Clothing trends usually have well-defined shelf life. What may be the It-Sneaker of the season could be all over your feed one day, but six months later the hype is sure to die down. Jewelry trends, on the other hand, can be a bit are harder to spot. So in the Marie Kondo spirit, we went on the hunt for jewelry trends we should try for 2019 and ones to leave behind. We tapped Joanne Teichman, owner of e-retailer Ylang 23, to tell us which pieces she’s gravitating towards and Maria Tash, an OG New York piercer turned jewelry designer, to weigh in on what’s worth getting pricked for. Surprise! Belly button piercings aren’t making a comeback, but you’ll be surprised to see what’s on the list, ahead.
IN – LAYERED EAR PIERCINGS
“Customers (even conservative ones) have curiosity and interest in seeing multiple piercings and find it easy to experiment [with], one additional piercing at a time,” says Teichman. Tash agrees: “Layering jewelry above multiple piercings going up the ear in a second row, or staggered in between old piercings creates a fresh, deliberate effect,” she says. For maximum effect, stick to a theme. “These [jewelry] pieces should all relate to each other thematically, like celestial elements like stars, moons, or lightning bolts, pierced in a horizontal arc that point to a central hero jewelry element.”
IN – A HIGH LOBE PIERCING
“The high lobe is a fun accent to an existing first lobe piercing,” says Tash, of the area above a piercing you’ve probably had forever. She also suggests other why-didn’t-I-think-of-that placements like the tash rook or contra-conch. “These added elements should be small, readable, and flatter existing piercings,” advises the piercing pro.
IN – MESSY LAYERED NECKLACES
“We love a good neck mess. Add chains and pendants in varying sizes and looks to create your own look,” says Teichman. Styling that mingles thick and thin chains and beads create a refined look that’s more modern, less Serena Van Der Woodsen of Gossip Girl.
IN – ALL THE COLOR
Venture outside your rose gold comfort zone with precious stones and colored enamel, because “2019 is a breakout year for color,” Teichman says. “We especially look forward to seeing what Irene Neuwirth comes up with. She’s the queen of color!”
IN – CHARMS
“With all that’s swirling around us, good luck charms are a must in 2019, ” advises Teichman. Ward off bad vibes with 14k amulets, or look to the stars with a zodiac pendant. Marla Aaron’s baby locks and Foundrae’s Belcher chains will help you load up your necklace with even more personal symbols.
OUT – BIRTHSTONES
“Forget buying or gifting birthstone jewelry, customers are buying what they really love!” says Teichman. “I’m an Aquarius and personally don’t love garnet, but ruby, diamond, opal, tanzanite, or sapphire? Yes, please!” In other words, wear what you want to, and don’t let your arbitrary birthstone define you.
OUT – ORAL AND PIERCINGS
“Requests for oral piercings such as lip and tongue piercings are infrequent” says Tash, who used to have a lower lip piercing herself. “I think the interaction with teeth and gums is why many people keep these oral piercings for just a few years.” The same goes for dermal piercings, which are single point piercings that are anchored under the skin. “Dermal piercings are beautiful, but tend to grow out over time, and should be thought of as temporary piercings.”
OUT – STATEMENT EARRINGS
“Huge statement earrings are being replaced by multiple piercings, mismatched earrings, and even one ‘work ear’ and one ‘party ear,'” says Teichman. ELLE editors are on the fence about this one, because we will probably die in our collar grazers, but the choice is yours.
OUT-ISH – PERSONALIZATION
Personalized jewelry isn’t necessarily out, but its current incarnate isn’t as obvious. “We used to see so much traction around [getting names, birthdays, initials] and it has really slowed down,” Teichman says. Instead, it’s all about those aforementioned charms. Look for those meaningful tokens like “like photos in MyStory lockets or pets on Irene Neuwirth charms [because] adding an engraving to any of these is easy.”