The era of statement jewellery is back: because it's important to stand out from the crowd for the style-conscious customer of today.

"For the style-conscious customer today, it 's important for stand out from the crowd."
Earrings for women win hands-down when it comes to most-wearable product. Through feminine, masculine or androgynous, all gender adults and adolescents both use earrings to switch their outfits off. Something about them is just perfect for everyone.
This makes pearl drop earrings the highest selling option for retailers. After all, earrings have proved to be some of the most popular accessories over the years.

"Over the twentieth century, scatter pins and earrings, charm bracelets and necklaces were worn everyday," journalist Maureen Zambito wrote for The Intelligencer online news site in January. "Fashion had changed by the 1960s, and trends introduced less-ladylike looks and a hippie, punk fashion ... but earrings were necessary still."
In the 1960s, English model Twiggy turned heads by pairing loud outfits with huge earrings made from plastic. The bedazzling outfits of David Bowie in the 1970s often included bright, dangerous earrings-both pairs and singles. Rock stars Madonna, Prince and George Michael were only a few in the 1980s to carry on the theme.


Now, the retro look is truly popular and well. Jewelry designers of today are rework styles from all the major fashion eras and earrings are no exception.
"For the past year or so we've seen a major trend in statement earrings and that also seems to be strong for the coming year," says Nina Agerskov Myrlund, communications manager at Dryberg / Kern, a brand run by Australian supplier JLM.

According to Myrlund, the trend towards wearing a silver earring in one ear and gold in the other is increasing, while at recent trade shows Cheryle Roberts, supplier managing director Stones & Silver, says hoop earrings – both small and large – were the best-selling category for the brand.
"It looks like the disco age of the 1980s is making a comeback and is much better for 2018," writes Roberts.

Chloe Sandland, Buckley London's marketing manager, claims designs are becoming more "daring," with big, colorful statement earrings reaching mainstream fashion.

"Recently, chain and tassel drop earrings, oversized hoops and mismatched styles have all been introduced to the high street," says Sandland, adding, "Our 2018 Autumn / Winter collections feature mixed shaped earrings, multiple settings and focus on drop styles."
Helen Thompson-Carter, Fabuleux Vous 's director, also agrees that the trend to wear a short and a long earring is currently in vogue, having gained momentum in the last six months.

"Earrings for women will be big-in terms of size, statement, and a dare-to-be-different quality," she says. "Here's colour!
Charles Lawson, a gem dealer based in Brisbane, also says that he saw designers make "twin earrings where each earrings fit in style but not the same as the other."
"There are a lot of fun tassel earrings coming in on the fashion side of things," he says. "This trend can be easily translated into fine jewelry by using a top stone in brightly colored gems with interesting shapes such as flat ruby, rough tourmaline shards and fine chain tassels."

Lawson also believes the trends are going to translate into the local market: "I am most excited to see many different colored stones being used together to create amazing design. These often use opal as a stone in the centre.
According to Pastiche director Amy Bradley, the supplier's top sellers during the summer were "big, fine hoops with interesting details and our tassel earrings in different colors."

The rapidly expanding penchant for layering also allows consumers to wear different styles of earrings all at once. "As the jewelry-layering trend continues to grow, we expect small hoops that can easily be paired with other pieces to be big for 2018," explains Jemma Fennings, co-founder of Olivia Burton, a London-based line. "We have also responded to the trend with a new line of teeny-tiny hoops for multiple ear piercings."
Think again if all these crazy trends sound out of alignment with fine jewellery.
Although the patterns in fashion shift like the wind, the precious metals and stones last for life. This is one reason why fine jewellery becomes sentimental and treasured while fashion jewelry is considered seasonal and somewhat disposable.

In recent years, the lines have blurred between fashion and fine jewellery, with suppliers from both sectors incorporating various materials and styles in a bid to occupy the upper middle market.
In a luxury sense, fine jewellery is also increasingly seen as celebrities and luxury influencers shift to custom-made statement items, like the Hollywood style icon Elizabeth Taylor before them in the glamorous 1950s.

Music and fashion goddess Beyoncé did a gob-smacking performance at the Grammy Awards last month. The pop star, dressed all in black, rocked a pair of 70-carat, diamond and titanium drop earrings designed by Lorraine Schwartz worth more than $US6 million ($AU7.6 m).
Cue what has been dubbed by style gurus around the world as "the fashionable return of fine jewellery." No longer considered only suitable for formal occasions, valuable pieces are reclaiming runways across the United States and Europe and Australia is set to follow.

Jewellery stores also now have buyers looking for the best of both worlds.

"We've seen buyers continue to refresh their jewellery box periodically with quality items that will stand the test of time," says Fennings.
Yellow gold has also become a hot item for the young, historically the domain of mature markets and high-end pieces.

Bradley agrees: "Yellow gold is certainly on the rise; it has made a seamless transition to the luxury jewelry market from conventional jewelry pieces such as heirlooms and wedding bands."

Recently, Pastiche's lifestyle brand Dear Addison launched the Sunshine Range, focusing on "simple and delicate golden-plated yellow items."
The presence of Beyonce's red-carpet is significant because she's a hero for Millennials, Gen Y and even the upcoming age group 'iGen.' Young consumers want that which celebrity has.


"These days it is about the social media. The Millennials are seeking inspiration online by looking at influencers they are connected to, "explains Myrlund. "It's golden days peer review and to hit the younger generations, we need to meet them on their spot – Instagram , Facebook, and Pinterest."
If customers are young or old, big spenders or frugal, all of them have earrings on their list of must-have.