by Martine Callaghan


After a certain age it is a good idea to re-appraise one’s appearance. As we mature, our style must inevitably evolve to take into account our changing appearance. I am certainly not suggesting we should suddenly start wearing tweed and abandon all notions of elegance and sexiness. Far from it! Simply, that we must re-think our style constantly to maximise our best features. The most visually successful women do this all the time. Think Madonna, Kylie, Susan Sarandon, Dame Judi Dench.
As a jeweller, I am amazed when I see people wearing the same old jewellery they have been wearing for the past 30 years. Few women would wear the clothes they wore 20 years ago (Remember those big shoulder pads? Even absolute “classics” like fur coats are now dated). Yet they forget that even fine jewellery is subject to fashion and has the equivalent of shoulder pads (the twisted gold chains, the hollow links and other typical period designs). There are, of course, a few classics like solitaire diamonds.
As you age your colouring alters. Most hairdressers will advise you to lighten rather than darken your hair. Make-up colours should be more muted. It follows that pastel colours are more flattering to a mature complexion than bright or dark colours. Think of jewellery as a means of drawing the eye away from the features you do not want emphasized and fooling the viewer into seeing the overall picture rather than the details.

So what should you look for in your jewellery when you get older?

Metal:
Gold is not a good colour as it gives a yellowish reflection to mature skin which tends towards sallowness anyway as it ages. Instead, choose white gold, platinum, rhodium or silver. Silver is particularly flattering as it has a mellow glow.

Stones:
Diamonds are eternal and provided they are set in white metal will continue to be a good choice. Not so rubies, emeralds or any other vivid coloured gem which will simply jar with a mature complexion, yellow tones should also be avoided. Choose more subdued coloured gems in tones of:

• Pink: rose quartz, kunzite, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, pink sapphire
• Blue/violet: pale sapphire, turquoise, tanzanite, kyanite, aquamarine, iolite, topaz, fluorite, amethyst
• Green: peridot, apatite, jadeite, watermelon tourmaline
• Iridescent: mother-of-pearl, opals, labradorite
Pearls and freshwater pearls are an excellent choice as their soft lustre is very flattering and they come in all colours: natural white, peach, aqua, mauve, moss, etc… Avoid black, grey or bright colours although a few accent beads will give the piece more interest. For instance, a few haematite (gunmetal grey) beads among pink pearls would look lovely. Pearl designs have gone a long way from the plain rows and are much more exciting than they used to be.

Shapes:

• Necklaces:
Avoid chokers or memory wire necklaces as they will draw the eye to the neck area and the jaw line. A better length is 16”, just on the collar bone, particularly with a pendant to draw the eye down. Avoid multi row necklaces instead choose a Y shape which lengthens the neck. A longer length (18” or more) is also a good choice but should have some metal beads or crystals to add interest and a pendant to keep it flat on the chest. This sort of necklace is ideal to wear on top of fine woollens and roll or polo necks.
• Bracelets and rings:
Remember our hands age much more than our faces. Pale colour nail polish is more desirable than red or dark shades. All I will say about rings is that more than any other piece of jewellery they are usually associated with sentimental memories (engagement, wedding, anniversary…) and therefore in this case how you feel is more important than how you look. As for bracelets, as long as you apply the metal and colour rules most are fine but avoid thin chains. A really showy bracelet like a large embellished cuff or bangle or an overabundant charm bracelet is very attractive and draws the eye onto your wrist rather than your hand. The most important thing for bracelet is the sizing. It should not be too tight or too loose and except for cuffs it should have plenty of movement.
• Earrings:
It is with earrings that you can make the most difference to your appearance. A shimmering pair of dancing dangly earrings will take years of your face in an instant. They make your neck appear longer and your jaw line smoother and slimmer. Avoid large static earrings. Those large Alexis Carrington earmuffs are well past their sell-by date! The point of interest (be it beads, pearls, crystals or stones) should be below the ear lobe. Equally you should not try to compete with young girls who wear cheap chandelier earrings. Good quality materials are still the norm when you get older and a pair of quality hand crafted earrings is much more desirable than the more common offerings from high street stores. Cheap looks, well, cheap and only the very young can get away with it.

So what do you do with all that gold jewellery that you have spent years accumulating? Perhaps now is the time to pass it on to your daughters or granddaughters who will really appreciate it and love you for it.
© 2006 Martine Callaghan – All rights reserved

http://marticjewellery.com/

Thwarted by my mother who thought that I should train for a safe job with a pension, I am now one of the half million UK qualified teachers who do not teach and I am finally earning a living making what has been a lifelong passion:jewellery. I trained as a silversmith and am also proficient in beading and wire-wrapping. I make good quality fashion jewellery. All my designs are original as I never seem to run out of ideas. Each piece is made only once due to my very low boredom threshhold. I offer a personal service to brides and also make pieces to order (discretion assured). I have customers all over the world and I aim for 100% customer satisfaction http://www.marticjewellery.com Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Martine_Callaghan