2008 Winter and Spring 2009 Handcrafted Jewelry Trends

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A lot of people making jewelry at home are now gearing up for the big holiday and craft season by making as much holiday related jewelry as they can, but in order to really make some money at those craft shows you sometimes have to tweak your pieces to fit into the fashion and jewelry trends of the moment.

Here are some of the 2008/2009 Winter jewelry trends that a lot of people are talking about:

Dark and Warm Gemstone and Jewelry Colors: There are lots of different predictors of color pallette trends for the winter, but all you really need to know is dark and warm. This means that dark reds, oranges and even some darker yellow colors are all very popular. I’ve seen a lot of people wearing dark red gems and stones a lot, usually with a darker color or patina coated metal as well. Don’t forget colors like brown, black and even muddied greys can be dark and warm

Big and Bold Stones: The trend of big jewelry is still a big trend! Costume and over-the-top fashion jewelry is still popular, with less of it being worn at one time than in the past. If you’re making your own jewelry, go for larger pendants, larger beads and chunky and eye-catching pieces. While a few years ago you might see women wearing four or five smaller bracelets, the trend this winter will be towards wearing one larger bracelet that is adorned with gems or semi-precious stones. Anything unique and big is still popular with almost every age, from 23 to 93!

Natural Materials on the Glitzy Side: For the past several seasons natural beads made out of wood and stone have been popular, but now they are moving more towards natural materials that allow more light play. Gems and crystals of all sorts, especially dark crystals, are proving to be very popular. If you visit a jewelry supply store or your local bead shop you’ll still find a lot of the traditional jades and stone beads and pendants, but you may also find more glass and crystal beads on the dark and warmer end of the color spectrum. There are also some amazing resin beads and jewelry accessories now that can easily fool the eye into thinking they are much heavier than they really are.

Formal Wear is Still Formal: The winter holidays bring a number of dances and parties and gatherings of all sorts, some formal and some informal. For formal events diamonds never go out of style, but instead of being draped in many different jewelry pieces and accessories expect to see people wearing one or two unique and large pieces. If you are making jewelry for formal events you may want to consider making an eye-catching pendant, cocktail ring and earring combination all using over-sized semi-precious stones or gems. As always, pearls and diamonds are always great for formal events, but fake pearls and large costume jewelry pieces can be popular and add sparkle just like anything else!

Gold and Silver Battle It Out: Silver is always popular in the winter months simply because it goes so well with the formal white and black themes that are inevitably seen at formal events. But this year you may see more gold than usual, especially given the popularity of the dark warmer colors and larger stones. Gold, especially deep yellow gold, is a warmer color than silver and gold tends compliment colors in ways that silver just can’t cut it.

Asia influence is out, India influence is In: While the Asian influence has been seen in a lot of things from jewelry fashion to home furnishings for the past several years, the tides are changing more Eastward. Indian influence is now appearing in a lot of fashion jewelry pieces, which makes sense considering the popularity of those darker colors again.

Men’s Jewelry is Hot: A lot of jewelry trend sites are pushing the buying and making of men’s jewelry, saying it’s hot, and the people I talk to have seen an appreciable increase in sales to men who want to wear their own jewelry. Maybe men are going for high end pieces and not the handmade and handcrafted jewelry that me and my friends make all the time, but jewelry is becoming a “man’s thing”. I do see many men liking the more non-traditional jewelry (like jewelry made from bicycle parts) and other materials that aren’t typically associated with jewelry making.

There you have what I’m seeing for this upcoming fashion season, both from people who make jewelry and people who sell jewelry! As always, fashion is fun to watch and always subjective, so feel free to wear whatever you’re comfortable with, but also be willing to give something new a try. What better time to try to make or wear some new types of handmade jewelry than in this 2008 winter season?

[tags]fashion, trends, jewelry, women, holiday[/tags]