Statement Jewellery — Why it Pays to Think Big and Bold This Year
Eclectic gems, both vintage and contemporary, are back.
Jewellery historian Katherine van Dell on where to find enduring and future classics.
Katherine van Dell
The Times
Jewellery has always evolved alongside fashion. Earrings, for example, almost disappeared from western culture between 1840 and 1850, when the Victorians favoured floral tiaras atop hair severely parted down the centre, swept over the ears and joined in a bun at the nape. Similarly, brooches have largely fallen out of favour today, mainly because many modern fabrics can’t bear their weight. However, a tuxedo jacket can comfortably support a heavy brooch that would tear an evening gown, and the brooch has become a feature of dressy menswear, with designers and stylists placing pins on the lapels of artists and actors.
Formalwear has come roaring back after the dark days of lockdown, accompanied by dress jewellery, both contemporary and vintage. Strong colour palettes and substantial gold jewels, many featuring animals, are popular: New York-based David Webb’s enamelled gold and gem-set cuff bracelets, and Van Cleef & Arpels’ hardstone and gold convertible chains and Bulgari’s gold-mounted Roman-coin Monete necklaces, both from the Sixties and Seventies, are great examples. Platinum and white-metal diamond jewels from the Fifties, as well as earlier art deco pieces, are also on the rise. Connoisseurs are layering gems from these eras and mixing metals, a look that also works well for everyday wear.
Be careful not to part with or acquire a piece before you understand what it is. Finding a trustworthy independent jeweller, antique gem specialist, historian or auction house expert is the first step. Most jewellery professionals have credentials from the Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A).
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