The Different Types of Jewelry: A Guide for Women

51% of millennial women buy jewelry for themselves. Are you ready to start your jewelry collection and join them?

In order to choose your favorite jewelry that you’ll want to wear time and time again, you need to know more about the types of jewelry! These are some of the simple options of jewelry for you, so you can start getting inspiration for your jewelry collection.

Rings

Rings are pieces of jewelry that adorn fingers. They come in a wide range of metals, thicknesses, and styles. Here are two of the most common and popular styles of rings today.

Diamond and Precious Stone Rings

Some people like to get a ring with a stone in it to commemorate an event or to display their birthstone. Here’s a fun read about the rarest birthstone for more on gemstone jewelry.

Stackable Rings

One of the most trendy looks for styling jewelry right now is stackable rings. These small rings can be mixed and matched to create intricate styles on your fingers. It’s a great way to practice metal mixing while wearing jewelry.

Earrings

Earrings are any piece of jewelry that belongs on your ear. A common misconception is that you need to have pierced ears to wear earrings, but that isn’t the case! There are many clip-on earring styles available today.

Studs

Studs are one of the most classic kinds of jewelry. They are incredibly versatile and go with every outfit on any day. Some people leave a pair of studs in all the time and only switch them out on special occasions. These earrings are just a post with a little dot that goes on display.

Drop Earrings

Drop earrings tend to be more dramatic. These are the earrings that dangle down towards the neck and are more noticeable than studs. They go well with low-cut tops and dresses or anything that bares the arms or neck.

Hoops

Hoop earrings come in a variety of sizes and drama. Hoops can be simple and small or they can be quite large, dramatic, and sparkly. It all depends on your preference, but a small pair of hoops can be just as versatile as studs.

Bracelets

Bracelets adorn the arms. They can be casual or fancy depending on what they’re made of and how you style them. When buying jewelry, make sure you consider your regular styles and how often you’ll wear them. One person might wear more metal bangles while another might prefer rope friendship bracelets.

Charm Bracelets

Charm bracelets are typically chains that hold little tokens or charms on them. Charms can either be commemorative or simply attractive.

Chain Bracelets

Chain bracelets are simple and elegant chains. They dress up any outfit without drawing a lot of attention to themselves. Some chains have gemstones laid into them.

Bangles

Bangles are sturdier, eye-catching bracelets. They are typically one solid metal all the way through and can be either simply shaped or feature intricate designs.

Necklaces

Necklaces go on your neck and typically dress up an outfit. There are simple options to make your everyday clothes look nicer, and more eye-catching designs for special events. 

Pendants

Pendants are chains with some kind of token hanging at the bottom. Lockets, Crosses, and other simple necklaces fall into the pendant category. This is a good everyday necklace.

Chokers

A choker is any necklace that hugs tightly against the neck. There are common in alternative fashion, but there are also high-end chokers such as pearls.

Statement Necklace

Statement necklaces make a splash! They’re usually larger designs that catch the eye and start a conversation.

Types of Jewelry Simplified

Now that you know the basic types of jewelry, you can start expanding your jewelry box and filling it with things you love. Keep it simple with studs and pendants. Or make a statement with statement necklaces, drop earrings, and bangles!

Check out our Fashion section for more styling tips!