Some Spring Jewelry Trends for 2011

Think in multiples. If that makes you wince when you think about your budget, too, then check out diamond sales online to get more than one piece at time at a good price. This spring, pendants and brooches have several cabochons joined together.  Diamond solitaires aren’t as popular as pave pieces. Wear multiple bangles studded with diamonds or wire-thin bracelets stacked from wrist to elbow.  Multiple strands of pearls can be wound around the neck in a blend of muted colors and styles.  A cluster of floral diamond pins can dress up a lapel or the neckline of a dress. However, if you want to opt for costume jewelry, you can do costume or vintage jewelry at a lower price, too.

Costume Jewelry

Plastics are in.  Light, inexpensive and available in a wide range of colors, this season synthetic materials celebrate their obvious fakery.  This includes opaque cabochons in a range of strong pastels like turquoise and coral, glassy acrylic bracelets in transparent primaries with contrasting inclusions, and vintage Bakelite buttons transformed into a brooch or a decorative element for a headband.  Accessorizing with plastics is an exercise in creating the feeling of youthful fun, of balloons and lifesavers and stained glass sun-catchers.

Architectural details are strong.  A Lucite bracelet has end caps like stair rail finials.  A coppery bracelet is 3 elongated teardrops twined around each other.  Black earrings with rhinestone details resemble a modern office building.  Bangles are square or triangular.  Shapes are simple so details of material and finish matter.  The contrast of highly polished silver with matte gold is what gives these pieces drama.

Vintage

Look for Art Deco styling in jewelry this spring.  Colors may be modern but the sensibility is definitely Belle Époque.  Cuff bracelets with a single large floral-inspired motif extending wider than the cuff itself feel like a western-inspired wrist corsage.  A single large flower made of seed beads that drape like fabric adorns a necklace.  Natural motifs like leaves and bees blend with flower colored stones. Mother nature is a big theme in vintage jewelry this season.