The large statement necklaces and bracelets in fashion this last several months can look and feel heavy, both in the visual weight of the design and in the weight of the jewelry itself on a neck or wrist. Ditto for the effect of wearing multiple pieces of jewelry together. Huge dangling earrings may be better experienced as clips rather than pierced designs, to avoid the possibility of stretching the holes in the earlobes. Of course, most jewelry lovers will gladly suffer, up to a point, to wear exceptionally designed, image-updating jewelry of the season.
Perfect for spring and summer is a variation on this style that retains the size and scale of the jewelry but lightens up its visual effect, accomplished through the use of translucent materials.
[Necklace by Bottega Veneta]
Bottega Veneta accomplishes this effect in a lavish necklace of amber posies that was featured in the March 2009 issue of More magazine (beetle not included). Sunshine seems to permeate every petal.
Another designer noted for her ethereal pieces is Lorraine Schwartz, profiled in the current online version of In Style magazine. “We make the metal so fine that the light shines through,” relates Schwartz, adding, “Some people don’t believe it’s real.” Indeed, the technique of open-back setting of stones as seen in her jewelry is familiar to connoisseurs of well-made vintage costume jewelry. What a joy to experience this effect in precious metal and gemstones.
[Jewelry by Lorraine Schwartz]
Translucent jewelry is perfect for your customer who conveys a sense of lightness in her own person. This customer may have a visual translucence, seen in fine-textured, light-colored hair and skin so translucent that her veins show through her skin at her temples, eyelids and the inside of her wrists. Choosing jewelry that complements this exquisite fairness can create a magically lovely effect.
There’s another notable aspect to translucent jewelry – the sense that it is infused with light. It will appeal to your customers who exude an inherent lightness of being. Here’s a photo of actress Ginnifer Goodwin wearing the Bottega Veneta necklace pictured above, the perfect complement to her luminous smile.
Sheer layers of fabric have been an important trend of the season, and jewels with the same sense of translucence further the ethereal aesthetic.
The lovely lightness of these designs may well induce many a smile. The psychological effect of lifting spirits – how magnificent that this can be accomplished with jewelry.
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