Trend Watch: Earthstone Jewelry
A Jewelry Trend Born in Ancient Art Explodes in Hollywood
Written by SAM GLASER
It’s not everyday that Hollywood men and women adopt the same look. After gaining momentum for years, beaded earthstones have finally caught fire. From Jonny Depp to Lauren Conrad the style has attracted a diverse range of celebrities who layer multiple bracelets or necklaces.
Eartstones include gems like onyx, opals, hematite, tigers-eye and many other minerals and rocks with rich histories. Humans have been harvesting these natural treasures from the earth since ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Rome (~1000-3000 BC).
Today’s prevailing style dates back to 2000 BC, when the Sumerians created jewelry by stringing beads on wire. This same technique is influencing modern jewelry from brands including David Yurman, Stephen Webster, and DyOh. Certain designs even incorporate ancient elements and precious materials with production treatments like metal-oxidization. This jewelry offers a look that derives from the earth with vintage detailing while still creating a contemporary finished product.
Earthstones also represent a market reaction to the “bling-bling” look that is ultimately fading. After years of shiny gold, chunky silver, and sparkling rhinestones, fashion influencers are migrating away from flashy jewelry. Amid a global recession, earthstones offer a sophisticated, lower-priced, earth derived departure from the gawky pieces of yesteryear.
Some believe that earthsones carry metaphysical powers like healing, calming, or stimulating properties. While this seems to represent a small niche, we are seeing more and more “spiritual beads.” Whether customers appreciate the earthstones’ spiritual or aesthetic properties is up for debate.
Jewelry has traditionally been used to denote status. In ancient Rome, for instance, only certain military ranks could wear rings. Since the antiquity, monarchs have adorned crowns and scepters with precious gems. Until recently, jewelry designers priced semi-precious stones in a prohibitive manner – perhaps $600 onyx bracelets helped the look gain traction in Los Angeles. However, we are finally seeing beaded earthstones from a brand named DyOH (pronounced “D-Y-Oh”) that makes $40 onyx bracelets. Whether inspired by celebrities, ancient history, natural earth-derived style, anti-bling, or metaphysics earthstone jewelry has diverse appeal.
Sam Glaser is the Buyer for Lifeanddeathclothing.com, Solis on Market, Soliscompany.com, and is a graduate of the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business. samglaser@soliscompany.com
