The Fashionista’s Guide to Minimalist Jewelry Styling and Selection

Are you looking for ways to select and style minimalist jewelry for the best effect? Read this guide for the best tips for choosing and wearing simple pieces.

No outfit is complete without the right accessories. Accessories, especially jewelry, help pull a look together and communicate style. So how would you describe your jewelry style? 

If you're a minimalist, you may feel like you have trouble striking a balance and not over-accessorizing your outfits. Even if you don’t consider yourself a minimalist, you may prefer the look of dainty, simple jewelry.

Regardless of your reasons for wanting to wear minimalist jewelry, there are tricks to styling minimalist jewelry without having it get lost in the rest of your outfit. Read our guide to help you select and style minimalist jewelry pieces.

What Is Minimalism?

Minimalism is exactly what it sounds like: minimal style. It means stripping back excess and leaving only the necessities. Minimalism doesn't only apply to clothing but can be applied as an aesthetic and lifestyle to other factors of life.
Minimalist clothes don't have a lot of adornments, busy prints, or bright colors. A minimalist closet traditionally features neutral, muted colors and timeless pieces.

Though neutral colors are more common, more minimalists are adopting vivid colors into their wardrobes.

Simple patterns like stripes and polka dots have become more popular too. Minimalist clothes are free of flashy details and opt for clean silhouettes. Minimalist jewelry follows many of the same principles.

Lastly, minimalism preaches conscious consumption. Instead of having multiple pieces you may never wear, minimalism says to have a few pieces that you can wear multiple ways, think capsule closet. In essence, minimalism is living with less.

This is especially important when it comes to jewelry. Your minimalist jewelry should mix and match with different clothes throughout your closet.

Invest in Essentials

Consider what kind of jewelry pieces you wear most and would consider an essential part of your outfit. Start your minimalist jewelry collection by buying these pieces.

If you wear earrings every day or feel naked without a necklace, invest in minimalist earrings or a minimalist necklace, such as a simple pair of studs or dainty chain. From there, you can build your collection to have a more diverse jewelry selection.

Look for pieces that are timeless so you can wear them season after season. Investing in high-quality, timeless pieces ensures that your jewelry will last a long time and also won't go out of style with each year's trends.

You Can Still Make a Bold Statement

Choosing minimalist jewelry doesn't mean you can't select bold pieces or make a statement with your jewelry. While most of your collection should feature simple jewelry, you can certainly include a few eye-catching pieces.

Consider a thick chain necklace or a hand chain bracelet, like our Curb Link Necklace or Diamond Pave Hand Chain Bracelet. These can have simple designs but stand out among daintier pieces. To keep your look minimal, choose just one statement piece per outfit.

Think About Material

Material-wise, you want your jewelry to be durable so that it lasts in your wardrobe for years to come. This often means choosing high quality metals like gold and white gold rather than costume jewelry.

You also want to think about what color the material you wear most often is. If you prefer to wear gold, you should invest in minimalist gold jewelry rather than white gold, and vice versa. This way, when you layer your jewelry, the pieces will work well together.

Add Some Sparkle

Your minimalist jewelry doesn't have to be unadorned. You may want to add some gemstones to your look to bring a bit of sparkle into your outfit.

Diamonds will always be in style, so they're a great stone for your jewelry. Being simple, classic, and colorless, they will also pair well with any outfit.

You can also use gemstones to add a bit of color to your wardrobe.

Sapphires, emeralds, and rubies are popular stones that have vivid colors and lots of sparkles. Check out our Pink Sapphire Prong Set Crawler Earring or Gold and Pear Shaped Emerald Ring for a minimalist look that also offers a pop of color.

Get Personal

Make your jewelry meaningful by incorporating personal details. Consider your birthstone, zodiac sign or a personalized charm. Charms are a great way to keep your jewelry collection minimal yet versatile. Choose a charm that can be added to your bracelets or necklaces. This way, the charm can be worn many ways and can add a personal touch to multiple pieces.

Our Zodiac Charms are available in yellow gold, white gold and rose gold, and can be added to any bracelet or necklace chain.

Jewelry that reminds you of special people or places is another way to make pieces personal. Buying pieces while on a memorable trip or because of a special occasion can add meaning to your minimalist pieces. Family pieces that were passed down can connect you with previous generations.

Don't Get Too Complicated

You can choose fun, minimalistic pieces as long as the design doesn't get too complicated. Keep in mind the clean lines and simple designs are the backbone of minimalist jewelry. But you can also play with asymmetric lines or geometric shapes. Minimalism can still be on-trend and have an edge to it as long as it doesn’t take away from the rest of your look Simple chains, smooth surfaces, and clean cuts are key to uncomplicated jewelry designs.

Layer the Right Way

Minimalism also doesn't mean you have to wear one piece of jewelry at a time. You can certainly wear multiple items or layer your pieces.

The key is to not go overboard and choose only a few pieces to feature. Choose items in a similar weight and thickness so that altogether, the look is still minimal. For example, you can wear three dainty necklaces of different lengths or a stack of three thin bangles.

You also don't want to put all of your jewelry on at once. So if you're wearing a few minimalist bracelets, you may want to skip wearing rings. Conversely, you can wear one or two of each kind of piece to spread your jewelry around.

Styling Minimalist Jewelry No Matter the Outfit

You might prefer minimalism in all facets of your life. Or maybe you like the occasional dainty and delicate accessory. No matter the style of your closet, your jewelry box can have a collection of minimalist jewelry that goes with every outfit and occasion.

Learning how to style minimalist jewelry is an essential skill for any fashionista. Though it may take a little practice to strike the right balance, wearing minimalist jewelry is possible for anyone. A little sparkle goes a long way!

Have you been looking for minimalist everyday fine jewelry to add to your collection? NicoleHD offers a beautiful, curated selection of sophisticated jewelry pieces. Browse our current collection of earrings, rings, bracelets, and necklaces.