The beauty of jewelry is that there is jewelry for every occasion, and in most cases, you can wear jewelry to different occasions and places, as long as you don’t overdo it. So, in as much as you’d want to read the room or the invite, so to speak, when choosing your accessories, you can accessorize to almost everywhere.
In this article, we’ll focus on jewelry etiquette at work. We’ll be sharing tips and tricks on what jewelry is considered appropriate in the workplace.
Keep in mind that the right jewelry is the best way for you to enhance your overall look and to make a statement, which is why jewelry has been around for centuries. And for positive attention from the jewelry worn, you need to find the right outfit and jewelry. So, how do you wear jewelry to work?
What jewelry is appropriate for work?
As a rule of thumb, you should limit your office look to three pieces of jewelry – well, unless you work at a fashion house. Essentially, wear a watch, a subtle pair of earrings, a ring, and maybe a delicate chain necklace.
But for a more poised, smart, and confident look, follow these recommendations.
Jewelry for Everyday Office Wear
For most women in the corporate world or just any woman working in an office, wearing jewelry every day is just the norm and maybe something you never really think much about. But before you go all out with your options, you should remember what the environment in your workplace is like.
Even in the most progressive of offices, your jewelry should be complementing (to just you and your outfit) and never distracting. So, find subtle pieces of jewelry, and as mentioned above, go for simpler and subtle jewelry options.
Do not overdo it, even if you love jewelry that much. Opt for a pair of earrings or a simple necklace, and avoid wearing both because it may come off as showy for work, especially if you don’t have the simplest of accessories. But if you are going for the small stud or hoop earrings, a dainty necklace in the same color (metal) will not be too much out of place.
But again, observe the dressing in your workplace to determine the suitability of the jewelry for everyday office wear.
- Engagement and Wedding bands– you can wear any of your bands to the workplace. But if your workspace requires you not to wear jewelry because they could be safety hazards, especially if you work around heavy machinery or electricity, then it would be safer not to wear the rings. Otherwise, wear your engagement and wedding rings to the office. You could wear each ring in each hand but stick to the elegant, workplace-friendly, and lightweight ring options because you don’t want your important jewelry to get in the way of work.
- No flashy (fashion) jewelry– while pretty much everyone wears fashion jewelry because of its affordability and the many options available, some fashion jewelry pieces are not ideal for work because they may come off as too flashy. So, be careful when choosing fashion jewelry for work. Choose the smaller pieces of jewelry, and avoid heavy or extra-long jewelry because they can be too heavy and uncomfortable during the 9-5 work schedule.
- Diamonds– if you are going for a sophisticated look and you can afford good quality or high-end pieces of jewelry, you might want to make diamonds your best friend – they are, after all, a girl’s best friend. The best part is that fake simulated diamonds set on high-quality metals look as good as the real thing but at a fraction of the price. Whatever investment you wish to make in the world of diamonds, you can opt for a simple stud diamond ring or earrings, or even some solitaire diamond jewelry that would add a great feel of elegance to your everyday workwear. You will agree with us that there are some jewelry options that are absolutely worth the investment and the elegant diamond pieces are on top of that list. If you are second-guessing yourself, good-quality diamond jewelry will match pretty much all your outfits for years, and you won’t have to worry about buying multiple sets of jewelry every few months. So, go ahead and save up for those diamonds; your future self will thank you.
- Dress for the job you want (next position).Observe how people in that position you are dreaming about the dress, then show up as you would if you were in that position already.
The other important dos and don’ts for the office jewelry are as follows:
- If you work in a conservative office, opt for stud earrings that would match or complement your outfits.
- But in a more creative or less conservative office, you could wear bigger hoops and long dangling pieces, or even small hoops and studs, as long as the jewelry is not too sparkly or distracting, making noise when you move or work. You really don’t want to be that annoyingly loud person in the office wearing jingling jewelry. If anything, that kind of loud, distracting jewelry will only make you look cheap. Also, you shouldn’t blind your colleagues with jewelry made with extra-large rhinestones. These are too flashy and are better worn after hours.
- Don’t stack bracelets or bangles, especially if they will clang against the desk while typing/ against the keyboard. This is just annoying and embarrassing, and the person in the next station or cubicle will be irritated.
- Not sure how many pieces to wear; keep things minimal. Don’t overdo jewelry, and if you are not sure, wear the smallest number of jewelry possible. A good watch and a nice pair of elegant stud earrings tend to work perfectly for most people. You could throw in your wedding or engagement ring, though.
What to wear for a business meeting
Business meetings can be competitive, and your brains would easily make you win, but you also need to show a bit of personality, and the right jewelry will go a long way in communicating to the room who you are. The jewelry would also boost your confidence. Follow these tips then:
- Choose elegant jewelry and accessories that will help you stand out while also giving your personality the limelight in a non-distracting manner.
- Keep the type of meeting in mind and who you will be meeting with. Your outfit and jewelry are very much dependent on the type of people you will be in the meeting with. Dressing for a board meeting calls for your best foot forward, and you’d want to bring out your diamond studs and your best business outfit, unlike a casual meeting with your peers where you can bring in a little more dazzle and color.
- You cannot go wrong with small stud earrings, whether you are attending a formal business meeting or a casual meeting.
- A dainty gold or silver bracelet or good watch would be an excellent touch, especially because most people communicate better with hand gestures. Just make sure that the jewelry on your arm is simple, elegant, and not loud or distracting – no large rhinestones or stacked bangles/ bracelets.
Other important tips on jewelry worn to work
- Quality Counts, always.We’ll say this as many times as we have to because when it comes to jewelry that you can wear to work, the number of jewelry worn isn’t important; the quality does. Your position doesn’t matter. You are faced with a lot of scrutiny at work, and in such very conscious spaces and societies in general, it would be nice to wear simple but high-quality pieces of jewelry. Superior quality pieces mean that people have a generally great outlook of who you are. So, get jewelry with superior finishes, and if you opt for the ones with gemstones, you may want to pay attention to the color, cut, and clarity of the stone. Avoid bigger, low-quality stones.
- Settle on your signature jewelry.In other words, you need to decide early on in your career/ life what your go-to or signature jewelry options are. Yours could be stud earrings or small hoop earrings, a plain dainty necklace, a ring, a watch, and a dainty necklace. Just make sure that you find truly exceptional pieces, and this means that it might be better to tone down on the number of accessories you wear than going all out with low-quality pieces.
- No skulls or skeletons at work. Although these kinds of jewelry may best represent who you are, they are not ideal for work and should be saved for weekends or after hours.
- Avoid matching sets, loud stacked bracelets, multiple rings, and if jangles or makes any sound, then you have too much jewelry on.
Conclusion
When it’s all said and done, you have to stick to jewelry you are most comfortable in and also what your colleagues will be comfortable with – you don’t want to annoy them with your bright and loud personality.
Choose quality pieces for elegance over multiple options of cheap fashion jewelry, don’t wear everything in your jewelry box at a go, and invest in quality diamond or pearl earrings and necklaces, as well as a high-quality watch. We also recommend focusing on one area or accessory rather than all possible areas.
Read more tips here or here!
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.