The Future Of Jewellery

When we look
back at jewellery through the ages we can see that although styles have
changed, and new materials have become available, the standard items of
jewellery haven't changed much. All
civilisations have worn necklaces and rings, and arm adornments of various
types (the biggest shift in arm jewellery has been the location of the pieces –
old civilisations like the Romans and Celts often wore arm cuffs above the
elbow, while in the modern day it is more common to see arm jewellery around
the wrist) and ear adornments of different types.
Nowadays
there is a piece of jewellery for every part of the body and as body piercing
continues to become more experimental you can even wear jewels planted into the
skin, meaning you could have a row of surface piercings across your clavicle,
down your arm or even down your back.
The more daring body artists even work tattoos into creative piercings,
so if you're brave enough you can have a really unique piece of body art.
Most jewellery
collections focus on the main pieces that people wear – earrings, rings,
necklaces and bracelets or bangles and it's unusual to find a matching nose stud
or belly button ring in the same designs.
We think that in the future there will be a greater diversity in the
pieces each range holds, and that we will start to see body jewellery produced
by the major jewellery houses as body piercing becomes more mainstream. We don't have any plans to add body piercing
jewellery to our ranges just yet, but who knows what the future may hold?
3D printing
is set to become the next major shift in the jewellery world. 3D printing can be applied to an
ever-increasing range of materials, from food products to metal, so it is ideal
for jewellery making. One of the great things
about 3D printing is that designs can be easily adapted for different sizes,
making rings one of the perfect jewellery articles to make using this
technology. It is also easy to make
bespoke products and designs, so if you want to create a piece of jewellery to
commemorate an event (such as a special holiday, or a new addition to the
family, even a wedding favour) you can create something that really represents
that event and even customise each piece with engravings or initials.
Wearable technology is also likely to be incorporated into jewellery design, especially at the
luxury end of the market. Smart watches,
FitBits and other quasi-medical devices could be designed by luxury brands to
make the technology appealing to the fashion forward and early adopters who
don't want to look like an extra from a futuristic movie. We could see developments like phones
designed as ear cuffs, so they can be worn all the time and controlled via a
bracelet or ring, or perhaps even voice control. Heart rate monitors and calorie counters, or
step counters and movement trackers could be designed to match fitness gear or
to look like normal jewellery you could wear every day.
A UK based
company, Square Circle, has developed a bangle that can function as a smart
device, with the option of displaying jewellery like designs on the wraparound
screen when it is not in use. This could
be a great development for those who like to try out every trend, as the
wrapped screen can be used to display all manner of colours and designs to
match any outfit. It could also be used
to display a message, such as support for a particular cause or organisation.
There will
always be a place for traditional jewellery as it is a great investment and a
way of storing wealth in a small form, which can easily be sold if the cash is
needed. Jewellery also makes a great
gift and something to be passed down the generations. Who knows in the future
we might be wearing a combination of heirloom jewellery, new, on-trend pieces
as well as technological pieces like phones or fitness trackers.
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