My Curated Jewelry Collection - and How To Create Your Own
Last year, at the beginning of lockdown I decided to declutter my jewelry collection. It had become an over-flowing mess of cheap costume jewelry. And most of the pieces were items that I hardly, if ever, wore. I had started in late 2019 with upgrading certain pieces in my jewelry collection. More elevated pieces that were a bit more expensive and would last. I am not rich by any stretch of the imagination so I am not talking about diamonds here. I just found that instead of spending a few bucks here and there on cheaper pieces that I would have for maybe a year tops before they either were out-dated, tarnished or broken. I wanted pieces that would be classic and would stand the test of time. And would also work relatively interchangeably with each other. I applied a few simple rules while searching for pieces to add.
Decide on your metals
This was easy for me. I am a gold girl. So I knew that would be the predominant if not singular metal in my collection. This also ensured that most of the items would work together. If you are a mixed metal type of person who loves both silver and gold I would say keep the pieces simple. Mixed metal can look great but tends to work better with a more streamlined aesthetic. I find that sticking to one metal looks richer and can make less expensive items look more expensive.
Choose your point of focus
Are you an earrings person? Love a good ring? Or do you prefer necklaces? Whatever your favorite item is make that the point of focus for your collection and invest in those pieces. I am a ring person and an earring person. And so that is what makes up the majority of my collection. I of course own necklaces but they are - with the exception of one - delicate and not the stars of the show. My taste in earrings tends to lean towards small to medium sized hoops, huggies and studs. I’m not a huge giant earring fan (though I was back in the day). As for rings I love gold and I love statement. If I am wearing a statement piece it will in all likelihood be a ring.
YSL Arty Ring in Lapis Lazuli
Pick a few standout pieces
This past June, for my birthday I was on the hunt for the YSL Arty Ring. It was no longer available at regular retail stockists and so I found myself scouring sites like The Real Real and Poshmark. I had my eye on a very specific version of the Arty Ring; the version with the Lapis Lazuli stone. Alas, this was the hardest to find in my size. I finally gave up after weeks of searching. Until randomly one day in November I decided to do a quick search on Poshmark. And there it was YSL Arty Ring Lapis Lazuli in size 6.5. The seller had priced it exorbitantly high for what other rings were selling for. But I decided to send in a offer anyway convinced that the seller would reject it. But she didn’t. And a week later I had my beloved Arty Ring in my hands.
This piece along with the Malachite hoops form Luv Aj are my “statement” pieces. They are gold based with vibrant color and fit my aesthetic. If you are a jewelry minimalist having one or two statement pieces can make your smaller collection work even better for you. It is a great way to have maximum impact with just one item.
Left to right: LuvAj Stone Amalfi Malachite Huggies, $85; Missoma Malachite Mini Hoop Earrings, $127
Know your budget
Earlier I stated that I wanted to spend more on jewelry items instead of buying cheap pieces from fast fashion stores like H&M or Forever 21. But I haven’t spent and insane amount on any individual item. The most expensive items in my collection are my Lionette by Now Sade necklace and the YSL Arty Ring. One of those was a prize I won in 2019 and the other I paid well below retail value for. All of the other pieces in my collection range from $60 - $170. I wanted to be realistic about what I could afford while also making sure to choose pieces that were durable and well made. Decide how much you are willing to spend on each piece (a pair of gold hoop earrings, for example) and work back from there. I had my eye on a few pieces that I wanted that were out of my budget at the time - the Missoma Malachite huggies and the Luv Aj Malachite hoops. And so I watched them and waited for a sale. I picked both up around Black Friday/Holiday season and was able to save a decent amount on both.
Take your time
Don’t feel that you have to go out and buy a bunch of jewelry pieces in one go to create your collection. Take your time to look and window shop and compare before buying anything. I started with this collection in November of 2019 and purchased my last piece in December of 2020. And there are still items on my wishlist that I am looking for (I really want a pave version of my gold link ring). I am being picky. Because I know that this will be an item that I want to have for awhile and there is no need to rush to find it.
Go small
The majority of the pieces in my collection are from smaller online shops and small businesses. Going vintage is a fantastic option as well. You will find unique pieces and will be contributing to the small business economy. Listed below are some the online shops that I purchased from.
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