While I really love jewelry, I don’t like owning pieces I can’t wear every day. My overall philosophy is that your jewelry should be part of you. Not something you set aside for special occasions. Sure, there are pieces that are more of a look, and that might not be as signature to your style, but on the whole I like to wear the same handful of things every day, and really make them part of me.
Those things are: three bracelets - one that’s a vintage Cartier men’s bracelet that my husband gave to me on my 25th birthday, a Sherman Field oval link bracelet I bought when Danielle and I were first becoming friends, and a red string with a pearl on it I bought on a vacation in Mallorca about 5 years ago and haven’t taken off. I also wear a wedding band, but day to day not really any other rings. It’s all pretty subtle there.
The area that I have a bit more fun with is my necklaces. And I get asked a lot of questions about them. I like to layer a few - two I keep the same, but the others I might swap out a little. I want them all to look natural, signature to me, and kind of casual, despite being primarily fine jewelry. But as with most things that “look casual” there’s a bit of a method behind the look. Here’s what I do.
Ok, so the #1 main tip for this, is you don’t want any of your necklaces to hit at the same length. So if you’re buying things to layer and wear every day, make sure you’re buying different lengths. Similarly, you’re going to want to get different weights of chain or necklaces, with the chunkiest being the first (or shortest) layer. So let’s go layer by layer, assuming this is a three layer stack (the most I ever wear). And if you want more inspiration, or prefer a more maximalist vibe - Victoria of The Stax has endless inspiration in this arena.
LAYER 1
You want this to be about 16” or 18” depending on how tall you are and how big your neck is. This is the base layer, and in my opinion, should be the thickest of the three. I go between my Dorsey James necklace and an antique watch chain that I bought in London here. Both are more substantial than anything else I wear, and form the base for the layering situation. I’m wearing the watch chain in both of the photos above.
1. A really great, kind of light base layer at a super sharp price. This piece looks mega classic, and the clasp isn’t hideous, which is hard to find! Laura Lombardi, $110
2. This is the Dorsey necklace I wear, it’s a great necklace - it looks so nice, but feels cooler than a traditional tennis necklace. It’s lab-grown sapphires, and mine is 16”. I also really love this style. Dorsey, $600
3. Not a chain, but so beautiful. I love the jade beads on this - it has the look of a pearl necklace but is so much more interesting! Sophie Buhai, $750
4. This one is much shorter, at 13-15 inches, but for someone tinier it’s a great option. And has a fun little diamond on there! Ring Concierge, $1,560
5. This is pretty close to my chain necklace. Mine has some specific excellent qualities that are hard to find, but this one is a winner. There are more options here. Antique, $2,455
6. This one, from Lucy Delius, is the closest I’ve found to my antique chain. You can dress it up with different diamond connector links and T-Bars to emulate the antique look of mine, but without having to search endlessly (or travel to London). Lucy Delius, $4,833
7. This is totally the kind of thing you can wear every day! And honestly probably sleep, shower, swim, do everything in. Ariel Gordon, $12,395
LAYER 2
This is where I wear my most precious pieces, both in terms of investment and sentimentality. Not a hard and fast rule, but I wear my Sherman Field locket on my middle layer, and a pendant I designed with Jenna Katz (it benefits Everytown!) with a drawing of our family that Ellis did engraved on it.
I don’t like to load too many charms on there, just my favorites. This is also my nicest chain - I had a big thing to celebrate and treated myself to a Sherman Field column chain with a key ring to hang my charms on. I love her convertible necklaces, and this one is just so beautiful and special. I love the key ring part in the center. You can wear charms on it on the front (or hang your glasses on it!) or spin it around to the back and just wear the necklace as a simple chain.
It’s truly an heirloom - something I think about a lot is that when my kids inherit my jewelry I want them to say mom wore this all the time. Anyway, it’s a super special piece, a major investment, but it’s a treasure I’ll have for the rest of my life. It’s not as thick as the watch chain or the Dorsey necklace, but it’s still substantial. I have mine in a 25” length.
1. I love this chain - as simple as it gets, and not insanely expensive. You can also get it in almost any length. It’s a perfect thing to hang pendants on. Jennifer Fisher, $500 for 20”
2. This one is also great! The shape of the link is really pretty, and it’s nice that it already has a little pearl to kick off your charm collection. Kinn, $620
3. This one is a little more substantial, and would also be really nice at 16”, but it also comes in 18” and 20”. It’s 14k gold and the kind of thing you never have to take off. Kinn, $1,080
4. Another good one from Jennifer Fisher, this has longer links and it a little more substantial. This is a pretty classic link and is a nice contrast to all of the ones shown in the Layer 1 category. Jennifer Fisher, $1,300
5. And then…the real splurge. The dream. Danielle is the master of chain, and this is truly the most special, beautiful thing ever. It’s a treasure. Sherman Field, $15,570
LAYER 3
This is a sillier layer for me. Since the first two are fine, and shiny, and sparkly, I like something very neutral and kind of earthy here. I bought a length of clothesline rope, just in a natural color, and I wear a cluster of charms on it too. I like to wear a shell charm, an antique bar clip that looks like a safety pin with rubies on one side, and a super super personal souvenir my dad and brother brought me back from a trip they went on together to Paris. But it’s nice having the clothesline because you can make it as long or as short as you want. I like this to be quite a bit longer than the second layer, and for the bottom of the longest charm to hit right at the base of my ribs.
1. Ta-da! The rope! $20/ 164 Ft
2. Ok so this is not on a rope, but I love this crazy huge capsule thing for a long pendant. The comes on a 27” chain, but you could just as easily put it on a rope. Deve, $1,952
3. And then some charm ideas….a teeny tiny little diamond! So sweet. Zoe Lev, $270
4. I’ve always wanted a carved charm pendant from Dezso, I love this one, which is just a simple shell in smoky quartz. So beautiful. Dezso, $1,077
5. A very beautiful, very classic, very giftable pearl pendant from Sherman Field. ILY Danielle! Sherman Field, $1,500
6. I love Jenna Blake’s anchor charms, and this one benefits Every Mother Counts. Even better. Jenna Blake, $1,800
7. Oh baby, a diamond horseshoe! Sexy! Lucy Delius, $2,163
8. Super buttery 22k and emerald charm from Prounis. I LOVE this. It’s super substantial and so beautiful. Prounis, $2,380
9. I love these alphabet charms and rings from Mateo. These are LARGE, and so pretty. It’s a crystal top over a diamond pave letter - so, so nice. Mateo, $2,960
So in a nutshell:
And there! There we go.
All about necklaces.
Love, your friend,
Laurel
As the (proud) new owner of my first Sherman Field locket/chain, this has now become the most expensive newsletter I have ever subscribed to. NO REGRETS
Obsessed with Danielle Sherman’s line...want it all! X