“What’s trending?” is a question you may often hear in this social media-driven age. It can be anything from earth-shattering episodes to the mundane, such as the Martian helicopter, Simone Biles’ mental health issue, or a five-footed cat in the wilderness of Tibet. They all generate enough interest in their respective in much the same way as 2021 generates interest among jewelry lovers.

2021 Jewelry Trends

But while trending has become a household word, what it means, and why things trend, like jewelry, for example, is something not many catch on.

So let’s get down to the basics…

Understanding Jewelry Trends

A trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing. And trending refers to what is currently popular or widely discussed online, especially on social media. This is not a modern-day phenomenon, by any means. Though called differently then, trending dances with the current fashion of the day.

While the kinds of jewelry a person wears are an expression of his/her personality and unique sense of style, the types of jewelry one wears are driven by fashion. Fashion, in turn, is not something that drops down from the dark blue sky but is influenced by popular figures like film or sports celebrities, musicians, and other high-profile individuals—or jewelry worn by royalty as the following examples show.

17th Century England

Dark fabrics gave way to pastel colors during this period, shifting jewelry trends to pale gemstones and pearls.

Georgian Era (1714 – 1837)

Deeper necklines and ‘skyscraper’ hairdos were the vogues of this era that paved the appearance of girandoles (large, ornate earrings with a large central stone surrounded by smaller ones). The shimmering light of girandoles’ faceted gems perfectly bounced candlelight around a lady’s made-up face. It was very popular among the wealthy, of course.

Victorian Era (1837 to 1901)

In addition to fashion, jewelry trends are also influenced by famous public figures, like royalty—like Queen Victoria, the influencer of during her reign.

Mourning jewelry became fashionable when she started wearing them as an expression of grief over the loss of her husband, Prince Philip.

In the Victorian Era, the Regard and the Dearest Rings (rings with a row of gemstones that spelled Regard and Dearest, respectively) trended as well as Queen Victoria’s locket bracelet containing pictures of her children.

Edwardian Era (1901 – 1910)

This era saw a new jewelry trend. It looked to the past for inspiration but used the flowing lines of recent styles and the details of current designs to create jewelry.

It focused on diamonds and hard metals like platinum, which encouraged actresses Gladys Cooper and Erika Glaessner in 1910 to wear diamond and sapphire jewelry with platinum beads.

Contemporary Jewelry Trends

The world is in a state of constant flux propelled by two things: First, an abundance of choices. There has never been a time in the history of man when he is faced with more choices than he can count. Second: the presence of social media that gives instant access to information that changes faster than people can read and understand.

These two things make ‘trending’ as ephemeral as the lifespan of a mayfly.

For example, no particular jewelry type or color holds a monopoly on the catwalks of London, New York, Paris, and Milan—the fashion centers of the world. On top of that, there has been an exciting shift towards, unusual jewelry designs to cater to modern man’s urge to be different, to make a statement, to be unique.

Whereas before, fashion is expressed in eras, now it changes with the seasons.

What is Trending in Jewelry for 2021

It is a well-known fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every aspect of our day-to-day life. But its effect is more telling on businesses that lost millions of sales due to the lockdowns. For example, in some parts of the United States,  jewelry retailers lost as much as 80% in 2020. But things are looking rosy this year, thanks to social media and online selling. In fact, the jewelry sector is very upbeat about business well into the future.

And while the year is almost gone, it cannot just go quietly into the night without having to lay bare the year’s jewelry trends. Here they are:

Charm necklace

A charm necklace is literally bringing everything a woman loves closer to her heart.

Charm jewelry items, such as bracelets or necklaces have always been around except that they are just considered as one of those things people wear. Lately, however, it has become fashionable as an expression of counter-culture, uniqueness or to make a statement.

Mini huggie hoop earrings

Huggie earrings are one of the most popular jewelry types lately. They are called ‘huggie’ because they are meant to wrap tightly around the earlobe.

Women, especially those on the go, love huggy earrings because they don’t get tangled with their hair, clothes, or other accessories. Huggie earrings are comfortable, stylish, and will make you look cool without fear of looking outdated in your choice of jewelry.

Pearls

Pearls are one of the oldest gems around and are a perfect example of quintessential jewelry since time immemorial. It has been the favorite gem of icons like Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Onassis, and Grace Kelly, to name a few.

Men and women who wear pearls exude a brand of confidence. Without being pompous or stylish, they effortlessly display a kind of class only pearls can give. It’s been observed that people who wear pearl jewelry are the types who have truly ‘arrived’ and have nothing to prove anything anymore.

Beach beads

Whether leisurely hanging out with friends, or cooling off the summer heat by lazing on the beach, you couldn’t look more elegant and stylish than by having a single or multiple strands of colored beach beads around your neck.

They come in colored gemstones, metal, synthetics, glass, ceramics, crystal, etc. The material isn’t as important as how the beads are arranged and strung together to make them look awesome.

Wildflower necklace

This is a throwback to the ’90s but is gaining popularity among millennials who want to steer clear of the usual crowd of jewelry junkies.

