21-05-2025
The high street costume jewellery that looks luxe (from £16.50)
In case you hadn't noticed, gold prices are skyrocketing. Good if you own some and could do with a little liquidity.
I'm finally considering selling a bracelet handed to me by my grandmother, who died in 1997. Every time I see it sitting unloved in my jewellery box I feel guilty. I should invest in a piece that I actually like, and remember her every time I wear it.
Or maybe buy something else – a beautiful classic chair for instance. Because just as the world's economic woes have made buying real gold prohibitive, the high street has stepped into the breach with some amazing costume jewellery, if you know where to look, leaving room in the budget for other priorities.
Market leader in terms of bold statements is Maison de Zahah, as some have jokingly taken to calling Zara, making it sound like a fancy Middle Eastern in-the-know atelier. Many of its bigger pieces are really innovative.
Resin ring, £17, and earrings, £22, Arket
And big is where jewellery trends have taken us currently – ideal for zhuzhing up a minimalist dress or making linen appear evening-worthy. Larger pieces are also perfect for holidays: they won't take up much room in your luggage, add fun permutations to your capsule wardrobe, and should you lose them, the pain is bearable.
For a retro splash, Zara also has parures (matching necklaces and earrings). Very Truman Capote's 1966 Black and White Ball, which arguably revived society balls – at that point considered quaintly obsolete. You probably won't need much else, apart from maybe a ring. While it's fine to mix metals and cross genres – kitsch with earthy, rustic with baroque – these looks are harder to pull off. But that's not to say it can't be done.
Statement floral earrings, £35, Mint Velvet
You'll probably have your own views on what looks cheap and tacky, and what doesn't. Big, badly produced slabs of glass pretending, unconvincingly, to be diamonds, are where I'd draw the line. If you don't look good in Liz Taylor-style jewellery (it's a burden I share with you), then the cheap variety isn't going to look any better than the expensive kind. Some faux pearls – but by no means all – can look very plasticy. For metals, too shiny is a dead giveaway. That's where hammered textures come in – they dull the blinding glint of inexpensive metals.
The framework around stones ultimately determines whether your bargain looks haute or not. I find cheapies don't generally have great claw settings.
Gem-free metal pieces and shells, raffia and stones on simple ribbons or leather cords are among the better buys (and particularly fashionable this summer).
Mixing high with low helps raise the tone of everything. It's also very Coco Chanel. Look after the bargain buys (try an inexpensive bronze cleaner and wrap in tissue paper or hankies to stop pieces scratching each other) and they will look after you.
Lisa wears: Linen dress, £185, Jigsaw; Suede belt, £95, Me+Em; Leather mules, £225, Russell & Bromley; Recycled-brass hoop earrings, £19, Cos; Sculpted necklace £57, and cuff bracelet Mint Velvet.
