We all love jewelry. Both men and women wear jewelry with passion. It comes in all colors, shapes, sizes and materials. Jewelry is fantastic for accessorizing your outfits. It can also be worn as a symbol or as a sign. Hence, it is versatile and serves a major purpose in our day to day style. Some types of jewelry are very valuable. Diamond and gold jewelry can be worth a fortune. Such jewelry needs to be kept safely and maintained meticulously. Sometimes, we may have more jewelry that we need.
Here are some tips to follow when choosing the jewelry to give and that which we can keep.
1. Consider the value of your jewelry before you keep or give it away
You can choose whether to keep or give away your jewelry based on its value. Jewelry can have two types of value. These are financial and sentimental value.
Financial value is the price of the jewelry. Some pieces are worth a few dollars while others are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. For example, a thrift shop trinket may be worth just $10. On the other hand, a diamond ring can cost $250,000 or more. Therefore, your decision on whether to keep or give away your jewelry can be guided by its value. If the piece is worth just a few bucks, you can give it away. On the other hand, if it is worth a fortune, it is better if you keep it.
Sentimental value is the emotional bond which you develop with a piece of jewelry. For example, if you received a necklace as a family heirloom or you got a ring for your birthday, it can have substantial sentimental value. On the other hand, a piece of jewelry which you bought at a yard sale may not have any emotional value to you. Hence, its sentimentality is low. As you pick which jewelry to give away and which to keep, it is important to consider its sentimental value. Keep the items that are emotionally valuable to you and give away those which are not.
2. What purpose does your jewelry serve?
Every piece of jewelry which you possess has a specific purpose. It can either be a statement piece or a simple accessory.
Statement pieces are large, valuable and eye-catching. They are worn on their own with no need for complementary jewelry. Examples of statement pieces are necklaces, pendants, tiaras and bangles. Statement pieces are often made of precious metals and stones. As a result, they are highly valuable. This type of jewelry can hold together an entire outfit. In any jewelry box, statement pieces are the most important items.
Accessories are medium to small in size. They are worn to complement more attractive or valuable pieces of jewelry. Examples of accessories are bangles, anklets and rings. In most cases, accessories are not made of precious metals and don’t contain any gems. Therefore, they are worn to accompany a more valuable piece of jewelry.
If you are debating on which jewelry to keep or give away, it is always a good idea to keep statement pieces and give away accessories. In this way, you preserve the most valuable ones for yourself.
3. Think about the sizes of your jewelry
Jewelry comes in many sizes. Some items are large while others are tiny. Each size is ideal for a particular purpose or position on the body. It is possible to sort out your jewelry based on the size. Large jewelry items may end up becoming too tedious to keep. Examples of these are large necklaces, bangles or earrings. They may be taking up too much space in your jewelry box without actually adding much value. On the other hand, you may have tiny pieces of jewelry but they are quite important. They could be some earrings or bangles which help you to boost the attractiveness of your outfits. As such, you can decide which jewelry to keep or give away based on the dimensions. A good way to go is to give away large jewelry which does not add much value to your collection.
4. Consider the age of your jewelry
We have worn jewelry for millennia. Therefore, some pieces are hundreds of years old. Such pieces are known as vintage jewelry. On the other hand, we still create jewelry today. These current pieces are often described as modern or couture. Hence, jewelry can either be vintage or current in nature.
In your jewelry box, you may have both types. There may be some vintage pieces as well as current ones. As you decide which ones to keep and those to give away, you can use their ages to make this decision. You can decide to keep vintage jewelry if it has some extra value to you. For example, if it is a family heirloom. Otherwise, if the vintage jewelry does not have any value to you, it can be given away.
You can also decide to keep current jewelry if it is valuable in some way to you. For example, if you received it from a loved one. Otherwise, it can also be given out. Therefore, the age of your jewelry is a guiding factor that helps to determine if you keep or give it away.
5. Consider how trendy your jewelry is
Just like fashion, the popularity of jewelry pieces is determined by trends. There are pieces which are in-style now but will fade away after a few months or years. Many of us have jewelry that is already out of style in our homes. We also have some pieces which are current and trendy. Current trends can help you to pick out jewelry that fits in with the fashion and style that is in vogue. These pieces help you to fit into the crowds and look just as fashionable as everyone else. Therefore, you can use trends to determine which jewelry you will keep and that which you will give away. This is an efficient way to maintain order in your jewelry collection.
6. What material is your jewelry made of?
Jewelry is either made of cheap or expensive materials. Cheap materials include stainless steel, plastic, bone, wood and glass. Expensive materials include gold, titanium, platinum, diamonds, rubies and other precious gems. While deciding which jewelry you’re going to keep and that which you will give away, you can make the decision based on the material that it’s made of.
