New Year, New Jewellery: Top Trends for 2013

The New Year is all about a fresh start, and there’s no better way than freshening up your wardrobe than by updating your accessories.  Jewellery can make or break an outfit, and by choosing pieces which are bang up to date, no one will know that you’re actually wearing last season’s dress underneath all the bling.  So what to look out for in 2013?  Here’s the lowdown on the 2013 jewellery trends you’ll be able to find at your local jewellery shop.

Feathers and Bows

There’s lots of embellishment in 2013 jewellery trends.  Feminine bows will be everywhere, particularly on short necklaces and chokers, and some trends are channelling South West American traditional adornments by using feathers and traditional turquoise stones.  Whether your look is girly or cowgirl, you too can incorporate these looks into your 2013 wardrobe by asking your local independent jeweller for heavily embellished jewellery, whether that includes pretty bows and ribbons on chains, or whimsical feathers.

Bib’s Your Uncle (Or Should That Be Aunty?!)

Ok, so a bib doesn’t sound like the most glamorous thing you’ll ever wear, but actually, big necklaces will be big this season.  Bib necklaces – which are almost breast-plate like in style – are the new-look choker.  Think Baroque inspired drop bibs and chokers inspired by Victorian and 1920s styles.  These will only work with certain looks, of course – such as under a sharp tuxedo jacket with a plain top underneath – so if you have a particular outfit in mind to wear a bib necklace with, why not ask your local jeweller to custom make you a piece to your exact specifications?

Dare to be Different

There are certainly some different looks on the horizon for 2013, and if you’re brave enough, you can really make a statement. For example, how about an ear cuff?  You don’t need a piercing either – your local jeweller can create you a false cuff for the top of your ear which will give all of the effect with none of the pain.  For a less drastic look, choose full length rings - which are on the whole very delicate but cover the length of the finger – or upper finger rings, which sit just above the knuckle.  If you can’t find these looks on the high street, speak to your local independent jeweller about commissioning a unique piece. 

Simple but Chic: Open Bangles

A simpler – but no less stylish – look for 2013 comes down to the humble bangle.  Open bangles will be big this year – i.e. bangles which don’t meet in the middle, but instead leave a small gap with an embellishment on either end – and the best way to make a statement but not overdo the New Year’s trend is to wear multiple bangles, which will be available in your local jewellery shop, along with many other great looks to see in the New Year in style!

A New Year’s Jewellery Resolution: Get Those Treasured Pieces Restored!

How many times have you rummaged through your jewellery box only to think, “I must get that clasp fixed!” or “I must get that stone replaced!”? It’s frustrating when you own that perfect piece of jewellery to complete your outfit, only to remember that it’s broken.  But help is at hand: a local independent jeweller will be able to restore a beloved piece in order to make it fresh, renewed and, most importantly, wearable again.  And what better time of year to have a jewellery audit?  Make getting your precious pieces restored by a local jeweller one of your New Year’s resolutions!

Missing Stones?  Broken Links?  A Local Jeweller Can Help!

If you’ve got a piece of jewellery with a broken clasp, ruined links or a missing stone, you’ll know the frustration of having to leave a treasured piece languishing in a jewellery box or drawer when you’d rather be wearing it.  But all of these problems – and more – can be fixed by taking the piece along to a local jewellery shop.  As well as fixing broken pieces, your local jeweller will also be able to carry out other services on their premises, such as cleaning and checking jewellery for lose stones and potential problems, and also replacing the rhodium plating on white gold jewellery. 

Jewellery Restored on the Premises

What’s important to remember as part of your New Year jewellery resolution is the fact that by taking your jewellery to your local independent jeweller to be restored or fixed, your jewellery will be treated on the premises: whereas high street chains often send jewellery away to be repaired, your local jewellery shop will look after your treasured pieces, with no risk of further damage or loss during transit, which can occur when jewellery is sent elsewhere to be fixed.

Get That Watch Ticking Again!

It’s not just jewellery which gets neglected: how many times has your watch battery run out and you’ve just put it to one side until you can get a new one, only to forget all about it?  If you’ve got a watch whose battery has run out, take it to your local jewellery shop; they will be able to get it ticking again in no time!

Jewellery Beyond Repair?  Think About having it Re-modelled!

If you or your local jeweller feels that your jewellery is beyond repair, fear not: you could have it re-modelled into a brand new piece for the New Year!  Whether you’ve got a piece you love but is broken or you’ve inherited or been given a piece which is perhaps not quite your style, your local independent jeweller will be able to re-model it into a stunning piece which is both fashionable and  wearable once more.   What better New Year’s resolution could there be than to give yourself the gift of restored or re-modelled jewellery?!

2013, Unlucky for Some? Not with a Lucky Jewellery Charm!

The number thirteen is traditionally associated with bad luck, so it’s no wonder that some people are sceptical about what 2013 will bring.  It may seem far-fetched to some, but lucky charms worn as jewellery have been used for many a generation, giving comfort and reassurance, with good luck charms themselves dating back as far as the ancient Sumerian civilisation.  Indeed, Queen Victoria was a keen wearer of lucky charms and soldiers returning from World War II brought trinkets home with them as charms to keep them safe.  With such a long and varied history, why not add a little extra luck to 2013 with a piece of lucky jewellery from your local independent jeweller?

Lucky Pendants

A really up-to-the-minute, stylish way of wearing a lucky charm is to wear a trinket as a pendant.  Think Carrie Bradshaw’s lucky horseshoe pendant in Sex and the City; equally, you could wear a lucky sixpence pendant or a wishbone charm on a chain.  Ask your local jeweller for ready-made pieces, and remember that if you’ve got a little something which has traditionally acted as your good luck trinket, why not see if your local independent jeweller can incorporate either a replica or the original charm into a pendant?

Bracelets of Good Fortune

The trend for charm bracelets is still going strong in 2013, and as the name suggests, lucky charms can easily be incorporated.  Lucky keys, shamrocks, horseshoes, Chinese symbols can all be found on various charms available in a local jewellery shop.  If you’re giving a bracelet to someone else as a lucky charm, how about buying them a Kit Heath bracelet from the Culture range?  Admittedly it’s a slight move away from a traditional good luck bracelet, but the bracelets in the Kit Heath Culture collection look like traditional friendship bracelets with a sterling silver bead – and they’re available from your local jewellery shop!  What could be nicer than giving your friend a little reminder of your friendship and support to bring them luck when times get tough?

Something Old, Something New....

...something borrowed, something blue, as the wedding rhyme goes; don’t forget these lucky charms if you or someone you know is getting married in 2013.  How about incorporating a blue stone into your wedding jewellery?  Or have a piece of vintage jewellery restored by your local independent jeweller as your something old?  Or you could of course have your local jeweller commission a completely new piece of jewellery for you!  And don’t forget the last piece of the rhyme, either: “and a sixpence for her shoe”; your local jeweller could even custom make a piece of jewellery to incorporate a lucky sixpence, which is supposed to symbolise prosperity!  With all of these great trinkets and treasures to ward off bad luck available at your local independent jewellers, 2013 is going to be your luckiest year yet!