as engagement rings, then more durable metals like platinum may be preferable.
Answering these all-important questions will help you decide whether to invest in something timeless, with a high durability factor and classic design or something trend-forward with a shorter lifecycle.
Mixing Timeless and Trendy – How to Balance Both
When it comes to the timeless vs trendy debate, you don’t necessarily have to pick one or the other – you can build a jewellery collection that contains both! For instance, you might choose a classic engagement ring with a modern twist so that it looks contemporary but will also endure the test of time, such as a diamond solitaire with an east-west setting. Alternatively, you can pair trendy jewellery with older, timeless pieces that are always in style.
Thank you for reading.
