I am happy to report that this year, popular colours of rose quartz and baby blue have successfully transferred into a wide range of fashion and accessories, including jewellery. Designers and retailers have fully embraced these highly accessible colours, producing items which clearly reference both. The fact that the colours sit so well together has worked beautifully in terms of marketing, creating a nice ‘story’ to run alongside the products.
Our Blue Agate Round Cabochon (61AG CA06) and Rose Quartz Round Cabochon (61QZ CR08) are great examples of how you can incorporate popular colours of 2016 into your designs.
Pearls have become altogether more playful this summer, with a whole host of interesting designs on offer. Many pearls have been incorporated into single and counterbalanced earring designs, often set against white metal, creating a cool contemporary look. It’s great to see pearls being used in this way and it’s a style which has transferred well from catwalk to high street.
Extraordinary Chokers with a 90s Feel (image source: Vogue Paris)
Interest in brooches has been growing for a number of seasons now. and this year, things have turned distinctly graphic. We have almost moved into the realms of ‘the statement brooch’ with bold and oversized designs taking centre stage, almost to the cost of many other jewellery categories. I think it has taken a while for brooches to lose their somewhat frumpy image, but we are finally embracing them now and there are some fantastic designs out there to choose from.
In a distinct reference to the 90s, chokers are very much the neckpiece of choice at the moment. They are this year’s answer to the ‘statement necklace’, and are a great option for a formal occasion.
Pearls from Vogue SS16 Catwalk Shows (image source: Vogue Paris)
As far as rings are concerned, stacking is still very much the order of the day with new collections springing up all the time. Tiffany’s latest offering comes in the form of ‘Sugar Stacks’, which is a second generation range of designs to compliment the originals produced by Piloma Picasso some time ago. The new collection features pink sapphires, yellow quartz and blue topaz along with a hammered metal effect, each contained in a soft cushion cut design. With gentle cabochon cuts and pave setting, these rings are effortlessly feminine as well as being very on trend.
Paloma Picasso’s ‘Sugar Stacks’ Rings for Tiffany (image source: The Social Life)
“After the popularity of the first Sugar Stacks collection I wanted to design more options for playing with colour and combining the stones. The rings can be worn alone or stacked in cool or high-contrast colours that delight the eye and lift the spirit like sugar candies.” –Paloma Picasso
Script and initials remain popular, but then in many ways I feel they are moving into the classic category as they seem to have a presence every season. Script name necklaces especially were given a huge popularity boost when one was worn by Sarah Jessica Parker by her character Carrie, in the hugely successful show ‘Sex and the City’. Tracey Emin’s foray into script jewellery this year (via collaboration with Stephen Webster) has undoubtedly helped to elevate this style making it more edgy, but at the same time more up market which will certainly attract a new customer base.
Sterling Silver Tennis Bracelet (XBS 2038)
Finally, a word on bracelets. As the sun begins to shine and we start to reveal our arms in the warmer weather, everyone starts reaching for bracelets which will inevitably be beaded, layered and bright. Anything goes and the more varied the better, so whether its charms, beads, leather or simple cotton friendship bracelets, dust them down and get them on as this is a perennial summer trend which is going nowhere.
So, will you be incorporating any of these trends into your jewellery designs this Summer? With so many to watch out for, there’s bound to be one that suits your style of jewellery making.
Cooksongold