Don’t you hate it when you’ve finally put together your look for the day and even put aside some accessories only to note that some of the pieces you have opted for don’t match or bring up the desired look or effect?
Or, if you are like me, you’ve probably imagined a full look that includes some rings, bracelets, specific type or length of earrings, watch, and necklace, but when you finally want to dress up.
You realize that some of the pieces you have don’t have partners others are broken, maybe you lost some of the pieces, or your sibling gifted themselves that nice necklace they loved.
So now, you’re forced to reimagine a different look or even switch up your look completely because you cannot wear what you had in mind?
Well, if these scenarios sound familiar, it may be time for you to build up your jewelry wardrobe. You may not have multiple jewelry pieces for each type of jewelry, but you will have staples that complement your style and outfits and several pieces for formal, semi-formal, and casual settings.
The best part is that curating your jewelry collection or wardrobe doesn’t have to be the most expensive project you take on since you can always find great quality jewelry options at great bargains from different stores. So, how do you build your jewelry wardrobe?
Tips for Building up a jewelry wardrobe
1. What is your personal style?
Before you start collecting pieces of jewelry to build up your jewelry wardrobe, the first thing you need to do is to settle on what your style really is. What types of jewelry do you enjoy wearing?
Are you into eccentric, vintage, bold statement jewelry, classic minimalist, or quirky jewelry? What if you are unsure? Whether you are certain about your style or still trying to figure it out, your style is essential.
Even when it changes seasonally, a jewelry wardrobe means that you will only buy the pieces that you love because they bring the best in you, make you feel happy and warm, and just fill you with joy because they represent you.
Even if the pieces you choose will be worn sparingly and only on days you don’t want to be in your ‘usual’ element, make sure they are pieces you are attracted to, quite literally.
You must fall in love with your jewelry options before you buy them. Building your jewelry collection means being smart and investing in good-quality pieces that match your style and those you can wear on different occasions.
2. Foundational Pieces: Fine and Fashion jewelry
Regardless of your style, your jewelry wardrobe will be made of fine jewelry and more or less fashion or costume jewelry.
So, what do you need to include in your fine and fashion jewelry collection?
a. Diamond studs
The core of your jewelry wardrobe consists of the most delicate quality diamond studs because they are quite versatile, allowing you to pull off essentially any look from the office to a black-tie party.
Diamond studs are the absolute classics, and these will brighten your face effortlessly. Therefore, having at least one pair of diamond stud earrings is absolutely necessary for anyone building their jewelry collection, even if you don’t plan on having an extensive collection.
The studs are the core pieces in your jewelry collection. Also, diamond studs come in different sizes, and you can choose the smaller or larger, more sparkly studs depending on the shape and size of your earlobes.
The more oversized diamond studs are also perfect for you because you need statement pieces in your collection, and these diamond studs will do the work perfectly.
Note that you don’t have to break the bank with the diamond studs from designer brands, as many other stores offer excellent quality, non-brand diamond studs.
b. Good hoops
Pick some gold hoops as you shop for the diamond studs because you must have gold loops in your jewelry wardrobe. Like diamond studs, gold hoops are non-negotiable, and you must have them in your collection.
The only thing that would change is the size of the hoops – you could settle for the small huggie hoop earrings, the medium-sized hoops, or the larger hoops, depending on your style.
However, we recommend investing in gold hoops in different sizes and having at least one pair of large hoops because these add oomph to pretty much all outfits and events, and you cannot go wrong with them.
The greatest advantage of the gold hoops is that they are the ultimate mood and confidence boosters – you cannot wear big gold hoop earrings and still feel meh, there is an instant energy burst that comes with the look, and you must have gold hoop earrings.
To reiterate, always listen to your gut and invest in pieces that make you feel your best self. If you prefer a simple, classic, fresh, minimalist look, then the medium-sized hoops that aren’t too big or hot on trend will be great.
And with a good quality pair, you will have them for years, always reaching for them because they are just that good.
3. The classic gold cuff bracelet
Depending on your style, your gold cuff bracelet is essential.
You could have the dainty, think cuff bracelets like the Cartier Love bracelet or maybe thicker cuffs made of gold, and if you are like the rest of us, you know that your jewelry collection will be incomplete without at least one piece each, for the thick and the thin gold bracelets.
Again, the bracelets don’t have to be pieces offered and created by designer brands – you will be surprised by the large variety of jewelry offered by the local artisans if you leave the house more often.
4. Stacking Diamond bands
Rings are necessary accessories for your jewelry wardrobe because your fingers need to be adorned too, whether you are engaged/ married or not.
Get a few pieces of high-quality stacking diamond bands for those days that need a little extra pizzazz.
5. Classic gold rings
Not everyone likes rings, mainly because the gold ring could lead to misunderstanding your relationship status when you’re not married.
But if you like to accessorize all the way to the fingers, you may want to find yourself a good quality gold ‘wedding’ ring, something simple but elegant and also perfect for stacking with other gold and diamond rings.
If you are going for a statement look, you’d also need a signet ring for the days you need something extra.
6. A simple gold and/or sterling silver necklace
Your neck must always be draped in something stunning, elegant, simple, and beautiful, and you must have at least one delicate gold or sterling silver chain necklace, with or without a pendant.
