So now that we have summer blazers and summer cardigans…we need to jazz them up with some summer jewelry! In the same way I like to save my super bright cardigans for spring and summer, my boldly colored jewelry gets most of it’s wear in the warmer months. My favorites…turquoise and coral!
Turquoise ranges from shades of green to bright baby blue, and the real gemstone can usually be identified by the dark natural veins of “matrix” running through it. Some stones even have pieces of neighboring rock still stuck to it, like the large pendant in the bottom left the above photo. That pendant has a really cool chunk of pyrite (fools gold) in it!
There is something so relaxed and bohemian about turquoise, that makes it a great summer accessory. It brightens up summer whites, and mixes wonderfully with yellows, greens, purples and blues. I really love my turquoise pieces, and can’t wait to get back into the swing of wearing them again.
My other favorite summer jewelry pieces are coral. Coral naturally comes in shades of pinks and reds, but most commercially available coral jewelry is dyed into bright hues. Because coral comes from the ocean (it’s the polished-up hard skeleton of ocean coral), it’s a bit symbolic to wear it during the summer months, when people tend to shape their activities near bodies of water.
I love coral for it’s bright red hues, which pair well with yellow, orange, navy, and other reds. The color itself is such a statement, that the rest of your outfit can be pretty simple, which is great for summer months when you don’t want to wear a lot of clothes.
This is my all-time, hands-down favorite summer necklace. Both pieces were given to me separately, but once I realized they looked amazing together, I can’t wear them any other way. The turquoise necklace was bought by my mom during a late night QVC haul, and the pendent is from my parent’s trip to Barcelona, Spain.
Tips for wearing summer jewelry:
– Don’t wear costume jewelry, like those made of copper or nickel, if you’re going to be sweating, or hanging out in pools or oceans. Sweat and other moisture can cause these metals to stain your skin green!
– Wearing gemstones strung on string or minimal amounts of metal helps protect you from both the hot temperatures metal jewelry can reach in the sun, as well as the green skin-stains from sweating while wearing costume jewelry.
– Avoid big bulky jewelry around places where you might get a suntan. Imagine trying to get rid of a statement necklace tan on your neck! Eek!
Turquoise Jewelry:
Check out my mom’s latest shipment of vintage, 1960’s Sleeping Beauty (hard to find, beautiful baby blue hue) turquoise jewelry. This is genuine turquoise set in sterling silver (won’t turn your skin green). My turquoise with pyrite pendant is something I bought from my mom’s stash. ;)
To get the look of real turquoise, this Forever21 necklace is really affordable, but don’t get it wet! I also love the look of these cluster earrings.
For those ladies looking for something a little different, check out this turquoise cameo pendent.
And if any lovely readers wants to pick up one of these and send it my way, I certainly wouldn’t complain. Ha!
Coral Jewelry:
I love these tiny coral earrings cut to look like flames.
For the look of coral without the hefty price tag, I like these little earrings from Anthropology. And let’s not forget Amrita Singh’s statement earrings.
More Summer Wardrobe Essentials:
Summer Blazers
Summer Cardigans
What’s your favorite jewelry to wear in spring and summer?
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Great post, Kelly! I laughed (in horror) at the image you gave me of a statement necklace tan. I have the same Nello necklace as you and I tan easily… so I really need to be careful not to get a Nello necklace tan!
I know! I wore my Nello on a day that I was not expecting to be so sunny…I was terrified of what kind of tan lines I would come home to. Luckily, I escaped without incident. ;)
having the Indian skintone keeps me away from the ‘tan issues’ but I have seen the locals with the sunglasses n bikini strap tan!! but your necklace tan made me laugh out loud!
Sometimes in the summer, my mom gets a bracelet tan on her arm from wearing her favorite bracelet so often. So it does happen! LOL.
Love all the jewelry, but please don’t wear real coral! There’s plenty of imitation that’s cheaper and won’t cause damage to reefs and their ecosystems.
Unfortunately, unethical coral harvesting is occurring in parts of the world, which does damage coral reefs, not just for jewelry, but also aquariums. You’re absolutely right in that there are tons of great imitation coral out there, as well as vintage pieces that can be worn as alternatives to this unethically harvested coral.
Gorgeous, gorgeous pieces and great tips! The blogger community has really made me fall in love with turquoise and coral jewelry – I can’t wait until my Amrita Singh pieces arrive!
Wow! You jumped on the Amrita Singh bandwagon too? Can’t wait to see what you picked up! I resisted at first, but finally grabbed two necklaces and am really happy I did.
I have fallen completely head over heels for amrita singh as well! I have to resist checking out sample sale sites when I see the jewelry will be available because I can’t seem to restrain myself from buying several pieces every time!
I, too am a huge fan of turquoise jewels in the summer, gorgeous!
xo Lynzywww.sparklingfootsteps.com
Turquoise all the way!! One of my favorite necklaces was one sent to me by Towne and Reese (http://www.towneandreese.com/Towne_%26_Reese/Home.html) recently that has multiple hues of blue strung together. It is simple, but lovely.
You are right on! Turquoise and coral are perfect for summer. I am particularly loving wearing coral with navy and white striped shirts, and coral outfits with navy jewelry (I especially like a lapis and gold necklace that belonged to my grandma).