NEW YORK - Jewelry can impart an air of sophistication, can symbolize
affection in the form of a gift or, as is the case this year, can pack
some serious attitude.
Whether peeking out beneath long hair or worn with a sleek updo to allow
them to shine brilliantly on their own, oversize “chandelier” earrings
may be jewelry’s biggest trend.
The earrings, which feature three or more jeweled tiers that are wider
at the bottom than the top, range in style from bling-bling to bohemian,
as do the prices.
Chandeliers with an over-the-top cascade of diamonds will set you back
thousands, with the most expensive baubles boasting six-figure price
tags. But it’s not hard to find colorful, beaded chandeliers for less
than $50 if you hit the mall instead of the jewelry store.
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a.m.p.a.s.
Redhead Julianne Moore was red hot in emerald and black gold chandelier earrings and ring by Boucheron at the 75th Annual Oscars Ceremony, 2003.
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Whatever the price, the shape of a big earring like a chandelier can
make a statement.
“You can almost change your whole presence with a pair of earrings.
Because the earrings are pretty significant, they can stand on their
own,” says Kristen Regine, Swarovski’s product manager for jewelry.
Crystal maker Swarovski has dedicated a section of its costume jewelry
line to chandelier earrings in colors like jet black, red and plum that
range from $55 to $135.
“It almost seemed like, the bigger the better,” Regine says.
Chandeliers can serve as a head-turning accessory for formal wear, but
they are equally appropriate with a more casual outfit. Thomasine Dolan,
Banana Republic’s jewelry design director, loves chandeliers paired with
a turtleneck, which acts as a canvas for the earrings.
“There’s this combination of glamorous and feminine - they’re both kind
of hitting at the same time - and that’s what chandelier earrings
capture,” Dolan says of the earrings, which range from $32 to $38. “You
can still wear jeans with it or you can still wear a messy haircut and
it still looks glamorous.” What spurred the chandelier craze? Oddly
enough, it all began with shoes, Dolan says.
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A.M.P.A.S.
Jennifer Connelly in blue sapphire and black gold drop earrings.
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“My take on it is that I feel like three years ago, the notch went up a
little bit higher in terms of dressing up only because women started
wearing high heels. Jeans and high heels became a big look, and then
glamour started creeping in day by day,” Dolan says.
Chandeliers’ appeal also lies in their retro and multicultural reference
points - a chic, eclectic flavor that balances flashy excess.
“In some ways it really goes back to Art Deco, that period in the ’30s.
There was almost like a Spanish influence during that period,” Dolan
says. “The shapes also relate to Indian architecture, very curvy, and
gem sets like the roof lines. And some cases they’re like Moroccan
architecture too.” Chandeliers are not new - celebrities like Nicole
Kidman and Renee Zellweger have been wearing them to award shows for two
or three years - but they continue to grow in popularity even as
trend-watchers predict more refined choices in the coming year like
long, slinky “shoulder dusters” and drop earrings, which are like two
large stud earrings held together with a long wire or a string of jewels.
Like the “Y” necklaces of a few years ago, they appear to be a trend
that could become a classic, Regine says.
“I’m starting to get the feeling that these chandelier earrings are no
longer a trend, they’re here to stay,” says 29-year-old jeweler Daniel
Koren, whose Daniel K line is sold in high-end boutiques.
His diamond chandelier earrings start around $50,000, and he says demand
for pieces in the $100,000 range remains high. “Because the way people
dress is simplistic, they can accentuate their face with big earrings.”
But for the trendiest of the trendy - those whose outfits are tracked by
Joan Rivers and her gang at E! - chandelier earrings could soon be on the
way out, says Carol Brodie, Harry Winston’s global director of
communications.
Brodie’s duties for the jeweler include outfitting celebrities with
jewelry for award shows, and she says it’s the celebrities who will move
on first. Their trend cycle spins at a faster speed, and those who have
been photographed in chandelier earrings in the past won’t want to
repeat the same look.
“The consumers have 12 months more of it, and then I think the trend is
going to go to dangling earrings. And I think the key word is going to
be delicate,” Brodie says.
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