We have so many communication tools available to us and we often choose to abuse of the more impersonal ones. Some people even steer away from email and only communicate on MSN!

That’s just silly.

Yes, those less personal services have a purpose, but they don’t replace the former. Every tool has it’s place and due function.

This makes me wonder about the way we interact with everyone now-a-days.

How many of us barely look at those who are serving us at a restaurant or cafe? Without the intention of flirting, that is. Usually we barely acknowledge them. How rarely do we make a connection? Even if it’s just a brief one, it only benefits both parties.

And how open are we really to new people entering our lives, specially after our teenage years?

And why do we obsess over so called celebrities and public figures?

Do we feel so disconnected that we need to invade on other’s privacy to compensate for our own lack of intimacy and involvement?

Do we feel so disconnected that we need to expose our own privacy to whomever is willing to see, to compensate for our own lack of involvement?

Why do we love to peek at stranger’s lives? Why do some of us get addicted to following somebody else’s life events though magazines and TV? Simple curiosity can turn into sordid gossip addition.

People become unfocused of their own lives and those around them.

It completely blows my mind away, when I hear people talk about the personal lives of public figures. They talk as if they were talking about family relatives. It bothers me deeply. They don’t know these people, they don’t know their circumstances! What the media says isn’t the absolute truth nor does it know all the facts. Actually the media isn’t about the facts, is simply about sensationalism!

And yet million of people are addicted to this dynamic while become more and more distant from their surroundings.

In the modern day, most of us wear it to express ourselves, our individuality or our sense of belonging to a group, or even perhaps both.

Just like the clothes we wear, our jewelry might say something about us. We choose what we identify with and we wear. We are expressing a part of ourselves, hinting who we are to the world around us.

Adornment

I believe this is the strongest reason most of us wear jewelry.

Mankind started wearing jewelry in prehistory. The first pieces were done with seashells, small crustaceans, unpolished stones, small hunted animals’ teeth and bones. These were stringed in natural fibbers and made into necklaces and bracelets. The intention was to stand out, attract attention. Much like a peacock.

We like wearing pretty elegant things, to make us feel that way about ourselves. We might see it as vanity, but it’s probably much more connected to self-esteem and confidence boosts. Many of us strive for happiness, so we probably grab on to anything that makes us feel good. The feeling provides us with the illusion of happiness. Small moments of well being we wish to extend.

Status

Man evolved into hunting bigger and dangerous animals. So, the jewelry made out of these animal’s bones and teeth, was mainly worn as a trophy, a display of valency from the hunter to the community, assuring them a high position on the hierarchy.

Throughout the history, there has always been a social hierarchy based on wealth, thus being reflected in the quality and abundance of jewelry.

Today we see a display of status through extremely expensive jewelry, with extravagant sparkling jewels. Those who are wealthy display it with exclusive pieces, with astonishing and inaccessible prices to the non rich.

Amulets & Talismans

People used to believe that each jewel and metal had a specific beneficial magic property. Also colored glass was used to emulate jewels, but the color alone was believed to hold power as well.

There’s been a huge decrease in this type of jewelry, but some folklore amulets still survive depending on the culture.

Also there’s been a bit of a revival of jewels magical properties due to the New Age movement.

There’s probably more…

We have many types of jewelry, such as functional, religious, remembrance, official, and so on…

Related links:
Jewelry History

I like working with metals and making jewelry out of it. But then, lately, I feel like the end result is just something superficial and materialist! I don’t want to work everyday on something that leaves me feeling guilty for not be doing something more meaningful.

While searching for meaning in this, I could view it as a gift that will be memorable for someone. But that doesn’t really push my buttons.
Or maybe that, it’s a piece that will make someone else feel good about themselves, or beautiful while wearing it. But I kinda shrug to this.
It’s not that these aren’t valid reasons. They are! It’s just not what drives me.

How can I do this, if I myself don’t understand the “why wear it” in the first place (beyond vanity)? I guess, sometimes, I need everything to have a deep meaning…

I’m always curious about this subject of what flatters different people. I think I first got aware of this subject applied in jewelry with a Susannah and Trinny book, “What You Wear Can Change Your Life”. The book itself didn’t reveal much, so I tried to look around for more information on this.
So I’m compiling here what I got out from all of it.

Remember, this is only a general guide. There are always exceptions. And always keep in mind your personal style, of course.

The most important factor is proportion! Consider your structure. If you’re big go for the heavier pieces or if you’re small stick with more light or delicate ones. A smaller piece in a big person will only make them look bigger, and the reverse happens making a small person look smaller with something too big.

Necklaces

Consider your frame, if you’re on the small side chunky will overwhelm you. It might even make you look stumpy. These are for the larger framed, because it complements their size. Petites should wear slimmer pieces.

A short length will draw the eye’s attention up and, if you’re not tall, it might shorten your figure a little. A longer length elongates, just be thoughtful as to where the end of the necklace hits. Don’t have it end at your widest points.

Avoid chunky on short necks, as it adds width to it.
Also forget about chokers. If you cover up what little neck you have, it will look like you have no neck at all. Plus, the choker will only emphasize the thickness. So as you can imagine, narrow necks benefit a lot. Even if they aren’t too long, a narrow choker will give you the extra width you need without making your neck disappear.
Long necks are the best for wearing chokers.

Pendants

If you have big breasts, choose a smaller length closer to your collarbone. Having a pendant sit at your breast’s line focus too much attention on the wider part of your chest. And passing that line is probably not for the best, as it will attraction the eye to far too low.

Rings

If your fingers are thick, a delicate ring will only accentuate that as the ring becomes lost in the finger. And the ring just fades away no matter how pretty it is.
You have the structure to wear a big robust ring. Your hand supports such (visual) weight.

The inverse happen on narrow fingers. A chunky ring will appear too heavy. While a delicate ring will look best. If you want a bit of a bigger ring go for a cut-out design, it keeps it light. But you need to avoid the over-sized stones in your fingers.

Bracelets & Anklets

The same as the rings applies to the wrists and ankles. With an exception, you can wear a bundle of them and it’ll still look good. Just make sure they are similar, as in the same style and material, and you can layer as many as you want. You don’t want them to clash, but that they complement each other.

Now remember, you don’t want to wear anything that’s tight on the wrist or ankle. It will only add width to them. Wear it loose where it doesn’t cut across your narrowest point. This actually adds contrasts to the thickness between the wrist and the point where the piece sits.

So, again, heavier arms should stay away from anything too slim. And thin ones avoid too large.

Earrings

Long earrings elongate the face. Just be careful not to have them end past your shoulder’s line, it might shorten your neck.
Avoid shapes that are the same as your face, it only accentuate those features even further. For a balanced look chose the opposite. Round faces wear more angular shaped pieces, and vice-versa.
(Inverted) Triangle faces, narrow chin when compared to the cheeks, can balance it out with an earring that’s larger on the bottom, like a triangle.

Of course this all depends on the effect you want to achieve, and how accentuated your features are.

Combining

You don’t want to concentrate all of your jewelry in the same body area. Otherwise the pieces will be competing for attention and none will stand out. You want each piece to have their beauty shine through.

In the end

The most important is that you feel good in what you wear and that it suits your style and personality. Something that you feel confident wearing is what you should focus on. Usually if you feel great wearing it then it’s the right one for you. Don’t be a slave to guidelines, they’re not mandatory rules.