In the last five decades, a lot has changed. The evolution of jewelry trends has been noteworthy from prehistoric times to the present. With each passing year, these jewelry trends continue to improve. Early men used and styled jewelry in a far different way than we do now. They made jewelry out of shells, wood, stones, and leaves.
Later on, jewelry made of diamonds, gold, and jewels came into fashion. Jewelry has been a staple for both men and women from ancient times, from making bangs and garlands of flowers, and stones. It leaves to wearing brilliant diamonds and sterling silver jewelry now, and huge shifts in jewelry trends have been significant throughout the years.
You are never properly dressed without jewelry. It brings a look together, allowing you to express yourself and make a statement. It is the most significant change you can make to your personality. It is a general notion that you could never truly know a person, particularly a woman unless you saw her jewelry.
It distinguishes oneself from the throng and boosts one's personality. While jewelry is typically a reflection of a person's personality and sense of style, fashion trends significantly impact what people wear. Style icons have always influenced women to wear specific looks and materials, whether diamond-encrusted pieces in the 1940s or bohemian fashions in the 1970s.
Here's a quick rundown of jewelry trends over the last five decades, highlighting the glamour, sparkle, glow, and gleam of the previous five decades.
1970's And 1980's: The Time Culture Heavily Influenced Jewelry Trend
During the 1970s, vibrant and flashy artworks were everywhere. Yellow gold was the most popular metal in the 1970s, and gold hoops, chains, and bangles could be seen all over the place. Of course, the fact that yellow gold tones combine well with natural hues made it a logical choice for people. In jewelry, plastic, and leather were frequently utilized.
Many of these trends were ushered in by the disco era. Barrion cut stones, which included kite and triangular-shaped facets, were a novel type of cut. For example, Karen Valentine and Elizabeth Ashley wore a combination of gold, beaded jewelry, huge golden earrings, and diamante jewelry throughout this time. During this time, colored quartz, coral, and cosmopolitan fashions inspired by cultural influences became fashionable.
Large and eye-catching were two terms that properly suited the jewelry of the 1980s. Everything was huge back in those days. During those days, it was a trend to use items of personal adornment, jewelry such as large earrings, cuffs, and necklaces to make bold statements. The music of the 1980s was a kaleidoscope of new sounds and styles.
From heavy metal to glam to punk rock, music influenced fashion in surprising ways. The fantastical fads of the 1980s were equally well-known. The mood ring was one of them. Have you ever had one of these? They were intended to change color depending on how you were feeling. The Music industry impacted fashion; their young fans copied the style and sense of popular artists crazily. Big hair, defiant 'punk rock styles,' and jewelry mixing and matching women adopted all to make bold statements and confident looks.
Punk rock fashion was prevalent, and celebrities such as Heather Locklear promoted false pearls and oversized jewelry made of gold and lighter and cheaper materials. Princess Diana exemplified the trend of mixing and matching jewelry. During the 1980s, brooches made a comeback with a vengeance.
Furthermore, mass-produced jewelry made of plastic, wood, and low-cost metal was appearing everywhere.
1990's To 2000s
The gritty-glam 1990s were a stark contrast to the bold 1980s. Instead of shouting, fashionistas innovated by combining feminine features with macho flair — grunge meets flower kids. Plastic continued to dominate the costume jewelry market, with leaves and floral motifs regaining popularity. The popularity of cheerful, sugary pop music imparted a certain aesthetic to the jewelry of the time and punk rock choker-style necklaces were at their zenith by 1999.
Earrings were often huge and dramatic but lacked the vibrant colors of 1980s earrings. Although circular hoop earrings have lost popularity, they have never truly gone out of style. In the 1990s, gigantic silver hoops were very popular.
The 90s were all about gold chain bracelets, giant bangles, leather cuffs, and tattoo bracelets. Mood rings, popular in the 1970s and recognized for their color-changing capacity to read the wearer's emotions, have resurrected. David Beckham has also influenced men to wear masculine jewels such as necklaces and engagement rings.
Fashion trends introduced by Britney Spears and Jenifer Aniston included subtle silver jewelry, plastic crafts, and subdued shades inspired by alternative rock music. During this decade, body jewelry became significantly more popular.
