2018 is an exciting year for jewelry lovers and designers, with a number of fascinating trends to wrap yourself up in. With everything from handcrafted filigree to asymmetrical pairs and surprising natural materials, 2018 is the year to break out of the mold and express yourself.
Unique New Trends
The first jewelry trend this year is all about uniqueness. Whether it’s an artistically-designed piece that would make waves in a gallery, or an ornate family heirloom, Jewelry is trending to be less about recognized designers, and more about standing out from the crowd with one-of-a-kind pieces.
Sculptures
The “sculptures jewelry” trend is taking unique to a new level—featuring flat and three-dimensional shapes made from from enamel, wood, metal, and other materials, and suspending these miniature works of art from necklaces and earrings. Any kind of sculpture material you can imagine standing in an art gallery is a prime candidate for jewelry design in 2018.
There are wooden spiral rings, forged silver earrings, enamel pendants with bubble-like holes, and square necklaces. Designers are layering contrasting colors and textures one on top of another and including unexpected shapes that jut out from the main body of the jewelry piece at strange angles. Still not sounding unique enough to stand out in the crowd? You can even have your own one-of-a-kind sculpture jewelry made by sending your design to a company that does jewelry mold making.
Filigree
“Filigree” refers to an ancient ornamental technique that dates back 5,000 years in Mesopotamia, and has been used in India and Asia for thousands of years. The word filigree comes from “filigreen”, from Latin “filum” = thread, and “granum” = grain. The technique involves intricate metal work performed with fine threads of metal (hence “thread”), and often includes the use of tiny beads (hence “grain”).
In order to create filigree designs, the jeweler stretches out a thin piece of metal until it reaches a threadlike diameter, bending and curling the resulting wire into detailed shapes and patterns. Artisans often join multiple pieces together and sometimes thread small beads onto the wire. At the end, the jeweler uses a blowtorch to melt the threads together smoothly as one of the most common jewelry finishing techniques, and the filigree is ready to attach to the base jewelry piece.
The beauty of filigree as a design technique is that it’s been around so long that it keeps coming back into fashion. Now is the time to go jewelry shopping at antique stores and fairs, or pull out your great-grandmother’s family heirlooms to give them a new lease of life.
Handcrafted designer jewelry
If you really want to be abreast of trends in jewelry design and find a unique, one-of-a-kind piece, check out a regional trade show or jewelry fashion show for ideas. Here, you can meet jewelry designers in person and order your own custom jewelry You can also use the examples presented to fire up your imagination and create an original design to send for manufacturing by a professional jewelry manufacturer.
Natural
The second trend that has become wildly popular in jewelry in 2018 is jewelry that either features nature-based themes, or is made from natural materials.
Tropical
Jungle palms, exotic birds, colorful flowers, and delectable fruits are all the rage in this year’s jewelry. Warm up to summer with vivid greens, pinks, oranges, and yellows, combining eye-catching necklaces, earrings, and bracelets with a plain top in one of the colors to bring out individual hues, or with a floral outfit for a complete jungle garden effect.
Natural materials
Natural materials add another dimension to tropical and nature-themed jewelry for an integrated look. Include some brightly-colored feathers and striking seedpods, or go all out with leaves, slices of fruit, and shredded bark for an earthy celebration of simple living. Flowers and fruits can be preserved with resin, and other materials like seed pods only need to be dried and they’re ready to use.
If you are into making your own jewelry, make sure to use a fine craft drill for making holes in seed-style beads to avoid cracking, and consider using thread made from plant fibers to bring it all together. You could even make your own vegetable dyes for brighter colors!
Nature motifs
Your jewelry doesn’t all need to come from the garden or the forest to get in on the natural trend in 2018. Precious and non-precious metals formed in the shape of animals, plants, and outdoor scenes are an important jewelry feature this year, with gemstones and colored glass adding bright splashes of color to catch the light. If you’re concerned about the cost of gems or are worried about finding ethical gems that aren’t tainted by the blood diamond trade, consider choosing synthetic gems and only buy jewelry from a reputable trader that can trace all of its materials back to the source.
You can make a unique distinction in your choice of nature-themed jewelry this year by purchasing pieces from local designers and proudly displaying regional flora and fauna. Roses are beautiful and turtles are cute, but jewelry based on your local wildflower or endangered species is sure to express your unique originality and be a great conversation starter too.
Natural and cultured pearls
Speaking of natural themes and materials, pearls (a timeless classic) are making a strong appearance in this year’s jewelry trends. As the only gemstone that is created inside a living creature—the mollusk—pearls bring elegance and charm to any piece of jewelry and can be worked into the string or the pendant.
Many people don’t know the distinction between “natural” and “cultured” pearls, and we’re going to clear that up now. “Natural” pearls are those that occur in the wild, and are much rarer than “cultured” pearls—those which are grown using farming techniques. Cultured pearls come in different colors, shapes, sizes, and quality gradings, with the most popular types being Akoya, Freshwater, South Sea, and Tahitian pearls.
Uncut and distinctive minerals
The nature jewelry section would not be complete without mentioning the importance of uncut, raw minerals in this year’s jewelry trends. In general, gems are graded for their “cut”—the precision in professional shaping which is awarded to the finished gem by a testing institution such as the Gemological Institution of America (GIA). However, raw and “blemished” gems are making a clear fashion statement this year, with the inclusions that would normally lower a piece’s value being prized more highly for their originality and authenticity. Look for gem slices and uncut gems in your jewelry to be up with the latest.
Artistic
The third and final group of breathtaking jewelry trends this year includes three different artistic techniques: layering, asymmetrical designs, and mix and match.
Layering
You’ve probably seen them around—necklaces with two, three, and even four layers of chains and ornaments. Layering is a noticeable artistic trend in 2018 for the way it’s adding depth and complexity to an otherwise simple designs. Look out for pre-layered jewelry, including necklaces, layered bracelets, and stacking rings, or create your own layers by combining multiple pieces of jewelry, one on top of the other. All rules are out on this one. If you can layer it, you can wear it! Experiment with different textures, lengths, colors, and materials, and layer jewelry with different lengths and colors of clothing as well, for added fascination.
Asymmetrical
This may strike you as odd, but asymmetrical designs are capturing people’s imagination this year and are demonstrating “balance” in surprising ways. Matching earrings in different colors combine harmony and variety, short and long earring pairs that fall either side of the expected length function as an optical illusion, and necklaces with pendants that fall anywhere but the middle can balance out a side-tie jacket. Don’t be too quick to dismiss this artsy trend, and explore the options for asymmetrical jewelry that might suit your style and wardrobe this year.
Mix and match
Finally, the “mix and match” jewelry trend is the finishing touch to the layering and asymmetrical approaches. You can not only create your own layers with separate jewelry pieces, but you can select completely different earrings that don’t match at all, and combine them with necklaces, bracelets, rings, and anklets from totally different sets—all while staying completely in fashion for the year. Play with your own ideas for unifying themes, colors, textures, and even explore the beauty of randomness. It’s all about the wearer becoming an artist and expressing their own creativity, so start mixing and matching today to design your own unique look.
These trends are reaching their peak this year, and there are certainly more breathtaking jewelry trends yet to come. From gallery-worthy fine metal work to seed pods and DIY combinations, there is something for everyone. Get creative and find your own style. What’s your unique message to the world in 2018? Select your jewelry and let it speak!
