Statement Jewelry

Fashion Forecasting

A Brief History of Statement Jewelry

2007: Military Inspired Jewelry

In 2007, dog-tag necklaces were the hottest selling statement piece. A lot of jewelry in this year was inspired by the army, meaning we saw a lot of metal and chains. The realistic dog tags were the staple, but fads did emerge with animal prints, jewels, and over the top colors, which did not fare well for too long.

2008: Sparkly Dangles

This year was all about big, eye-catching, sparkly dangle earrings. Celebrities could be seen wearing these statement earrings on the red carpet this year. Having them be the focal point of the outfit made it look tasteful, but some people took it to the extreme with overly large earrings paired with large sparkly necklaces.

2009: Statement Studs

This was the year of the oversize, statement stud. They were often worn by themselves without an accompanying necklace. The fads that emerged from this trend were excessively big and gaudy, and paired with other excessive pieces like oversize necklaces, which were not flattering together.

2010: Fringe Necklaces

Statement Jewelry really took off in 2010, when collar necklaces with fringe were the hottest trend. They were usually metallic, in colors such as gold, silver, and black. Its progression as a fashion piece led to some fad versions of them that were over sized and brightly colored.

2011: Huge, Goth-inspired rings

2017 was a big year for hand jewelry. Celebrities and everyday people would load up their fingers with multiple statement rings, many of which took on a Gothic vibe with intricate metalwork, large stones, and gun-metal finishes. Fad versions were not hard to come by with this trend, as people could take this look to the extremes very easily, loading their arms with metal up to their elbows.

2012: Ear Piercings

2012 brought about trends in unconventional ear piercings. One of the most popular was the "Tragus Piercing", which was a piercing made right at the little middle notch of their ears. Big celebrities like Scarlett Johansson were seen rocking this trend. Some fads did emerge from this trend, such as placing multiple piercings in this spot to wearing hoops and statement earrings there as well.

2013: Fang Tooth Pendants

Necklaces in 2013 tended to be longer, some past the waistline. This year saw a lot of edgy fang-tooth pendants dangling on these long chains.This trend was big for a short period of time, and some versions of them were fads, like oversize fangs or much too long chains.

2014: X-Shaped Jewelry

In 2014, jewelry took on a simplistic, more sophisticated look that played with lines and intersections. This year saw a lot of thin, metallic cross-styled rings and bracelets. They were simplistic, but eye catching. Fads that emerged from this trend were not very prominent, as it was a more toned-down way to adorn an outfit.

2015: Multiple Stud Earrings

2015 saw the rise in popularity of ear climbers, These earrings angles up from the base of the earlobe to around halfway up the lobe and mimicked the shape of the wearers ear. Celebrities, especially pop stars, were seen rocking this statement piece at every event. Some fads that arose from this trend were earrings that crawled all the way up , oversize studs, and hoops all individually pierced.

2016: Mismatched Earrings

In 2016, mismatched earrings were all the rage. Celebrities would wear two different earrings that each complimented their outfits color individually. The earrings tended to be similar in style, such as the ones seen on Saoire Ronan in this picture, although fad versions later on started matching studs with dangle earrings, and other such pairings.

2017: Crystal Headbands

In 2017, there was a rise in interest towards crystals and their healing powers. This newfound excitement towards the beautifully crystals lead to their use in statement jewelry. This year in particular saw their prominence in headbands, such as the one seen on Ruth Negga in this picture. The best way to wear such a piece would be as the focal point of ones outfit and mostly just one special occasions, although some people brought this trend into fad territory with excessive use of crystals.

2018: Pear Shaped Diamond Rings

One trend that was seem a lot during 2018 were big, pear-shaped diamond rings. Ariana Grande displayed one of these fashionable rings after her engagement to Pete Davidson. They are definitely a status symbol that many people seem to love. Considering the rings are already quite large, I do not believe fad versions of

Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist is the prevailing ideas and trends in a given period of time. When looking for trends in statement jewelry, I decided to look on Instagram and take a look at what the most influential celebrities are wearing. I noticed a lot of statement earrings, some quite simple and some over the top in both size and design. I also saw a few statement, chunky necklaces, but not as many. It seems as though in the past year, Jewelry has been more focused on earrings than other category of jewelry. There were also trends in big statement belts that I have been seeing a lot, such as the one @ellenvlora is wearing.

Trend Board

Prominent Brands showcased some new and exciting pieces of statement jewelry in 2018. Dior's Couture Collection displayed various models wearing mismatched earrings, some longer than the other, and some elegant chokers with a pendant at the center. Off White's 2018 Ready-to-Wear Collection had many oversize, bejeweled studs, and Vesace went all out with necklace layering. They had some chunky, heavy gold chokers that took up most of the chest, and bolo ties as necklaces. I personally really liked their jewelry.

Trend Forecast for 2020

Based on the trends I have seen from 2019, which show an interest in statement necklaces and chokes and oversize earrings, I predict this trend will only get bigger. I see necklaces being layered to create a very busy top. I believe we will be seeing a lot of more metal chains, as street wear has become very popular, and people aim to appear more urban. I think big, chunky pendant necklaces will also be a big trend in the year to come. I have seen them in Versace's 2018 collection as well as on forecasting boards on WGSN. Along with these over the top accessories, I also see some simple, sophisticated ones being a big trend. I think geometric shapes in fun colors and simple metal necklaces will gain the interest of many. Rings were not super popular last year, but they are making a come back, especially big, metal rings with jewels or simple.