Pearls or gems? How to pair fine jewellery with bespoke clothing

Chanel coined many of my favourite quotes; not only was she one of the most influential designers of the century, but she knew a thing or seven about what to put with an outfit, and what not to put with an outfit. It was Chanel who said, ‘women should have ropes and ropes of pearls’ and she was famous for wearing multiple strands herself.

Pearls, diamonds, rubies or sapphires; whatever your gem or stone of choice, there’s a certain art to styling fine jewellery with bespoke clothing, and it’s all in the neckline. One tip I almost always adhere to is to create one focal point with jewels – so big earrings OR statement necklace, rarely both.

_{‘Daisy’ Bias cut silk ribbons on silk georgette with statement necklace}

With bare shoulders or an exposed neckline, you have more ‘real estate’ to play with and so can opt for chunkier chains and bigger jewels. When you’re baring more skin, creating a focal point with big beautiful stones is a lovely way to draw the attention back to the face.

_{‘Empress’ gown in textured silk crepe with drop earrings}

If you’re sporting a plunging neckline, drop earrings are a beautiful touch to draw the eyes down to the rest of the dress and its details. Big, smooth rounded drop pearls are an elegant addition to more subtle dresses, and a drop earring can create the illusion of an elongated neck.

_{‘Caroline’ structured silk gown with feature belt}

If you’re accessorising with a ‘blingy’ belt or loud clutch, try more delicate earrings or smaller stones. There can be such a thing as ‘too much bling’, and when it comes to diamonds, sometimes less is more.

If you have the perfect pearls but you’re hunting for the perfect dress, pop into my Albert Park studio for a fitting.