<<< Versatile Jewelry Pieces #1-4
5. Hoop earrings
Anna (of The Chic Fashionista) raves about hoop earrings, saying that they are both compatible with just about any outfit and provide a classy adornment: they are powerful as an element of style.
You want hoops that are about 1 or 2 inches in diameter – not tiny, but not huge. The structure of your face will help you determine specific size: it’s a simple matter of scale. If your face is smaller, you want smaller hoops, whereas larger hoops pair well with a face that has larger features.
Once you have your first hoops, try out different variations. You can expand into huggies and big hoops, or try modified shapes such as square and oval. Many women choose to explore the elegant crystal of classy cubic zirconia pieces.
(Examples: see our hoop earrings page.)
6. Personality earrings
Often called “statement jewelry,” a strong collection includes at least one pair of earrings that is so bold and captivating, it can pull together all pieces of an outfit. You may run into problems with wardrobe compatibility when choosing particularly trendy earrings, but you will be fairly safe – regardless of design – if you go with a classic color.
Classic does not have to mean dark. You can also go with green, blue, or purple – which are seasonal favorites. Additionally, play around with mixing and matching more than one color. Take Anna’s seasonal color analysis to determine your own personal best colors, i.e. the ones that enhance your natural beauty.
If you want a durable material that will maintain its luster and tone, you have a plethora of options, including bone, wood, and metal. However, precious metal – such as platinum or gold, as long as the metal is solid rather than plated – is the best choice as a setting: you can use it to upgrade the style, adding a sophisticated touch that is conservative enough for any environment.
(Examples: see our elegant earrings page.)
7. Personality necklace
Just as with the earrings, you want to have a necklace with a lot of personality to draw attention as well, adding energy to a dull T-shirt or dress. You can layer necklaces, wearing one that’s standard and one that’s bold. The specific choices you make in terms of colors and components – such as beads, pearls, crystals, or chains – are all matters of individual taste.
Your basic goal with a personality necklace or statement necklace is to spice up an outfit that doesn’t have any pizzazz. You can go with bright colors or a design that is a unique twist on a popular classic. Lively should be the rule in terms of color choices: navy blue, violet, and aquamarine are three possibilities. Incorporating crystal, as with the best cubic zirconia necklaces, allows you to play with the natural light, making for more complex color patterns through prismatic reflection and refraction.
(Examples: see our shimmering necklaces page.)
8. Cocktail ring
Similar to a statement necklace or statement earrings, a cocktail ring is a conversation piece, helping to break the ice or draw attention in a crowded room. Specifically, wiseGEEK defines a cocktail ring as “a large, dramatic ring often worn at cocktail parties.”
The history of this style element is actually quite interesting: women started wearing large, ostentatious rings in speakeasies as a rebellious gesture. The cocktail ring suggested that the wearer was not willing to give up their sense of fashion just because they were involved with an activity (drinking alcohol) that the government had forbidden.
In modern times, cocktail rings are suitable for many types of social gatherings or day-to-day environments. This type of ring is more about showiness than a particular look: cocktail rings come in a wide variety of designs. Nonetheless, a particularly common style of cocktail ring is one with a big, ornate imitation jewel – such as high-quality cubic zirconia – in the center.
(Examples: see our brilliant rings page.)
9. Chandelier earrings
You want a pair of dangle earrings in a chandelier style. Anna specifically recommends ones that are in a neutral precious metal such as gold, adorned with transparent crystals made of cubic zirconia or diamonds.
(Example: see our beautiful chandelier earrings.)
10. Special occasion watch
You want a classy watch made of solid gold or pure platinum, as is the case with the settings for all our jewelry. To find out whether white gold, yellow gold, or platinum works best with your skin tone, you can look at informational charts. You may find the one provided by The Diamond Pro CEO Michael Fried (a former traveling diamond salesperson) particularly useful, because it is so well-organized and thorough.
11. Chain bracelet
Finally, Anna recommends a simple chain bracelet made of the precious metal especially suited to your skin tone (see #10).
***
About Birkat Elyon: Our clientele appreciates the consistency of our quality, both with our service and with our jewelry pieces themselves. We only use hand-cut, hand-polished stones, preferring the care of manual preparation to machine manufacture. All of our high-end, Russian-formula cubic zirconia is set in pure platinum or solid gold.
By Kent Roberts