I take design and craftsmanship seriously. Materials, proportion, construction, how something moves and how it feels when you wear it, all of that matters enormously to me.

However that doesn’t mean the finished piece needs to look as though it takes itself seriously.

Some of the jewellery I find most interesting has wit.

A proportion pushed just a little further than expected. An unexpected flash of colour. A familiar shape seen from an unusual angle. Something beautifully made that also makes you smile.

That doesn’t necessarily make it frivolous, or more accurately ‘superficial’.

My point is, serious design doesn’t need to look serious. I would even add , regardless of your age.

Wouldn’t it be sad not to have fun and be playful as you become more experienced, in other words older? Leaving it all behind to the younger ones? Why should you?

Sophisticated doesn’t have to mean restrained

There is a certain visual vocabulary we are encouraged to associate with sophistication.

Understatement. Restraint. Neutrals. Delicacy. Jewellery that complements rather than interrupts.

All of those things can be beautiful. But they aren’t the only way to be sophisticated.

A fabulously oversized ring can be sophisticated.

An unexpected colour combination can be sophisticated.

Something witty, eccentric or slightly rebellious can be sophisticated.

Even something that makes you laugh can be sophisticated.

Because sophistication, to me, has far more to do with discernment than restraint.

It is knowing why something works.

And knowing yourself well enough to wear it without needing permission.

Playful is not the same as gimmicky

This is where the distinction becomes important.

I love playfulness in design. I am much less interested in novelty for novelty’s sake.

A gimmick usually begins and ends with the trick. Once you’ have understood it, there isn’t much left to discover.

Good playful design has something underneath.

The proportions have been considered. The materials make sense. The construction works. The object feels good to use or wear. And the unexpected element earns its place.

Perhaps it makes the object more pleasurable, or perhaps more useful. It can even make you look at something familiar differently. Or perhaps it simply brings you joy.

I don’t believe originality is about being different for the sake of being different.

If I am going to add another object to the world, I want it to add something worthwhile to somebody’s life.

Joy counts.

Sometimes restraint makes playfulness possible

Confetti is a good example.

At first glance, there isn’t very much to it.

A continuous line of colour. A small silver connector. A deliberately pared-back form.

And that is precisely why I could have fun with it.

One necklace creates a clean streak of colour.

Add another and the relationship changes.

Combine several and suddenly there is rhythm, movement and exuberance.

Wear them long. Wear them short. Mix the colours. Keep to one. Stack them around your neck or turn them into bangles.

The form stays simple while you decide how far you want to take it.

Had I added elaborate decorative elements as well, I think the whole thing would have become too much.

Sometimes the cleverest thing a designer can do is know where to stop.

The unexpected detail

I often think it is one unexpected detail that gives an object its personality. It doesn’t necessarily need to shout.

In jewellery it might be an exaggerated scale, an unusual construction, a colour you weren’t expecting, a familiar motif reinterpreted, or something that moves differently when you put it on.

That is often what makes me look twice. And it is usually what I remember.

The same is true of people.

I am fascinated by women who look entirely themselves rather than perfectly assembled according to somebody else’s formula.

She may be wearing an immaculate white shirt with an enormous sculptural ring. Or everything is beautifully restrained except for a streak of outrageous colour around her neck. What about an eccentric brooch on the lapel of an otherwise impeccable jacket?

The idea is that nothing looks accidental but something refuses to behave completely.

That is much more interesting to me than perfection.

Statement jewellery doesn’t have to shout

This is also why I think the expression statement jewellery can sometimes be misleading.

It suggests volume, ‘look at me’, something designed primarily to attract attention.

But presence and noise aren’t the same thing.

A piece can have enormous personality without shouting across the room.

It can be unusual enough to make somebody look twice.

Clever enough to start a conversation.

Beautiful enough that you keep noticing another detail.

Or simply so completely right for the woman wearing it that you can’t imagine anybody else choosing it.

