Getting ready for a special night out? Necklaces and earrings are your best friends when it comes to accentuating your dress… if they’re the right pieces.
Fine jewelry styling can be a challenge since there are several factors to consider in order to complete your look perfectly. To banish the challenge for good, we’ve put together this guide with all the basics you need to know to always match your ensemble with the most stunning, complementary trend jewelry.
Understanding Jewelry and Dress Pairings: The Basics
When it comes to pairing your dress with pieces of fine jewelry, not any necklace, bracelet, or earring will do. You want to choose pieces that accentuate and complement your look instead of appear overwhelming.
There are a few basic considerations to note that lead you to find the perfect pieces of jewelry that complement your ensemble. Necklines, color, fabric types, and the occasion all hold significant weight in determining the jewelry you will wear since not every gemstone or shape fits every dress.
How Necklines Determine Your Jewelry Choices
The neckline of your dress is the first consideration to make since there are certain types of necklaces that work best for different neckline shapes and heights.
Some dresses have necklines that cover a lot or all of the upper body whereas others have deeper necklines that leave more of the top exposed. In order to keep the ensemble visually balanced, certain necklace lengths will work better to keep the look polished and interesting.
Considering Color, Fabric, and Occasion
Now that you know what type of necklace you should wear that complements your neckline, the next consideration to make is the color. To keep your dress visually balanced and sophisticated, you have two options for working in color with your jewelry: wearing a piece that has contrasting colors, or matches the shade and tone of your dress.
While contrasting colors can add a beautiful touch of color to your attire, the wrong color can make your outfit appear tacky. To choose the best contrasting color, browse a color wheel to find complementary shades that pair well with your dress color.
The next step is observing your dress’ fabric. Dresses made out of satin or silk that have a shinier appearance pair exceptionally well with shiny metals like gold or platinum. Fabrics with a more matte appearance, like cotton, linen, or velvet, work with gold necklaces that also have a matte finish for cohesion.
Lastly, one of the most important considerations is the occasion. Formal events require more formal, fine jewelry like gold and diamond necklaces. Some pendant necklaces can work for formal events if your dress has a deeper neckline and the pendant is made with precious diamonds to keep the ensemble elegant.
More laid back, casual settings don’t require extravagant jewelry, but that doesn’t mean fine pieces aren’t allowed. You can still wear diamonds and lavish gemstones in simpler pieces, like diamond stud earrings or dainty dangling necklaces.
What Necklaces Look Good with Off-the-Shoulder Dresses
Off-the-shoulder dresses can be challenging to pair with the perfect piece to stay looking polished and elegant. Since these dresses leave a lot of open room at the chest, neckline, and collarbone, there are two necklace types that work best for balance: statement chokers and shorter pendant necklaces.
Statement Chokers and Necklaces
Statement chokes are the go-to for off-the-shoulder dresses because of their ability to highlight the bare neckline and collarbone. Chokers like the 14K Coin Disk Choker Necklace or this 14K Gold Bezel Set Diamond necklace in size 14 inches don’t overwhelm the ensemble by keeping the attention on the lower part of your body. Instead, they create attention to the top. For a touch of glamour and sophistication in your off-the-shoulder dress, choose a statement choker that has colorful gemstones or stunning diamonds.
Pendant Necklaces That Complement the Neckline
Some statement chokers can be simple in their design which is why pendant necklaces also work with off-the-shoulder dresses. Pendant necklaces also call attention to your exposed upper body while enhancing the look from the dangling pendant, like the one in this 14K Baguette Diamond Disc Cluster Necklace to keep everything balanced.
Jewelry to Wear with Black Dresses
Black dresses are a staple in every woman’s closet. There’s something alluring about a little black dress that’s always elevated with the perfect pieces of fine jewelry. The best part? Because black is an easy color to pair with, you have several options when it comes to choosing the right detail along your neckline.
Timeless Necklaces Models for Elegance
Diamond gold necklaces are timeless pieces to pair with a black dress that enhances the elegance of your ensemble. If you want another timeless option that isn’t gold, pearls and white gold are lighter with their colors that still look elegant in a modern, sleek style.
Colorful Statement Pieces for Bold Contrast
Want to invite color along with your black dress? Emeralds, sapphires, and rubies are beautiful, elegant gemstones to wear with your black fabric that adds bold contrast yet remains sophisticated in nature. And, depending on your neckline, you can opt for colorful pieces that have bigger pendants with these gemstones to increase the opulence, like the 14K Gold Oval Cut Emerald Halo Diamond Necklace.
Necklaces That Stand Out Against Black Fabric
Almost any necklace finish or color will stand out against a black dress since the fabric provides a dark backdrop. But, to keep your look classic, timeless, and refined, necklaces with gold or silver chains, colorful gemstones, or pearls are your best options.
Jewelry For Strapless Dresses
Similar to off-the-shoulder dresses, strapless dress jewelry, like statement choker necklaces or simple and chunky pendant necklaces, create visual balance at the top of the body. Mid-length pendant necklaces can add a touch of drama to the neckline by reaching down to stop slightly above the neckline. Diamond tennis necklace, like Ferko’s 14K Gold Bezel Setting Diamond Tennis Necklace, for a timeless approach.
Jewelry Styling Tips for Other Popular Dress Styles
Necklaces aren’t the only pieces to pair with your dress for a polished look. Here are a few extra jewelry pairing tips for dresses for any and every style.
Earrings to Balance Your Look
Whatever necklace you choose, don’t forget to pair your dress jewelry with earrings. Earrings complete your look and also provide balance. To choose the right pair of earrings, make sure it's complementary to your necklace. Select a pair that matches the gemstone and finish of your necklace, and also your neckline. Drop earrings such as Ferko’s 14K Dangling Diamond Drop Earrings are your best option for off-the-shoulder dresses or v-neck dresses. Smaller earrings, like studs or small hoops and pendants, like these 14K Gold Diamond Hoop Earrings, work better with higher necklines.
V-Neck Dresses and Complementary Necklaces
Deep necklines like scoops or V-necks pair best with long necklaces or several layers to create depth and balance with your look. Long, layered necklaces help elongate the shape of your neckline when you wear a scoop or V-neck dress, while also increasing interest around the chest if your neckline is deep. You can create beautiful layers with several of our 14K Gold Prong Setting Diamond Solitaire Necklace to add interest and balance whenever you’re wearing a dress with a deeper neckline.
High-Neck Dresses and Earring Pairings
High necklines also pair beautifully with long pendant necklaces or layers of diamond necklaces. These options keep the top of the dress balanced by drawing the eyes down. But, while high neckline dresses rely on long necklaces for balance, they rely on shorter earrings, like our 14K Twist Earrings or 14K Halo Setting Diamond Studs for the same reason.
Custom Jewelry Options for Your Unique Style
Of course, you can also opt to wear custom made jewelry with your dress to express your style. As long as you follow the guidelines in this article to match your custom jewelry to your dress’ neckline, color, fabric, and occasion, custom pieces are perfect for adding customization into your unique look.
If you need more help with personal fine jewelry styling, contact us. Ferko’s is dedicated to helping everyone live their best, glamorous lives in dress jewelry fit for every occasion.