Building Your Jewelry Collection
One thing that I feel is not discussed much in the Capsule Wardrobe conversation is how to put together a minimal jewelry collection. This is a bit strange considering it is such an important part of stretching your wardrobe and getting more wear out of things. It’s also something that many of us wear everyday. And if you’re anything like me, you may have trouble figuring out what to look for and where to invest. So today, I wanted to share a few things I’ve learned when building a minimalist jewelry collection.
This is a topic I quite enjoy talking about, as you may have noticed from my recent YouTube video. But this comes after years of feeling like a total novice, and finally coming to a point where I’m starting to find my personal style with jewelry. One of my most popular blog posts is Finding The Perfect Gold Pendant Necklace where I shared a few of my favorite brands for beautiful, high quality pieces. One of the main brands mentioned is Mejuri, which is still a favorite of mine. They very kindly gifted me a pair of the new Crescent Midi Hoops and it was just the pieces I was looking for. Here are some things I look for when adding a new pieces to my collection.
Find What You Like
The first step I took to figuring out what style of jewelry I liked, much like what I do with clothing, is to find inspiration from Instagram and Pinterest, saving the images I love to refer back to later. I have a Saved folder specifically for jewelry- including styling ideas and new brands I discover. It’s quite exciting to learn about new minimal jewelry brands, especially smaller brands. Once you’ve saved a plethora of Insta-worthy pics, look for repeating themes. I already knew that I preferred gold jewelry but I found that I also preferred statement rings to daintier stacking rings, as well as layered chains and pendant necklaces. So what will you look for? Do you love stones and gems? Do you prefer thicker chains or more vintage styles? What about finishes and lengths? Keep these in mind.
Earrings: Mejuri | Sweater: Uniqlo
Consider Your Everyday
Next you will need to decide what kind of pieces will work for your everyday routine and wardrobe. There are a few versatile pieces that I think go a long way when putting together outfits. Those include a midi sized hoop, a long pendant necklace and a shorter necklace. I’m not much for bracelets personally, but I do love the look of a simple chain bracelet or a cuff. Rings are a bit more personal in my opinion. My job requires me to work with my hands a lot ( hello, arts & crafts! ) so having a lot of rings on is not ideal. But I do love a simple statement ring for more special occasions. Of course, this will differ from person to person, but the important thing is to pay attention to the type of pieces that you annoyingly tug at all day and the ones that make you feel like a million bucks!
To maximize your wears, look for versatile styling pieces. For example, layered necklaces add so much to a look and can be worn with different types of necklines. Consider adding chains of varying lengths, such as a long pendant necklace and a choker or shorter flat chain, to add variety. Or if you have multiple piercings, consider a mix of studs of different shape and mid sized or small hoops.
Necklace: Mejuri | Ring: IGWT | Bag: Friday by JW Pei | Scent: Jo Malone
Find Quality in Your Price Range
One mistake I made was thinking I couldn’t afford to “Capital I Invest” in my jewelry collection because it’s either green rings around my fingers or diamonds and nothing in between. But what I’ve found is that you can find better quality pieces at each price points if you know what to look for. One habit I had to get out of was buying really trendy costume jewelry that is terrible quality and only holds up for a season. Now I opt for minimal designs that I know will work well with my other pieces and throughout the year.
If it’s within your budget, the best way to go is solid gold pieces, or sterling silver, which is usually a fraction of the price. I’m not really at a point where I can afford the gold pieces I love so I usually opt for gold vermeil, which is a gold-plated sterling silver. There are so many mid-range brands with good quality pieces in gold vermeil that are made to last with everyday use, when cared for. If you’re looking for more affordable options, many big retailers now carry a bunch of affordable gold-plated pieces too. My experience with this is that you get what you pay for and cheaper gold-plated pieces will start to rub off and turn silver after a lot of use.
Know How To Take Care
Caring for your investment (and it certainly is an investment) will prolong the life of your jewelry collection. There’s nothing like putting on a dull, tarnished ring or necklace to make you feel less than special. There is such a simple fix to this and it takes literally 2 minutes. I have a polishing cloth that has brought my signet ring back to life on several occasions. There are also some natural home remedies you can mix together to soak your jewelry in but make sure you do your research first so as not to damage your pieces.
Having a good storage system will help keep your jewelry looking organized, and not a tangled mess. Consider purchasing a necklace stand or some cute glass and brass jewelry storage boxes for your dresser. The jewelry boxes and pouches that your pieces come packaged in are also completely sufficient forms of storage.
So those are my tips for building a jewelry collection that you love. I’m still very much in the process of doing this myself but I feel like it’s best to take your time with this, save for the worth-it pieces, and really look for what suites you. If you have any great tips or favorite brands, leave them in the comments below. As alway, thanks so much for reading! xx Jessica