That’s the kind of statement I find interesting.

Not ‘Look at my jewellery’, more ‘Of course she would wear that’.

Perhaps this is where the gentle rebel appears

I have talked before about the idea of the gentle rebel.

That woman isn’t interested in being different simply to prove that she can be. She isn’t dressing to shock. And she doesn’t need to be the loudest woman in the room.

She simply knows what she likes.

So she chooses the enormous ring when convention might suggest the smaller one.

She wears the unexpected colour, mixes something beautifully refined with something slightly eccentric. She chooses the object with personality over the safer alternative.

And she doesn’t spend very much time worrying about whether everybody else understands it.

There is something wonderfully grown-up, quietly assertive and self assured about that.

Jewellery should leave some room for you

This is perhaps the part of playful design that interests me most.

I don’t want to design all the personality into a piece and leave nothing for the wearer to contribute.

Confetti changes according to the woman wearing it:

One person may choose black alone.

Another cobalt.

Another might put pink, orange and blue together because they make her happy.

The same object can be restrained, graphic, exuberant or eccentric depending on who’s wearing it and what she does with it.

That isn’t an accidental consequence of the design. It’s part of it.

Because the most interesting jewellery relationship, for me, begins when the piece leaves my hands.

I design the object. You give it attitude.

How do you choose unusual jewellery without it feeling like a novelty?

If you are drawn to jewellery with personality but don’t want something gimmicky, I would forget rules about age or what is currently fashionable and look for something more fundamental.

Ask whether there is substance beneath the surprise. In essence, that means

-Is it beautifully made? Look in particular at the finish, the back. the weight. All are little clues that will help you.

-Does the unusual element feel integral to the design rather than added simply to attract attention?

-Is it working on the body? Does it sit correctly, move with you as it should?

-Can you imagine wearing it beyond one particular outfit or occasion?

-Does it still interest you once the initial surprise has passed?

And perhaps most importantly:

-Does it make you want to put it on?

That last response is easy to underestimate.

We talk a great deal about investment, versatility, materials and craftsmanship when buying jewellery. Rightly so.

But pleasure matters too.

If an object is going to share your life for years, I think you are allowed to expect it to give you some.

So, can playful jewellery still be sophisticated?

Absolutely.

Sophistication doesn’t require solemnity.

Playfulness and craftsmanship aren’t opposites.

Neither are intelligence and joy.

In fact, some of the most interesting design happens when those qualities meet: when something has been thought through meticulously and the result feels wonderfully effortless.

Perhaps that’s why Confetti felt like the right name for this particular design.

Behind those simple loops of colour is a great deal of thought about proportion, connection, movement and how the piece can be worn.

But none of that is what I want you to think about when you put it on.

I want you to play with it.

Choose your colours.

Change your mind.

Pile it on.

Wear just one.

And perhaps enjoy that small moment when something you are wearing makes you feel just a little more alive.

Because good design should earn its place in our lives.

And sometimes, bringing us joy is reason enough.

Forget Fashion, Embrace Style!

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Can statement jewellery be sophisticated?
Yes. Sophisticated statement jewellery relies on considered proportion, quality materials, craftsmanship and a coherent design rather than size alone. A piece can be bold, colourful or unusual without looking excessive.

How do I choose unusual jewellery that won’t look gimmicky?
Look beyond the initial novelty. Consider whether the unusual element is integral to the design, whether the piece is well made and comfortable to wear, and whether you can imagine enjoying it long after the surprise has worn off.

If you want to know more, I have published a free guide to help you spot quality jeweller in 5 checks HERE

Can older women wear colourful or statement jewellery?
Of course. Jewellery doesn’t have an age limit. Scale, colour and character are questions of personal style and confidence rather than age.

What makes jewellery playful?
Playfulness can come from colour, scale, movement, unusual construction, unexpected materials or a familiar form being reinterpreted. The strongest playful designs combine that sense of surprise with thoughtful construction and craftsmanship.