Current and upcoming jewelry trends
Gemstone colors:
In fashion jewelry the strong look from last year that explores lots of shades of black diamonds, chocolate diamonds, off-white, greige and silver shade will stick for another long season. Retailers of finished jewelry had tons of pieces featuring those colors. My fellow designer and friend Katie Hacker wrote a post on her blog about this trend, perfect for the woman who leaves the house in the morning to work and has to attend a cocktail party in the evening and has no time to go back home for change.
As far as "new" gemstones and fabulous new colors, I had not seen nothing special but the texture in the stones is explored to the top because popular stones like "agate" and "black onix" is invading the market dressed in "matte" finishing - so expect to see lots of cool shapes of matte/frosted black onyx and agate . The "cathedral cut" will be seen more often.( stones with frosted surfaces enhanced by sections of shiny design element).
I would pick the "rutilated quartz" as the stone of the season. A large variety of colors was a must have item on almost all gemstone dealer booths. Strong, full of natural flaws and most of them mined in my rich Brazil. On the high end jewelry Brazilian Imperial Topaz will be used by many custom jewelry designers.
We will be seen lots of multicolored stones, filled with several stripes or hues of colors, and the epitome of that is the "rainbow calcilica".
I found this stone two years ago and bought a few fat briolettes to make a project for "Modern Expressions" but unfortunately my design did not make the final cut for the book. It did look very Southwestern and did not match the book's concept at all.
Beading world
I definitely can say that filigree metallic beads is coming back stroooooong this season and it will stick for at least 3 years. It's the return of the Earlie's 2000's "Bali" bead style look.
Lots of details on a single bead. Lots of them will come from China and the best one swill be the ones handmade in India, Indonesia and Netherlands.
Gorgeous floral designs, very art ooveau and few touches of art deco revival.
On that same category a "Moroccan" mood is coming also very strong and with that the "nomad"-"gypsy" style will rock the streets. Lots of details on top of a single color serving as background, some of the beads are made of ceramic and metal components like rings, drops and trims are glued onto, and then little flat back stones will add an extra glam.
I personally loved it but you must be careful when designing with them...my tip is to use few ones and build your inspiration around those.
You can also make a full necklace with a single style and complete the back with a textured ribbon.
I 've made a sample during my demo times at the Beadalon booth and I used two fabulous new stones from John Bead Corporation and you can see on the picture down below. Delicious look!
Metal Components
Chain is the key in 70% of all the most intriguing jewelry designs I've seen in the most recent fashion centers I 've visited. Shopping windows of Florence, Rome, New York, Sao Paulo and London have been showcasing many jewelry pieces made with chain. Bracelets and twisted or intertwined necklaces have chain as their main component. Chain is a staple in the making jewelry world and it will stay on this position for awhile.
With that said, expect to see lots of "matte" chain taking over the fashion scene and wait to see some of the "sparkling" chain that will hit the market soon. Shades of white, black, gold, silver, and the "weathered finishing (the newest terminology used ny fashion editor for "antique" finishing) will take over. Antique finishing has been seen at the jewelry shows for the last 2 years but now new "shades" of antique are coming and they all look fierce. Greenish patina, blue, green gold, copper will join the traditional gold and silver metallic. Gun metal, hematite and graffiti will also fight for the popularity among consumers.
In Italy and Brazil, gold chain has been strong in fashion jewelry but some experts do not think that will take over. Fashion magazines are showing lots of jewelry in gold but if you like it as much as I do opt for "matte" gold to make it more IN.
I personally will stick with shiny metals and will add some of those antique finishings for the bread and butter pieces.
Dahling, at the end, glamour matches with opulence, brilliance and the wealthy factor of gold, and remember Cleopatra is very IN these days, and she knows.
Fun Jewelry
Well, the title says it all...it's a carnival parade of elements and media...use all you think can be used on your jewelry creations...cork, paper, recyclable, acrylic, glass, natural fibers, stones, textile...eeesssshhhhh....there is not only one single direction on fashion and trends these days...all is possible...rules are made to be broken so dis consider all the above and be yourself because at the end, dahhling, style is more important than fashion.
Au revoir!!!
Above shades of "Moroccan" style beads bought in Tucson @ the Holidome Show.
Following below is a board with items that I will be working on my next design creations. On the next post I will give more details about some of them. A few of them were bought at a flea marketlast November in Florence and @ the Craft Hobby Stitch Show in Birmingham-UK last week.
On the bottom left many of the jewelry components are from John Bead Corporation latest collections...pewter findingss, textured solid circles, "icy" glass beads made in Czech Republic and the first "Moroccan" style beads chosen by me out of their website back in early January.
In the center you can see a necklace I created with them using Artistic Wire in 3 different colors and SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS on shades coordinated with the accents of the focal beads it selves. All the comments made by attendees and friends at the Beadalon's booth were incredibly positive about that necklace...I love to create new pieces at the "moment" of the demos. I feel more liberated, happier and empowered when I have to create without filters.
Fantabulous, DaliciUus and casually chic!
Njoy it!
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| Overview of jewelry making components I will be working on my next designs. Clockwise from top left: Filigree silver-plated beads, lush antique brass and copper chains, 7Strands Beadalon stringing wire Silverose™, Silvergold™ and Champagne, Artistic Wire® tinned copper, colored wood leaves and colored filigree beads, Tierra Cast® assortment of charms and pendants, mettalic brushed gold-plated beads, John Bead Corporation latest findings ( pewter findings, circles, Czech glass beads from "Icy" collection (loved it), white matte chains and Morrocan ceramic tube beads), paper marchee beads, SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS in light silver and sunflower shades. |
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| John Bead Corporation latest addictions of this blogger. |
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| Tierra Cast assortment of latest components. J'adore! |
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| Necklace design by Fernando Dasilva applying some components described above. |
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| Three powerfull Beadalon stringing wire innovative colors for jewelry designers to take the imagination to "Alice in Wonderland", fun, mystic and glamourous. |
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| Necklace and pair of earrings translating my fashion pick for early Spring 2011. Made in America by Fernando Dasilva - gold bamboo chain, carving tropical wood from Brazil ornated with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS chatons set on clay, short vermeil earrings with peridot, preysolite and Italian green mesh by Elvee Rosenberg-NY. |
