Jewelry trends to watch in 2015

Some of the jewelry spotted on celebrities last year didn’t do well at retail, Gizzi said.

Midi-rings (rings designed to be worn at the top of the finger, between the knuckle and fingernail), for example, proved subject to falling off and hand jewelry failed to get a solid foothold at higher price points. But radical looks like these influenced pieces being produced now, such as two-part rings attached with chains or a “V” on the bottom, resembling stacked individual rings.

4) Seventies styles. Look for jewelry to complement the 1970s styles in apparel this year.

“Fringe and fauna and flora lends itself to that style of clothing, especially in earrings and necklaces--tassel earrings, long necklaces,” Krodel said.

5) Eighties styles. Madonna-style layering and bangles are finding their way into fine as well as fashion jewelry, and so are the bolder, geometric looks of her heyday.

“We’re also seeing the converse of that fringe style--very abstract jewelry, modular and modern looking, like a grid bracelet that has lines that go either north-south or east-west, and anything with cutouts,” said Krodel. “Think Space Age with not a lot of detail: linear lines, geometric, very clean.”

This look is showing up big and small, she said. Look for smaller versions to dominate fine jewelry.

6) Longer necklaces and bold chokers. The delicate layered chains and tiny pendants of last year are morphing in two directions this year.

“We’re seeing longer chains, especially in gold, and multiple pendants on one chain, more substantial pendants but nothing too big,” Gizzi said. “Look for the Y trend to resurface too, with a new emphasis on layering.”

Even as longer layers take off, another ‘70s throwback is surfacing, closer to the throat.  

“We’re seeing more chokers lately, some metal-intensive, a lot of vintage styles,” Tropila said. “We’re still seeing long necklaces and pendants, cool charms, delicate layers, but chokers seem to be up-and-coming.”

7) Layering and mixing. Perhaps the most important thing to note with fashion-forward jewelry is the way it’s being styled.

“People are not wearing jewelry the way they wore it before,” Krodel said. “They are layering it on, personalizing it. They are making it their own--styling fashion with fine, mixing an heirloom piece with an [inexpensive] ring that they bought at Forever 21--and it’s OK.”

Krodel thinks the selfie craze has a lot to do with this trend. “Mixing and layering styles is so fun,” she said. “It just looks good and it ties into the whole world of Instagram, showing off what you’re doing in your life and how you’re wearing something.”

Personalization and layering is where it’s at, Gizzi agreed. “Layering is a great trend at retail,” she says. “It allows people to easily add pieces, pair things with existing pieces.”

8) Wrapped and coiled looks. Snakes will figure strongly in jewelry design this year, both literally and figuratively, especially in rings and bracelets.

“That wrapped style, things climbing up the finger and the arms, metal wrapping around the stone, all that is definitely going to play a part for 2015,” Gizzi said.  

Stacking has led, in part, to single pieces that have the appearance of multiples, which can be a costly look to pull off. “Coiled and wrapped rings and bracelets allow people to get that layered look with one piece,” she said.