It’s true that most fashion lovers dress to suit their mood, but jewellery flips that notion on its elegant head. More than any other fashion-related item, the fine jewellery you put on every day literally transfers feelings, memories and emotion, by its own kind of exquisite osmosis.

It’s indulgent – even fun – to have statement pieces for special occasions, but for the most part, the jewellery a woman chooses to wear over and over is an insight into herself. Is it minimalist and classic, layered and bohemian, perhaps cheeky and subversive? Look at the metal-wear she’s donned that day and odds are you’ll know the status of her current mood.

 

“Style is art. Style is self-expression. It’s inspiration…”

So says actor, singer and jewellery aficionado Zoe Kravitz, who is one of the six famous faces of Tiffany & Co.’s current HardWear collection campaign shot by high-fashion creative duo Inez and Vinoodh. (She is joined by fellow actors Janelle Monae and Elle Fanning, along with musician Annie Clark (aka St Vincent), supermodel and activist Cameron Russell, and Bolshoi and American Ballet principal dancer David Hallberg.)

Given the solidarity and can-do mood currently electrifying women on a global scale right now, it’s hardly surprising the mood for jewellery trends is hardening up. Fuss-free materials, flowing geometric shapes and layered metal on metal are having their moment in the modern trend sun. Likewise, the celebrity ambassadors for fine jewellery, a la Kravitz and St Vincent, are getting tough too.

 

Earlier this year, New York-born luxury jewellery brand Tiffany & Co. was on the front foot with this new movement when it released its street vibe HardWear collection fronted globally by pop juggernaut Lady Gaga.

Described as both elegantly subversive and embodying the spirit of the women of New York City, the strong solid gold and sterling silver range of rings, necklaces, bracelets and cuffs shows the 180-year-old Manhattan-based brand is clearly just as tapped into the style mood on the street as it is the tastes of elegant women on the Upper East Side.

 

“Elegance – I think it represents class,” says a tattooed, pixie-cropped Kravitz in the HardWear campaign video when asked what the name Tiffany & Co. means to her. “It’s an amazing thing to see a brand that can stick around for such a long time. It just becomes a classic.”

On the same theme, GRAZIA spoke to three Australian style mavens – Jesinta Franklin, Yan Yan Chan and Jaime Ridge, who are all friends of the Tiffany & Co. brand too and known for their fashion flair – about their favourite jewellery trends right now, style tips and how they’re hardening their bling game.

 

JESINTA FRANKLIN

One of Australia’s best-known millennial media personalities, 26-year-old Franklin (nee Campbell) is a regular fixture on red carpets, fashion week FROWs, high-fashion parties and our television screens. The former Miss Universe Australia turned top model and social commentator is now just as well known for her polished-but-edgy personal style and bold fashion choices as she is the inspirational wellness philosophy and regime she champions on her website and Instagram.

 

HOW WOULD  YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN JEWELLERY STYLE? It’s quite minimal. I like pieces that I can wear every day and that pair back with any outfit. I like pieces that can be worn between day and night too.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE JEWELLERY LOOK RIGHT NOW?
I’m loving the Tiffany and Co. HardWear collection, I love its modern edge and twist on the more classic styles.

CAN YOU SHARE A GO-TO STYLING TIP YOU’VE ADOPTED RECENTLY? For me, it’s about choosing a statement piece and working around that. Whether it’s a watch, chunky bracelet or some earrings, don’t try to overdo it. Pick the piece you want to stand out and make sure everything else you wear compliments it.

 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PIECES FROM THE NEW HARDWEAR COLLECTION? I love the Ball Hook Earrings in gold, the Ball Dangle Ring in gold, and the Ball Bypass Bracelet. Today I’ve changed it up a bit and am currently wearing the Wrap Bracelet in silver. I’ve just got that on with my engagement ring, I get so many lovely compliments whenever I wear this silver Hardwear piece.

 

JAIME RIDGE 

While outdated Wikipedia describes her as New Zealand socialite, 24-year-old Jaime Ridge has stepped past her high-profile upbringing (her father is a famous sportsman, her mother a television personality) to forge a successful career as a model, stylist, producer, brand consultant and social media entity.

Her digital passion project Dillon Dot is a fashion, travel and lifestyle platform described by the street style star as “a place where collaborations and creative aspirations are brought to life.” Her aesthetic, which is obvious on her Instagram feed, could best be described as tailored maximalist.

HOW WOULD  YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN JEWELLERY STYLE? I’d say modern and clean, but I also love a touch of layering every now and then, especially at the moment – I’m going through a bit of a layering stage. It totally depends on the outfit and the occasion though. Sometimes I love paring it back and simply wearing my tennis bracelet and diamond band. Other times I love to layer necklaces, rock my cuffs, and I do love a clip-on earring now and then.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE JEWELLERY LOOK RIGHT NOW? I have two: the monogram trend and the mixing and match jewellery trend.

WHOSE JEWELLERY STYLE DO YOU LOVE? I don’t have a particular person’s jewellery look that I love; I’m much more inspired by the looks I see on the runway. Jewellery styling is such a treat. I just love to mix it up and keep it fun.

CAN YOU SHARE A GO-TO STYLING TIP YOU’VE ADOPTED RECENTLY? Of course, although I don’t know how unique it is. I use jewellery to complete an outfit, so whenever you put on a piece and question it, ask yourself, ‘Does this make total sense, or am I just adding it for the sake of it?’. I also wouldn’t hesitate to mix together different metals. It can look so right when gold and silver are paired together.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVOURITE PIECES FROM THE NEW HARDWEAR COLLECTION? Oh yes, I absolutely love my Tiffany & Co. collection. My favourite piece would be the Graduated Link Necklace – love! It’s just such an easy piece to dress up or down.

YAN YAN CHAN 

What began as a place to channel her visual creative ideas during her student years has become a wildly popular fashion and lifestyle blog for stylist, snapper and social media star Yan Yan Chan.

The 23-year-old Chinese-Australian is best known for her candid photography style mostly captured through 35mm film cameras, layered with mixed media like paint and collage. Her signature fashion style, well-known to her many Instagram followers is just as synonymous with her work: edgy, cool, cute street-luxe.

HOW WOULD  YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN JEWELLERY STYLE? I’m generally a sentimental person, so when it comes to jewellery I have my few special pieces that have either been gifted or passed down from my parents, which I wear every day and refuse to take off. You’ll see them close to my skin, in the shower, or in the ocean. I love mixing metals, wearing old with the new, the fine with the bold. Anything goes really, but I definitely have a less-is-more approach.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE JEWELLERY LOOK RIGHT NOW? I’m really drawn to the heirloom-inspired look and that ‘vintage Parisian market piece you would find on a Sunday afternoon’ type of vibe. I think people are [more conscious of] making pieces that can create an emotional attachment for the buyer and hold longevity via style and quality, instead of a ‘trend’ piece you’ll wear once and forget about. Those are the pieces you want to invest in and keep for a long time, and also wear over and over again.

WHOSE JEWELLERY STYLE DO YOU LOVE? Erin Wasson & Zoe Kravitz. They also both have sick taste in tattoos, which complement their jewellery.