January is the time of year when everyone has a stab at making predictions for what will lead the way for the coming year in Jewellery trends, and I suspect 2018 will be no different.
Before I delve into my jewellery trends predictions, let’s start by looking back at 2017.
There was a significant shift last year to bespoke jewellery, with it gaining in popularity, not just for special occasions, such as bespoke engagement rings, wedding rings and eternity rings, but to complement everyday outfits too.
As bespoke jewellery has become more popular, trends have emerged even among these individualised pieces.
For sure precious white metals still lead the way, but there was a shift during 2017 towards red gold and yellow gold and the combination of using two colours together.
What part of the world you live in will determine the size of the jewellery pieces you wear. On the USA side of the Atlantic, big and bold still lead the way, but the jewellery I designed and made in the UK was understated and most certainly told a story.
Diamonds, followed by sapphire, are the most popular stone in an engagement ring. Still, when it came to everyday jewellery, gemstone choice was more varied, with colours being chosen rather than necessarily a particular gemstone.
An excellent example of this was when I was asked to find a stone colour that matched the Caribbean Sea, and I found the perfect colour match in a green beryl stone from the aquamarine family.
Bespoke Engagement Rings
Regarding styles, in the bespoke world, solitaire rings continued their decline in popularity. While the halo setting remained steady, three stone rings moved away from three stones of equal size to a centre stone complemented by smaller stones and not necessarily of the same cut on either side.
The most significant growth, however, was reserved for jewellery that was as individual as the wearer and had a personal story attached. So I created jewellery that incorporated hummingbirds, butterflies and shooting stars, to name a few.
Bespoke Wedding Rings
Bespoke wedding rings also saw some significant changes, with men increasing to add diamonds to their rings and a return to yellow and red gold as a preferred choice of precious metal.
Matching wedding bands also increased in popularity, and what was most exciting was creating men’s weddings that incorporated their partner’s ring style.
Bespoke Pendants
Pendants and earrings have always been a top jewellery gift, and 2017 saw a shift from single stone pendants to stone around or dropping from chain set with either diamonds or gemstones, and bangles made a return too.
Here are my predictions for 2018
So what do jewellery trends for 2018 have in store? I genuinely believe more of the same with bespoke and handcrafted jewellery sales continuing to increase.
Rather than being led by what so-called experts say you should be wearing, I believe the march to creating jewellery that is as individual as the wearer will continue to grow in popularity.
Bespoke jewellery allows you much more freedom to express your thoughts and create designs you never thought possible.