Wildflower necklace is beaded with multi-colored flowers strung on a gold chain. Whether hanging out with friends or doing office work, a wildflower necklace is attractive in an exotic way.

As mentioned above, the jewelry world is not static. It is constantly changing with new models and new materials/gemstones coming in an endless stream. What is trending now will not even get a second look a week later.  So if you want to know what are the trends for 2021, you could never get a specific answer because different jewelry experts, fashion icons, and influencers have different perspectives on what is trending and what is dead in the water.

So if you want to cut to the chase, simply ask, “what is popular in jewelry right now?”

The answer will be ‘earrings,’ like the one in this Malabar review. At least that’s what more than 3,700 women answered when asked what their favorite jewelry is. And they prefer round cut stones—the bigger the better.

Not far behind among women’s favorite jewelry are necklaces. And they have their own trending, too.

Necklace Trends 2021

Being second in a woman’s choice of jewelry is not a fluke. Necklaces are the sexiest and most feminine jewelry a woman can have. Necklaces accent a woman’s charm, femininity, and elegance. It defines the fine curves of a woman’s delicate neck.

And here are the necklaces that are trending in 2021:

Diamond necklaces

Whether as a simple pendant, or sparkly necklace, such as the one in this Tiaaras review, diamond necklaces always add a touch of elegance to any style ensemble. They never go out of style and can be handed down through generations.

Disc necklaces

As the name implies, disc necklaces have discs or medallions as pendants. It is an effortless way of looking stylish, either stand-alone or layered.-

Link necklaces

Nothing can be a simpler way of making a statement than a link necklace—either in paper-clip style or heavy chains. Link necklaces will always be at the forefront of fashion for the rest of the year.

Charm necklaces

They are back in fashion and are more stylish than ever. They now come in a variety of styles using charms from simple tokens to gemstones that symbolize your passions and hobbies.

Pearl necklaces

They are making a strong showing this year, thanks to the imagination and ingenuity of jewelers. They now range from classic to modern, with new styles and designs coming out of the woodwork at breakneck speed.

Station necklaces

A station necklace is made of delicate metal embellished with gemstones or other adornments at different points along the chain.

Locket necklaces

This type of necklace has been around for centuries, yet it has never lost its sentimental appeal of having photos of your loved ones close to your heart.

Gemstone necklace

Initial necklaces

Bracelet Trends 2021

Chain Link Bracelets

Diamond tennis bracelets

A tennis bracelet is made up of a symmetrical pattern of diamonds or gemstones, connected by a thin, precious metal or chain. They add a precious and elegant look regardless of attire.

Pearl bracelets

Pearls can be considered jewelry for all seasons. It always exudes an aura of class and sophistication in any affair or type of outfit—from casual to classy.

Colorful beaded bracelets

This type of bracelet adds lively color to your otherwise monochromatic wardrobe. It can be eye-popping, at times, when done the right way.

Bangle bracelets

A bangle bracelet is a rigid bracelet traditionally made of metal, wood, plastic, or glass. Though it has a very long history, dating back to 2600 BC, it has remained popular today because it is the easiest way to spice up an outfit.

Handmade Jewelry Trends 2021

Before you shut yourself inside your garage or basement to make your own handmade jewelry, which you can, let’s go to the basics first. By definition, real handmade jewelry is something fabricated from raw metal by jewelry artisans, using only tools that are controlled by hand.

There aren’t many jewelry artisans these days, hence handmade jewelry items are rare and far between. But for people who have the patience and money to have handmade jewelry made for them, these are what’s popular in 2021.

• Pearls – bracelets or necklaces
• Beach beads
• Charm earrings
• Long-chain necklace
• Statement earrings

Fine Jewelry Trends 2021

Up until this point, the jewelry trends shown above are those that generally appeal to the general jewelry-loving public. Even the handmade jewelry, despite its being rare and expensive, does not fall within the purview of ‘fine jewelry,’—the kind of jewelry made from expensive and precious metals like gold, silver, and platinum using precious stones like diamonds, sapphire, rubies, or emeralds. This makes them some of the most expensive jewelry in the world.

Note: Jewelry items in this niche are usually branded and cannot be found except in high-end jewelry stores. And you can see what’s trending in fine jewelry only through authoritative websites.

Here are the top five fine jewelry trends in 2021:

• Karma Medallion Necklace
• Threaded Gold-pated Hoop Earrings
• Maia Ring
• Gold-plated Sterling Silver Bracelet
• M’ama Non M’ama Moonstone Gold Bangle

Knowing the 2021 jewelry trends, while exciting, is kind of a fool man’s game because the landscape varies greatly depending on the perspective of celebrities, fashion icons, and influencers. And based on the wide variety of jewelry items in the market (and more are introduced regularly), you can appreciate their difficulties in pinning down what is trending and what is not.

Now, if you want to know what jewelry sells best, check out our infographic, “12 Best-Selling Jewelry in 2020/2021.”