Handcrafted Jewelry

 For bangles and bracelets you can pretty much create an arm party with different pieces which will flash and jangle as you move. Rings can be mixed, matched and stacked in all sorts of interesting combinations: check out both our stacking rings and cocktail rings for ideas.

 You can even experiment with wearing multiple earring styles if you have more than one pair of ear piercings or want to combine ear cuffs with other earrings. Take a look at our dangle & drop earrings, along with our stud earrings.

 Layering and stacking is easy: simply gather together a collection of necklaces and pendants of different lengths, textures and designs and try them on in different combinations to see what works. Make a note of the combinations you like so you'll remember them later.

 If you’re drawing attention to your face and neckline with layered necklaces or a statement necklace, perhaps you don’t really need an armful of bangles to be competing for attention.

 Or if you're wearing a bold pair of statement earrings, then perhaps your necklace could be more subtle or even not there at all (on the other hand, a bold pair of earrings with a matching necklace can sometimes work beautifully).

 If you’ve accessorised with multiple pieces then consider taking a leaf out of Coco Chanel’s book: "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and remove one accessory"1.

 Or not, as the case may be: do what works for you and the occasion you're dressing for.

 However, your earrings are usually in the field of vision for anyone who is talking to you, so they really are important. You should aim to choose earrings to frame your face and complement your hair, eye colour and skin tone.

 If you have long hair a great tip is to select a colour or metal finish which is more likely to be visible, depending on your hair colour.

 I'm guilty of this myself: if you have pierced ears it can be so easy to wear the same pair of stud earrings for weeks on end. Or maybe you almost never change them.

 But remembering to change your earrings is a great way to add interest and style to your look day to day. It's also the perfect opportunity to give your favourite pair of earrings a good clean!

 You can make changes to your look simply by wearing a variety of small stud earrings day to day. Or you can add some sparkle and movement with some dangle earrings, depending on your outfit.

 A good place to start is digging through your jewellery collection to find what you haven’t worn in a while. You can also purchase new pairs of earrings which catch your attention and will add some variety and interest to your jewellery collection.

 Once it was seen as a fashion sin to mix different colours of metal, which is something I never really understood as I love them all.

 Necklaces with pendants featuring mixed metals: gold pendant with silver chain.

Necklaces

 But luckily that’s no longer the case, even according to the fashion police: there’s no need to stick to all silver jewellery, all gold jewellery, or all rose gold jewellery2.

 So think about necklaces with pendants which contrast with the colour of chain they are attached to, rings that combine different metal colours, or layered necklaces or bangles in different metals to add vibrant interest and colour to your outfit.

 Mixing metals has been one of my favourite things to do when designing jewellery in recent years, so you'll find a number of pieces in our online jewellery shop which have mixed metal colours, including silver pendants with gold settings, for example.

 This sounds straight forward enough, doesn't it? But I know myself that it doesn't always happen.

 Before you start dressing have a think about what item you most want to wear to wherever you're going.

 You might decide you really want to wear a specific piece of jewellery to an outing, in which case you should choose your clothing and other accessories to work with it. Otherwise you might pick the outfit first and then match the jewellery and accessories to it.

 Either way works. If you’ve spent some time getting the combination right you should look stylish and well put together.

 Here's a related decision to make while getting dressed: what do you want the focus of your outfit to be?

 A simple - even boring - outfit will almost always look transformed into something special with the right jewellery and accessories. You can choose jewellery that really makes a statement to bring a simple outfit to life or do some mixing and matching of jewellery for a more layered look.

 But if you’re wearing bold clothing, then often it’s a good idea to go with smaller, more subtle jewellery pieces as highlights.

 The best advice is to make a decision as to what will work for you and run with it. Your aim should always be to dress like yourself so you feel comfortable and confident.

 Where do you want people's gaze to be directed if you're dressing up for something special?

 If you’re wearing jewellery that’s intended catch the eye, then it’s usually best to make the visual focus on one body area which you want to draw attention to: neck, ears, hands, etc..

 For instance, if you’re wearing a bold necklace, then go for more subtle rings and earrings. Or you might even consider leaving them out altogether.

 Simply put on a basic outfit and try it out in front of a mirror with various pieces of jewellery and other accessories from your collection. Try different combinations of jewellery designs you might not normally consider pairing up and add in different accessories like scarves, bags or watches.

 Try a single focal point with a statement piece, then try mixing, matching, stacking and layering. Keep trialling different combinations and focus points.

 You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with to vary the look of even the most simple outfit. And once you're done with one outfit, throw on another one and start again.

 If you don’t have a lot of jewellery or your collection isn't very diverse, then consider the types of jewellery pieces that will extend and add interest and depth to your wardrobe and go shopping.

 Isn't it great to have an excuse to treat yourself to some sparkly things? You're welcome.