Building your jewelry collection is an important part of your style journey and growing your wardrobe. It is important to focus on your jewelry collection because it allows you to show aspects of your personal style in very subtle ways that help in the overall picture of letting the world know who you are. In this post, I will be talking about:
- How to build your jewelry collection
- Tips and tricks on building your jewelry collection
- Suggested starter pieces to start building out your collection
How to build your jewelry collection
- Figure out your jewelry style
Before you can build a jewelry collection, you need to know what your jewelry style is. There are so many styles to choose from so one of the most important things you can do is to take some time to see what jewelry you like and want to wear in your everyday wardrobe.
Find inspiration on Pinterest and online to start getting an idea of what you are naturally drawn to. For more tips on finding your personal jewelry style check out my post here on how to find your personal style.
- Find jewelry that fits your lifestyle
Once you have determined your personal jewelry style, take some time to think through your lifestyle and what works best for you. You want pieces that are going to be comfortable to wear in your everyday life that won’t hinder you and will elevate your clothing choices. You also want to keep in mind that jewelry is a way to express yourself further in your style. So, take this time to think through what you are trying to say.
Do you work with children and can’t have a lot of dangling jewelry? Can you wear jewelry to work at all for safety or hygiene reasons? Do you need your jewelry to last and hold up well and not break on you? These are all things to consider when picking out jewelry for your lifestyle.
- Determine if you are a high-maintenance or low-maintenance jewelry wearer.
- Low maintenance (spend more, filled/solid) → higher quality jewelry
- Jewelry you leave on, shower in, sleep in…etc.
- High maintenance → lower quality jewelry [daily removal]
- Take on and off every day, and don’t shower or sleep in costume jewelry
- Low maintenance (spend more, filled/solid) → higher quality jewelry
- How much are you willing to invest in your jewelry
What is your quality level: How much do you want to spend on your jewelry? Are you willing to spend on higher-quality jewelry? Based on whether you are a high-maintenance or low-maintenance jewelry wearer it is time to determine how much you are willing to spend on your jewelry. Take into consideration the following things:
- Your climate
- How you take care of your jewelry
- Your complexion, hair color, and eye color
- Your wardrobe
- Pick your metal of choice
Are you wearing real metal or fake metal? Beads or mixed materials. Do you prefer silver, gold, or rose gold jewelry? Think through what you like to wear and what you feel most comfortable and confident wearing in your day to day.
What do you look better in?
What do you prefer?
Tips & Tricks for Building Your Jewelry Collection
- Start cheap and experiment with your jewelry style
- Invest in your core everyday pieces – Earrings, Necklaces, Rings, Bracelets…etc.
- Keep it classic and throw in some trendy pieces to spice up your wardrobe
- finding a balance between trendy and timeless
- “While clothing always tells a story, jewelry is considered to be more personal. You may already have a signature piece that you wear every day or something with deep sentimental value. Oftentimes, these personally valuable pieces lean on the side of individual taste more than a trend, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do both.”
- “I always recommend for a new buyer to start with the classics like diamond studs, a tennis bracelet, or a diamond stack bands and then if you’re wanting to introduce the trendy pieces do that after you’ve already built the wardrobe of the staples,” Gottlieb advises. “When it comes to trendy pieces, Gottlieb says the opposite, “Buy costume to start and upgrade over time as the budget allows. You can sprinkle in less expensive fashion-forward trendy pieces.”
- Her advice seems simple enough—invest in quality, play with quantity!
- Invest in pieces as you go. It is about the long game, not the short game. Unless you got the bag, there’s no need to rush to get everything as an investment piece
- Use lower-quality items for travel
- Know your jewelry sizes
- Measure with a tape measure and consider getting your ring size at the jewelry store
- Consider custom jewelry pieces or personalized pieces for your everyday pieces
- Consider heirloom jewelry pieces and antiques in your collection…possibly engraving them
- Experiment with high-end, second-hand, and costume jewelry when buying jewelry
- Invest in high-end pieces for your everyday staples
- Costume jewelry is sometimes better to opt for pieces that won’t tarnish like beaded necklaces and jewelry
Jewelry and your personal style
Your personal jewelry collection is an important part of your personal style and how you express yourself to the world. Be thoughtful about the pieces you choose to build out your core wardrobe and have fun with unexpected pieces in your collection as well. Jewelry is personal but it is meant to be a fun and exciting part of your style. Personally, it’s my favorite part, especially because a lot of the time it’s the last piece you put on with the largest impact overall. What are your favorite jewelry pieces in your collection?
Share your thoughts