But because you may have days that you need something extra, you should get more than one dainty gold necklace, also get necklaces in different lengths, and where possible, buy elegant necklace pendants that are easily removable.
Choose the chain-link style you like – if there is a style of necklace you have always worn, that is an excellent pointer of your style and the types of necklaces you may like. You may also want to add some thick gold or silver chain necklaces.
7. A stunning statement necklace
You should also have at least one or two statement necklaces made of gold or other high-quality and durable materials.
A statement necklace will be incredibly handy when you need to dress up, regardless of the occasion or settings.
Also, invest in different styles, types, or lengths of statement necklaces.
8. A classic watch
You need at least one classic watch, something elegant, maybe a little masculine, but something that matches your style.
Of course, you need different watches, and you may have been gifted different watches in the past, but if you have a Cartier, Rolex, or any other elegant look that goes with everything and dresses your wrist elegantly, then you may want to include it in your jewelry collection.
A good quality watch will not only last years, often more than 10 years, but speaks volumes about your style as it is a go-to watch style.
9. Pearls
Pearls are classics, and they always stay on-trend. The belief that pearls are meant for your grandma should be erased because anyone can wear pearls, whether stud earrings, drop earrings, part of a bracelet, or a pearl necklace.
Now that we have figured out the basics of your fine and even fashion jewelry collection let’s look at some of the fun jewelry pieces you must have in your jewelry collection.
10. Must-Have Fun Jewelry Pieces
Besides the classics mentioned above, which make up the foundation of your jewelry collection, you also need several fun pieces in your collection. These include:
a. Colorful Gem Drop Earrings
Now that you have your studs and hoops, it’s time for some fun, and your ears deserve these fun pieces.
We’re talking about the drop and dangle earrings that feature different natural or synthetic gemstones, preferably colorful gems. Many designers offer high-quality drop earrings that are durable and will not break the bank.
Find pieces you love with high-quality cuts and settings for the stones in shapes that flatter your face and match your style.
Avoid tacky designs, and always spend a little more for pieces that will last because you don’t want to spend too much money now, only to dislike half your collection after some months. The earrings’ design and construction also need to be robust, not flimsy.
b. Good quality cocktail ring
Not everyone loves a signet ring, but most people appreciate cocktail rings historically and for fashion. Buy yourself a high-quality and valuable statement cocktail ring, preferably one made of solid metals and gemstones.
A gold or gold-plated sterling silver cocktail ring with a large stone incorporated might be a great start. Also, find a cocktail ring with a stunning stone that matches your style, such as a birthstone.
There are many incredible stones for you to choose from, including sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, topaz, quartz, etc., and they come in different colors giving you a diverse power of choice.
c. Find something unique and playful
Think high-quality stackable rings, a fun set of bracelets, feather earrings, or other forms of whimsical jewelry.
Every jewelry wardrobe must include a number of pieces that bring out your fun, playful side. You should also get earrings in different playful and fun geometric shapes.
d. Price, Quality, Value
As mentioned above, you can find most of these fine pieces of jewelry in online stores and even the local jewelry stores in your neighborhood, and you don’t have to break the bank for the finest-quality pieces.
If, for example, you like thrifting, you will find a large variety of good quality gold and sterling silver jewelry options in perfect condition, which will not break the bank.
That said, we understand that there are pieces that require bigger investments, especially with 14k and 18k gold pieces, made with or without the best of brilliant diamonds.
For such investments, you should plan ahead and carefully pick the jewelry because you wouldn’t want to spend a large amount of money on something you won’t like or wear.
If you make the right choice, you will be happy with how long the jewelry last and how well they hold its value over the years.
Even when buying fashion jewelry, we recommend opting for well-made, high-quality pieces, say that gold-plated brass or sterling silver pieces, or even those made of high-quality brass.
e. Where to buy
To build a fabulous jewelry collection, you need to be open-minded while staying true to your sense of fashion.
You should be ready to find and buy stunning pieces that suit your style anywhere, not just on the obvious online brand pages or stores, but also from pawnshops, yard sales, thrift stores, and most importantly, when traveling.
You will be surprised by the richness of your jewelry collection once you know what to buy and what to look for when looking for great jewelry.
f. Don’t buy everything you see and like/ love
There are pieces of jewelry that you fall in love with, but you wouldn’t be able to wear them for more than a few shindigs. So be selective; otherwise, you will end up with many pieces of jewelry you can not wear or don’t enjoy wearing.
If you’re in a store near your place and think you like something, but it’s expensive and you’re not 100% sure about when/ where you’d wear it, give it a day then go back for it if you determine that you really need it.
g. Avoid poor-quality pieces
Even if they look playful and fun, avoid the jewelry if all those pieces look flimsy.
Conclusion
By combining the basics or foundational pieces with the fun pieces of jewelry, you will have a complete jewelry collection based on your style and one you can build on quickly.
Also, note that having a complete jewelry collection with all the elements above means that you will always have something to wear, regardless of the season.
Stephanie is a jewelry lover when she was a teenager. Her major was fashion design when she was in college. She is a jewelry designer at SOQ Jewelry and other design companies. Now she is also a writer for our website. She writes a lot of designs&brands posts with very actionable tips.