Ten pieces of jewellery that define a decade
Jewellery trends come and go through the ages and many styles that fell out of favour have since returned to the forefront. With such a wonderful variety of styles to choose from, it is important to know which is which.
Here, Charlotte Barnes has chosen ten pieces of jewellery which has defined a decade since the turn of the 20th century.
Long multi-coloured freshwater pearl rope necklace from Winterson
The 1920s. The era of the flapper girl – women of this time wore jewelled headbands adorned with beads and feathers and coupled these with long pearl necklaces and single drop earrings. Priced at £225.
Silver blue Burton Wonderland rectangle bracelet from Ippolita
The 1930s. The birth of the Hollywood starlet – classic curls, smoky eye shadow and pouting lips were paired with dazzling pieces of gemstone jewellery, including earrings, necklaces and bracelets. Priced at £2,065.
Gecko vintage diamond earrings from Colonia Jewellery
The 1940s. Susan Hayward was one of this decade’s distinctive style icons and, like many women of the time, she made her mark with simple, classic make up and statement earrings which were styled as droplets or studs. Priced at £265.
Available from Colonia Jewellery
Multi-gemstone earrings from Antique Jewellery Company
The 1950s. The 1950s gave us Rockabilly, teenagers and Elvis, along with women who wore brightly coloured fashion jewellery. Everything from rings to earrings was made with coloured gems such as jade, topaz, amethyst and amber. Priced at £1,875.
Available from Antique Jewellery Company
Green and citrine glass tassel drop gold-tone chain necklace from Vintage Kitty
The 1960s. The invention of colour television and the rise of the hippie generation brought colour to the forefront of fashion. Unlike the 1950s, this decade’s jewellery started to be made from plastics and other man-made materials. Priced at £38.
Two colour gold and diamond cut hoop earrings from Fraser Hart
The 1970s. During the 1970s, a fashion whirlpool occurred with a number of different influences – flower power, disco, feminism, glossy magazines and television. And one of the most popular styles was the hoop earring. Priced at £225.
Ruby-red Swarovski crystal sunflower brooch from Brooches Store
The 1980s. Everything was big in the 80s – the hair, the shoulder pads and the jewellery. The bigger your statement piece was, the better. Just refer to an episode of Dynasty. Priced at £70.
Sylvie moodstone choker necklace from RocknRose
The 1990s. This was the Plastic Fantastic generation when it came to jewellery. Taking inspiration from the 1960s and adding a few modern twists, plastic chokers and bracelets became the must-have item for this decade. Priced at £19.
Tiffany sparklers citrine ring from Tiffany & Co
The 2000s. Somewhat calmer than its predecessor but equally as impressive, the rule for the Noughties was less is more. Simple pieces made huge statements, such as single gemstone rings or delicate stud earrings. Priced at £1,225.
Pearl and topaz drop earrings from Jersey Pearl
The 2010s. We are only halfway through this decade and already we are seeing a trend for jewellery that harks back to days-gone-by. Pearls are popular again, as are the colourful vintage styles of the 1950s. Priced at £123.
