Beautiful Beach Jewelry To Wear All Summer – Wherever You Are

Few fine-jewelry brands capture the spirit of summer quite like Yvonne Léon. Her quirky motifs – featuring anything and everything from crabs and turtles to dolphins and palm trees – are crafted from gleaming gold and set with brightly hued gems that will seamlessly inject bold color and whimsy into even the most sedate of jewelry collections. For Léon, this is the key to successful summer-jewelry styling. “The jewelry that makes me think of summer is light, with lots of color,” she says. “Our beach theme features lots of sea creatures that can all be worn together, or changed up according to different moods or outfits,” she explains. “If I had to make my ultimate selection for summer it would be our ‘Collier’ crab necklace, our ‘Confetti Coeur’ hoops, and some of our turquoise pieces, like our ‘Le Jour’ ring.”

While Léon’s panache for playfulness is undeniable, the French designer’s pieces remain effortlessly wearable, and mix well with classic jewelry-box staples to create versatile vacation looks – slip in a fun pendant with a slew of Foundrae chains, including the ‘Aether’ necklace – exclusive to NET-A-PORTER – or look to Jennifer Meyer’s similarly eclectic aesthetic and do a double palm-tree stack. The final touch? A wrist piled high with semi-precious beads by Sydney Evan, Carolina Bucci, Jia Jia and Roxanne Assoulin.

By Pariah founder Sophie Howard has gained a cult following among both fashion and fine-jewelry editors since she launched her brand in 2016. On the one hand, she sticks to understated, subtle color palettes, which perfectly complement the fashion industry’s penchant for neutral and pared-back styling. On the other hand, Howard experiments with unusual and rare semi-precious gemstones that have jewelry magpies lusting after every iteration, desperate to create one of her signature ring stacks.

Howard’s key pieces for a vacation-ready jewelry wardrobe? “Extra-long chains with pebble pendants immediately come to mind,” she says. “I love wearing a number of them; I’m currently obsessed with the diamond ‘Pebble’ in Botswana agate and ‘Large Pebble’ in green aventurine on our extra-large belcher chain, and I pair them with loose linens.” The designer’s natural gemstones and earthy aesthetics, combined with glistening pavé diamonds, are effortlessly cool and strike the perfect balance between bohemian charm and polished elegance.

“For summer vacations and beach trips, jewelry that embodies a sense of freedom and ease is ideal. Pieces that are simple yet striking; you want to keep it simple,” she advises. “When heading to the beach, it’s also essential to choose jewelry that can withstand the elements.” For this, cord bracelets and silver are ideal, as they won’t scuff or scratch like ultra-precious gems.

Marie Lichtenberg was a fashion editor before she launched her own fine-jewelry brand in 2019, and her unique, talismanic locket necklaces were immediately a huge hit. Coveted for their kaleidoscopic colors and powerful symbolism, the locket designs were inspired by Creole Forçat necklaces, and they bear meaningful mottos such as ‘Love,’ ‘Toujours,’ ‘Bonheur’ and ‘Protection.’ Suspended from colorful strands that are crafted from pre-owned saris in Dhaka, then beaded by hand in Mumbai using Ghanaian beads, Lichtenberg’s necklaces are the ultimate vacation jewel.

Unsurprisingly, Lichtenberg’s summer-jewelry styling is impeccable all-year round. “Anything beaded, like our full pearls, Mauli cords or Ghana bead necklaces, make me think of summer, but I really love to match very heavy gold with beachy, colorful threads; it’s all about creating a very laid-back and precious stack,” she explains. “I will definitely mix a ‘Baby’ locket on a fully beaded necklace with a ‘Candy Cane’ locket on a ‘Mauli’ cord, along with a heavy gold ‘You Are The One’ locket on a classic chain.” Almost any jewelry will pair well with Lichtenberg’s riotous hues and myriad materials, but stacked bead bracelets and quirky seaside motifs will tie in well with her imaginative, whimsical designs.

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