Style Hints

Jewellery
Height and bone structure
Remember that the most important rule for making jewelry is to design and buy what you like because its beauty will last a lifetime.

The first and most important factor for you to consider is overall body size and shape. To help you apply the fashion guidelines to a specific type, I have divided height into three separate categories, with discussions of pertinent bone structure.

Petite (Under 5’4”)
Necklaces – Petite women best wear collar-length or longer necklaces. Styles with “V” shapes and ones that fall below the breast but above the waist elongate the figure.

Bracelets – Bangles flatter petite women. Several narrow ones are more flattering than one wide one because they are more in proportion to the petite’s overall size.
Earrings – Concentrate on styles that sweep upward, pulling the viewer’s eye up. Full-figured petites look especially well in sharp geometric shapes.

Average (5’4”- 5’7”)
Necklaces – The average-height woman can wear necklaces of any length unless she is full-figured. In that case, she should avoid necklaces that rest on the breast line.
Bracelets – Wide bracelets are more in proportion to the average-height woman than very narrow ones. Earrings – Earring choices are unlimited and should be considered in connection with face shape and, of course, hairstyles. Feel free to select exciting geometric shapes such as triangles, squares and ovals.

Tall (Over 5’7”)
Necklaces – Almost any length goes well. The thin tall woman may select chokers which cut the line of the neck and de-emphasize height.
Bracelets – The tall woman has a wide range of bracelet choices as long as she stays away from too-delicate pieces. The full-figured tall woman should wear several thin bracelets together to give a more balanced feeling, or a couple of wide bracelets.
Earrings – Long dangling earrings are especially flattering to tall women. Because there is plenty of space between the ear lobe and shoulder, she can wear any shape earrings except tiny buttons that look lost.

The Hands
An area to take into account when designing jewelry is the hand. This body area attracts a great deal of attention because people “talk” with their hands or otherwise bring attention to them. It is important to select your ring with the same attention as other jewelry, striving to have a ring that flatters your hand.

The length of the fingers is the determining factor when sizing rings. Women with long fingers, like tall women, can handle almost any style. In all cases, rings, like all jewelry, must be selected in proportion to the size of the hand.

• For example, if the long-fingered hand is also overly thin, oval or round settings are best because they soften the look. In addition, wider bands are more flattering than thin ones.

The hands with short fingers look best with settings that remain within the knuckle. The setting or stone that extends past the knuckle only accentuates the hand’s shortness and makes it look less elegant. Oval or marquise shape stones elongate the hand and make good choices for short fingers. Round solitaire settings are also good because of their simplicity. If you want a large ring, opt for a dome shape of a high setting that won’t overpower the short hand.