Welcome summer! Though it had a rocky start, the days are getting longer, and temperatures are finally rising. It's time to trade trousers for skirts and dresses, sweaters for t-shirts, and umbrellas for sunglasses, and with this fresh new clothing canvas, we're thrilled to reveal the hottest jewellery trends of summer 2024. Jewellery is a fantastic way to express your personality and unique style, and summer is the perfect season to dial up the colour and fun, so we've explored the jewellery world to bring you the top five trends that are making waves. From head to wrist, here are the must-have materials and styles to put on your shopping radar.
Statement Rings
According to our sources, one of this summer's must-have accessories is a beautifully bold and colourful ring. With pastel linen clothing as wardrobe staples during the warmer months, jewellery brands are helping their clients inject vibrant hues into their everyday looks, and there's no better way to do so than with an eye-catching mineral. Various design approaches have been taken to achieve this. For a glamorous and clean look, gem-centric brands such as Pragnell and Minka Jewels use high-carat weight stones in trilogy or solitaire settings to upgrade timeless classics. For a more daring approach, Stephen Webster and Robinson Pelham have created rings that uniquely combine coloured stones and enamel, adding an edgy twist to the classic cocktail ring. These pieces are strong in personality and design creativity. And last but not least, if you prefer intricate patterns, Venyx World and Dior Joaillerie offer rings set with rainbows of pavé sapphires, peridots, turquoise, and other precious gems, creating detailed designs that are guaranteed to be the highlight of any outfit.
Small Hard Stone Watch Dials
If you're planning to invest in a timepiece this summer, opt for one that's small, sparkling, and features a hard stone dial. This top summer watch trend offers versatility, seamlessly blending with your fun beaded bracelet stack while adding a touch of design intrigue to your outfit. Crafting a dial from a precious stone is one of the most complex aesthetic elements in watchmaking, requiring a perfectly seamless shape carved from a single gemstone. Malachite and mother-of-pearl are among the most popular choices for hard stone dials. Chopard has included these gems as the backdrops for its L’Heure du Diamant timepiece series. At just 26mm, these watches feature diamond hour markers and a diamond-set bezel to add further light and lustre. Another standout piece for this summer is the Bulgari x Watches of Switzerland Exclusive Serpenti Seduttori timepiece with a lapis lazuli dial framed by diamonds.
Turquoise Jewels
The next major piece your summer wardrobe desperately needs is a statement turquoise jewel. Although this aquatic blue gem is the December birthstone, we’re claiming it for summer, with its warm greenish-blue hue evoking seaside sun and summer escapes. Turquoise is a relatively soft stone, ideal for crafters and artisans who can easily shape, cut, and carve it. This versatility means designers are only limited by their imagination when working with this gem. Miami-London-based jewellery designer Ananya loves working with beaded turquoise. Her stackable Chakra turquoise bracelets are not only beautiful but also believed to bring balance and healing qualities to the wearer. Anna Hu’s one-of-a-kind Blues Butterfly brooch and Butterfly Garden brooch perfectly demonstrate turquoise's adaptability, capturing the delicate flutter of butterfly wings. Lastly, new jewellery designer Kia Schan uses spherical carved disks of turquoise in her COLORHYTHMS collection, celebrating the Art Deco style with warm tones for the perfect summer look.
Edgy Pearl Hoops
Pearls are far from being just for the suburban housewife! They are fresh, young, and a fountain of inspiration for many daring jewellery brands looking to cement their own personal style. Enter pearl hoop earrings – the bold and edgy jewellery piece set to dominate the summer scene. Designers have ingeniously combined this classic earring shape with pearls to create an accessory that is anything but ordinary. For everyday wear, Tasaki’s whirling and spiky pearl hoops are unique, pushing the boundaries of conventional pearl jewellery. After all, this is a brand that recently launched working pearl and gold headphones, proving there’s no limit to their innovation. For an evening look, London-based brand Yoko London offers elongated yellow and white gold pearl hoop earrings set with rare pink pearls and diamonds, adding extra glamour. For a seamless day-to-night style, Paris-based Yvonne Léon’s gold and pearl cluster hoops are perfect for transitioning from beach club days to night outings.
Daring Rose Gold
The final top jewellery trend on our radar for summer 2024 is rose gold. Last summer was all about white gold, and the season before that, yellow gold took the spotlight. Rose gold, once trendy, had taken a backseat; however, after examining the latest collections from some of the world’s best brands, it is crystal clear that this romantic hue is back at the forefront. This time, it's being used in a bolder, less saccharine way, featuring strong aesthetics and design directions. The special new additions to the Clash de Cartier collection, which exclusively pre-launched last month at Harrods, showcase rose gold spikes set with beads of apple-green chrysoprase. This quirky and eccentric design approach has quickly become one of the House's most popular collections. Another notable rose gold offering is the Piaget Possession 150th Anniversary collection, celebrating the brand's milestone. This capsule collection revives historical goldsmithing techniques used in archival Piaget watch designs, transforming them into gold and diamond jewels that are perfect partners to the brand’s present-day timepieces. Using rose gold to reinvent popular jewellery staples within a heritage jewellery house is a clear sign that rose gold is the way forward.
To help inspire your seasonal jewellery purchases, here is a curated selection of our favourite jewels that suit each of the top trend categories. Whether you’re tempted by the sky blue of turquoise or the delicacy of a dainty watch, there’s something for every jewellery lover to enjoy as the sun shines…
