How to Wear Floral Jewellery without Looking Twee

Wearing something that brings us closer to nature, from tactile natural fabrics such as linens, cotton and wool, to designs and prints inspired by nature, can feel grounding and have strong positive associations. However, floral jewellery is often quaint, delicate and girly which isn’t right for everyone. I wanted to show you some different ways to wear floral jewellery that are anything but twee.

Long and Elegant

Choose a long necklace to draw the eye and accentuate the line of the neck. My Spot the Lily Tassel Pendant necklace features a slinky snake chain which feels wonderful to wear and looks great with a shirt or low neckline and works equally well over a plain round or high-necked top. The tassels are finished with teardrop shaped textured cups inspired by Calla and Arum lilies. The end of the chain which sits pleasingly at the back of the neck is finished with a miniature stopper inspired by the spadix in the centre of the lily.

Choose Texture

Try avoiding the obvious flowers and choose something that’s a bit different or meaningful to you. My textured Mimosa studs are inspired by their namesake yellow pom-pom blooms and are great for every day. By adding my signature bobble texture to my Petal collection, I kept the natural symbolism but added another dimension, which catches and plays with the light.

Mixed Metals

I’ve always loved mixing metals as it adds an unexpected twist and can make a piece of jewellery more versatile to wear. Customers sometimes would love to wear a different metal such as blackened oxidised silver or rose gold but are worried about how it might work with existing jewellery such as their wedding and engagement rings. Take a look at my Sunflower earrings which I think work particularly well in mixed metals such as blackened silver with gold or gold with shiny silver.

Human Touch

The sophistication of computer-aided design (CAD) has really changed what’s possible in terms of jewellery design in recent years. Most big named and high street jewellery designers use CAD to design their work which means they can create really accurate representations of real-life objects such as flowers. There is always a particular look to jewellery that’s been designed in this way and it certainly has its place, but I think there’s something really personal and special about jewellery that’s been designed by hand. My work starts with a hand-drawn sketch, I then work very closely with one of only a tiny number of wax carvers that there are in this country to translate my design into 3D. My wax carver carves completely by hand so each stage of the design process is done lovingly by hand in the UK.

Marvellous Movement

Tiny filigree pieces of jewellery can look delicate and very feminine. However, there’s something very pleasing and eye-catching about a piece of jewellery that moves with the wearer. My Gerbera bracelet is strung with multiple chains which feel wonderfully tactile. Each individual petal is then carefully attached one by one, which adds fluidity to this statement piece.

More than Petals

Don’t get me wrong, I love roses but I think nature has much to offer beyond the obvious. Seedpods have long been an inspiration and feature in quite a few of my pieces. I then took a much closer look and was inspired by the anatomy of flowers when I created my Pollen charm necklaces and Pollen stacking rings including Sepals, Anthers and Stigmas!

You can shop my floral jewellery here.