60’s Jewellery Trends: What ever happened to the 1960s?

Ah, the 1960’s… I was never born in the 1960s, but I’ve seen all the magazines and the photos of models from the 60s. And let me tell you one thing, 60’s jewellery is ready for a comeback! Jewellery of the ’60s can be described as bold, expressive and even futuristic. With such versatility, we believe the 60’s jewellery trends will never go out of style!

Before the 1960’s women were used to wearing gold, precious jewellery, which was very feminine and mostly only available to the very fortunate. And then the 60’s happened, looks became more daring, more modern and jewellery became more accessible. Jewellery designers started experimenting with new, lower-cost materials, such as plastic and metal to create unique and daring designs. 

Six 60’s Jewellery Trends to try out:

Nearly six decades later, 60’s jewellery is still standing strong in the jewellery world. To prove this, here are 6 trends from the ’60s that still work today in all their glory. 

1. Geometric Shaped Jewelry

Geometric shaped jewellery takes its inspiration from the 1920’s art deco movement. Shapes such as circles, triangles, hexagons and diamonds were featured on everything from dresses to earrings. Geometric shaped jewellery was considered cool, innovative  and minimalistic – Everything the future was imagined to be for someone living in the ’60s:

2. Black & White Jewellery

You might have seen in old Hollywood movies or magazines the popular mod shift dress in various black and white patterns. Famously inspired by 60’s pop-art, where the model would stand in front of a boldly, coloured backdrop wearing nothing but a simple dress. To complement this style, jewellery designers opted to create black and white jewellery which was simple in shape, style and colour. 

3. Plastic Jewellery

Plastic jewellery was the rage in the ’60s. Jewellery had just become affordable. The average person was given the opportunity to walk down the street in style. People, in general, were getting more expressive and open about their appearance. Always exploring new ways to stand out and look stylish. Plastic jewellery was the perfect accessory for women in the 60’s. Coming in all sorts of shapes and colours – It gave women the opportunity to explore their style in various different ways. 

4. Floral jewellery

Not everyone in the 1960s wanted that bold, daring look. There was plenty of room for that sweet, girly-girl type. As the ’60s started delicate floral jewellery was setting the scene for sophisticated women everywhere. In the late ’60s, the hippie movement started sweeping in. Flower power became a huge phenomenon in the fashion world. Rather than going with delicate pastel colours, floral jewellery took a bold turn. Just think of brighter colours such as yellows, pinks and reds!

5. Oversized Earrings

Hairstyle choice was a big contributing factor to the rise of the oversized earrings trend in the ’60s. Women had just started cutting their hair short which put more emphasis on their neck and ears. This left them feeling a little bland or naked around the face. And from this, oversized earrings became a huge thing. Even today, professional stylists always recommend “the bigger the earrings, the better you look.”

6. Bold Colour Combinations

The 1960s were a time of looking youthful and getting attention wherever you go. No-one wants to be the bland Mary at the disco, so fashion choices were made to shock in public. People were combining strange colour choices together in their jewellery, as well as in their clothing. Sometimes walking down the street, all you could see was a splash of colour. You would see bright greens, reds, yellows – All the colours to stand out on a dark day. 

There is a lot of inspiration from the ’60s that is still being used today by modern-day jewellery designers, and even seen on the catwalks of New York or Paris. It just goes to show a good piece of jewellery is timeless!