If some pieces are made of cheap material, you can give them away. As a matter of fact, you can actually clean out all the jewelry that is made of cheap material from your personal collection. This leaves only that which is made of expensive material. You can keep this type. Doing so contributes to the overall value of your collection.
7. Let your jewelry collection be compatible with your wardrobe
Some items of jewelry which we have in our homes can match perfectly with any outfit that we choose to wear. On the other hand, some can only be worn with specific outfits. Hence, they have limited usability. Generally, it is a better idea to have jewelry that can fit most of your outfits. In this way, you will never have to worry about not having some jewelry to wear with a particular dress.
You can sort out your jewelry and identify that which does not fit most of your outfits. Having done so, you can proceed to give away the ones that aren’t versatile with your wardrobe. The items that can only be worn with one or two outfits need to go. This is an efficient way of identifying the jewelry to give away.
8. Ensure that your jewelry fits your skin tone
An ideal way to look great while wearing jewelry is to get some which matches or complements your skin tone. Pieces that you can wear with sleeveless tops need to match or complement your skin tone. They are valuable because they can be worn in any occasion and fit your overall style or look. Hence, you can proceed to keep these pieces in your collection and give away those that don’t match your skin tone. As a matter of fact, you can give them to someone whose skin tone they match. This helps you to make sure that your appearance is always on point whenever you wear your jewelry.
9. Retain the jewelry which you use most often
There are some pieces of jewelry which you can wear with literally any outfit that you have. They are versatile enough to go with anything. This is all-weather jewelry that fits any purpose or outfit which you wear. As a guiding principle, it is always a great idea to have versatile jewelry in your collection. If your entire collection is made up of such jewelry, it saves you a lot of time when you are looking for the perfect piece to wear. As such, if you have some jewelry that does not fit all-weather and all-style, you can give it away. This will help to curate a perfect collection that you can wear at home, for a function or even while traveling.
10. Think about the person who will wear your jewelry when you give it out
The person who is receiving the jewelry that you’re giving away also plays a major part in determining which items you will keep and those that you’ll hand over. Some types of jewelry are best worn by mature ladies while others are for young girls. There’s also some jewelry that’s perfect for teens and others are ideal for young adults. Therefore, you can pick out what to give away based on the age of the recipient. This helps you to make the correct decision as you pick out what to let go and the pieces to keep.
- How can you wear your statement jewelry?
After sifting through your jewelry collection using the guidelines above, you may end up with some pretty tasteful statement jewelry. Seeing as you will be wearing this jewelry for quite a while before you replenish your collection, it is important to know how you will be wearing it. Here are some tips and tricks on how to wear statement jewelry today.
- Less is More
Whenever you are wearing statement pieces, they are meant to help you stand out from the crowd. As such, don’t wear other types of jewelry alongside your statement piece. This can over-crowd your overall appearance. Wear your statement pieces one at a time. This is because wearing multiple statement pieces all together can make you look like you’re seeking attention. Also, keep your statement pieces clean. According to Gregory Jacobson, president of Jacob Mercari, the best kept secret to cleaning your jewelry at home is to use Mr. Clean.
- Keep them simple
Whenever you wear large statement pieces, combine them with simple clothes. Don’t wear statement pieces with clothing that has busy patterns. In addition to that, do not include decorative items such as sequins while wearing statement pieces. If you are going to wear your statement piece in the daytime, wear a simple white top. Otherwise, if you are going to wear it on a night out, couple the jewelry with a simple, little black dress. If your statement piece is highly detailed, combine it with neutral or block colored items. This creates an overall look that is simple.
- Be careful while picking statement earrings
Some of the most beautiful statement pieces are earrings. Exercise caution as you pick them out. This is because their dangly nature will immediately attract attention to your face and neck from everyone who sees you. Consider factors such as the shape, color, length and coordination of the statement earrings which you wear. As you wear statement earrings, make sure that your hair is sleek and not big at all.
- Match your necklace with your neckline
Necklaces are excellent statement pieces. As you pick this type of jewelry, match up your necklace and neckline. You can pair your statement necklace with a strapless top, a scoop necked, a V-necked or an off-the shoulder top. Avoid incorporating facial details, collars or halter neck tops when wearing statement necklaces.
Jewelry can make the difference between a good outfit and a great one. You can follow the rules above to choose which type of jewelry to keep and that which you can give out. Moreover, if you remain with only statement pieces, the guidelines above can help you to wear this type of jewelry. The rules and features pointed out above are perfect for modern living and guaranteed to complement your style!
All images from Charli Howard by Stéphane Coutelle for Design SCENE Magazine – see full story here
