Fun Jewelry Fads

Similar to some fashion trends that are everywhere one moment and gone the next, accessories have their share of one hit wonders.

Some stick around out of nostalgia, others resurface every few years once they qualify as retro.

These fun jewelry fads range from past marvels to present must-haves and everything in between.

10. Pendants and Charms

Designed to attach to bracelets, necklaces or ankle bracelets, pendants, like charms, ebb and flow in popularity, but they always look stylish. Women often choose one or two pendants and wear with almost every outfit they own, often with a favorite stone, monogram, or symbol, like a rose. If you pay attention, you can learn a woman’s story by noting the elegant charms she wears. If you’re a child of the 80s, you may recall sporting the over-sized plastic chains with colorful charms like tennis rackets, strawberries and roller skates!

9. Belly chains

There was no better way to say “Look at my mid drift” than with a shiny chain around the waist. Popularized when half shirts were cool in the 90s, and again when low rise jeans were back in style a few years ago. Let’s hope this is one trend that stays in the past.

8. Friendship pendants

Friendship pendants are sold broken into two parts intended to be worn by both halves of a friendship. When pieced together, they typically say “Best Friends”. It’s a sweet, affordable piece often exchanged by young children – more of an age fad than particular decade.

7. Love beads

So you want to party like it’s 1965, eh? The first thing you’ll need is some love beads, one or several strings of tiny colorful beads made by hand. You can still find bead necklace kits for these in many craft stores. They’re excellent starter crafts for children who are old enough to sit still and not eat the materials.

6. Spelling it out

Word pendants are a current trend adapted by stylish teens and fashionable adults alike. Even men are occasionally spotted wearing a word around their neck. Some people prefer to keep things personal by getting their name or their children’s names. Others go for aspirational words “dream”, “peace” and “hope”.

5. Chokers

Ladies of the 90s, remember how easy chokers were? Every girl had a handful of different styles, typically with a black fabric and a pendent dangling in the center for a gothic look, or with rhinestones or tough girl spikes. Guys and gals sported this most edgy accessory because it went with everything from flannel to preppy sweaters.

4. Toe rings

Toe rings are harder to find these days, but they were quite popular in the late 90s through the turn of the century. They usually have a simple, smooth design for optimal comfort between the toes, and are worn on the second or third toe in. If open-toed shoes make you self conscious, toe rings are a simple way to jazz things up.

3. Candy necklaces

Children are to blame for giving many of these fun jewelry fads staying power and the candy necklace is no exception. Imagine tiny candies strung on a thin piece of elastic tight against your neck. These were pure temptation with a sticky punishment for all who surrendered. First you’d suck on the candy and stain your clothes before crunching it off and hurting yourself when the thin elastic snapped back at your neck after the bite.

2. Jelly bracelets

Here’s another gift from the wacky 80s: jelly bracelets. These fun jewelry fads came in a wide variety of colors that young girls and teenagers layered up their wrists. You could swap colors with friends at lunch or layer them in vivid patterns. Like many trends of the 80s, these were cheap and fun to collect.

1. Mood rings

Perhaps the coolest trend ever, mood rings seem to come back into fashion every few years, mostly among the young and moody. This style was invented in the mid 70s and sold as a high-end item with silver or gold setting. Today, they’re affordable and as emotionally revealing as ever.