After 1990 artificial jewelry gained popularity, and women preferred artificial and metal jewelry in the 2000s. Bold jewelry was popular, including huge hoop earrings, layered chain necklaces, chokers, and personalized jewelry. Megan Fox, for example, went for a "Boho-chic" rocking design that included diamonds and rhinestones, plastics and wood Cuff bracelets, and cocktail rings.
The year 2001 was the year that thick bracelets became popular. These massive, bright, and eye-catching bracelets have never looked so good. These bracelets were made even more delightful by the large beads.
Pearls became the most important piece of jewelry in 2002. Platinum jewelry was popular among hip-hop music lovers, but silver and gold were then popular. These Outward hoops were released in 2003, but they were not well embraced.
Lariat necklaces and drop earrings first appeared in jewelry stores in 2004 and 2005 and have remained popular. Long-beaded, chains were introduced to us in 2006. It was a fashion statement and could be worn in various ways, unlike traditional jewelry, which people wore on specified occasions only. With the start of 2007, military-inspired jewelry became prominent. In 2008 and 2009, dangles and studs were prevalent.
2010's: The Time Natural Color And Textures in Jewelry Were Desirable
In 2010 came the trend of collar necklaces with fringes. Wooden beads and metal jewelry were also in demand this year. This jewelry was seen to revolve much around natural colors and textures. People started experimenting more with natural and pastel colors. It was at the onset of this decade; that women started preferring artificial jewelry over gold and silver.
Diamonds have always been an exception to the changing jewelry trends; they have always been all-time favorites. Then came the fringed collar necklace fashion in 2010. This year, wooden beads and metal jewelry were very trendy. Natural colors and textures were seen to be prominent in these jewels. People began to use natural and pastel shades more frequently.
Women began to choose artificial jewelry over gold and silver around the start of this decade. Diamonds have always been an exception to changing fashion styles, as they have always had high attention to detail. Bold cocktail rings became the trendsetter with the start of a new decade.
Almost every red carpet event had celebrities wearing these rings. Tragus earrings, which are worn on the notch between the earlobes, were popular in 2012. Pendants with long fang teeth and Criss Cross jewelry were popular in 2013 and 2014 when every other fashion influencer adopted them. Then, there was the ear climber trend, which began in 2015 and was undeniably fascinating. It's no surprise that they're still in style.
The unique trend of mismatched earrings started in 2016, but it has since begun to fade. The jewelry trends of 2017, 2018, and 2019 were crystal headbands, gold rings, and geometric earrings, respectively.
2020's: Current Jewelry Trends
The current jewelry fashions are varied and non-constrictive. Celebrities are growing more adventurous with their appearances, and they frequently wear dramatic embellishments, platinum, and colored dazzling gemstones.
Bold, vivid, and unapologetic, shiny pendants took the "more is more" approach. Silver jewelry, for instance, has taken the place of gold. Pearls are trendy right now, alongside silver, with distinctive freshwater styles and creative forms on the increase.
Say bye to perfectly spherical pearls and strand necklaces from the past. This year, enamel picks are still prominent, but they now come in basic black-and-white tints instead of the Rainbow Brite color. Also, colorful beaded choices will be fashionable in the next few years.
Men's jewelry is flourishing, with prominent designers' male-only jewelry collections on the upswing. The variety of jewelry styles available now is enormous. Celebrities are dabbling in a variety of jewelry trends, and the rest of us are following suit.
Bright and dramatic jewelry is popular, and men and women alike wear a variety of metals. Women wear both quality and costume jewelry throughout the world. Men's jewelry is also gaining popularity.
The Change in Jewelry Trends
Every year, new fashion and jewelry trends emerge. A month or a year from now, the pattern you're following may or may not continue. Each passing year introduces a new trend in one area or another, and it's always been interesting to see what's new each year.
The importance of gold has not changed due to jewelry trends, yet artificial jewelry has surpassed it in terms of everyday jewelry. Even though the price of some jewelry is exorbitant, people will continue to buy it as long as the pleasure obtained from it outweighs the cost.
Read our history of jewelry for more detailed jewelry history.
