Cynthia: It’s been interesting to see such a wide variety of earrings styles and shapes on display at the red carpet events this year. The days of the ubiquitous chandelier earrings or stiletto linear designs seem to be over. Caroline: Hey, I love chandelier earrings! But you’re right, it’s nice to see something different on the famous heads.
Cynthia: And there’s nothing quite like sparkling gemstones at the ears to bring attention to a beautiful face.
Caroline: Yes, they certainly bring the eyes to one’s face. But don’t you find that true of most earrings?
Cynthia: Perhaps that’s why the larger designs are so popular for the awards shows… the bigger the earrings, the more attention they seem to garner.
Caroline: I believe there’s a special award if they can be seen by orbiting astronauts!
Cynthia: lol…. If not, there should be!  And of course, with an elaborate necklace, sometimes a relatively demure multi-carat pair of diamond stud earrings does the job very nicely.
Caroline: Yes, I’m pretty sure big diamonds always work. :)  I know with larger necklaces, most people won’t try to wear earrings that are too large so the two pieces don’t compete.
Cynthia: That’s a smart way to dress and gets back to the idea of having one focal point in an ensemble.
Caroline: What should the general person avoid in choosing earrings?
Cynthia: That’s a good question. There are a number of factors that come into play. First, the earrings should coordinate with the other pieces in the jewelry outfit being worn in terms of metal color and general style. Second, the earrings should be appropriate to the occasion.
Caroline: Those are good, solid general tips that I think are familiar to many of us……I hope!
Cynthia: Third comes into play the physical features of the woman.
Caroline: We have talked about repetition and reminiscence before and that was interesting.
Cynthia: Yes, those principles are good to be aware of. With regard to earrings, the jawline is important. It’s helpful to consider whether the jewelry wearer wants to draw attention to her jawline. Earrings that end right at the jawline will do that.
Caroline: So if you have a long graceful neck, you WANT earrings that stop at your jawline. If you don’t, then it’s best to choose earrings that stop nearer the ears, yes?
Cynthia: That’s actually a different consideration. Someone with a very sharp, square jawline may have a lovely, long neck but not want earrings to emphasize the jaw. If she doesn’t want to emphasize her jawline, longer earrings can soften the look. Another alternative is to go shorter, and that works irrespective of the length of her neck.
Caroline: So if someone isn’t sure, then smaller is probably the way to go.
Cynthia: Right, and by smaller here, I mean shorter, not necessary thin, linear designs. So clusters and buttons bring the attention up from the jawline and deflect attention away from it.
Caroline: So, looking at a woman’s physical features, it’s best to start with the jaw and neck when choosing earrings?
Cynthia:  I think that’s a smart approach. Let’s go from the bottom up.  If a woman has a long neck, that gives her a wider range of choices in length of earrings. Remember that the eye is drawn where the earrings end, especially when they are sparkly and dangling, so if she doesn’t like her neck, then keep the earrings shorter.
Caroline: Makes sense.
Cynthia: Moving up to the jawline, if it’s narrow, that’s a great place for earrings to end. If it’s wide, the customer may or may not want to emphasize that width by adding earrings that end there and extend that horizontal line. Many people with wide faces don’t especially want attention at the lowest point of their faces.
Caroline: I know there’s still more to choosing earrings….something to look forward to discussing next time!

Today’s Jewel
Let’s recap some general guidelines when helping a customer choose a pair of earrings.

First, the earrings should coordinate with the other pieces in the jewelry outfit being worn in terms of metal color and general style.

Second, the earrings should be appropriate to the occasion… thus, diamond chandeliers are just not right in a conservative office setting and chunky woven silver hoops will look dowdy at a black tie event.

Third comes into play the physical features of the woman.

Keep in mind that those with a long neck can wear more styles and where the earring ends is where your eye is drawn, so pay special attention to that area and share this bit with your customers.

JCK