Jewellery Trends for 2026 — Craft, Sentiment & Stories to Wear
Every January I take a little time to look at the year ahead in jewellery. I don’t follow trends in the fast-fashion sense, and I certainly don’t believe jewellery should be discarded after a single season because it’s no longer “trendy”. But trends can reveal something interesting about what people feel is valuable — whether that’s self-expression, sentimentality, nostalgia or connection. When trends lean that way, then I pay attention.
Happily, the predictions for 2026 are very much in that direction. Designers and forecasters are talking about sculptural shapes, personal charms, mixed metals, small bursts of colour and the delightful return of the brooch. This feels collectible, expressive and quietly aligned with the growing love for handmade jewellery that feels personal and meaningful.
Sculptural Silver
Silver jewellery has been steadily climbing back into favour, but 2026 sees it being bolder and more sculptural. Large pendants with curves, cuffs that become hard to miss, and textured surfaces that catch the light. Silver also answers a practical need: impact without the price tag of gold.
My jewellery is delicate so perhaps not easy to describe as sculptural, but pieces like my Steady & True T-bar necklace have a clean architectural line that sits well with louder and more sculptural silver pieces. My hammered heart bangles and pebble charms also lean into soft organic shapes inspired by Norfolk’s coastline — they feel tactile, modern and firmly rooted in handmade silver jewellery.
Charms with Stories
The charm bracelet is enjoying its best revival. Not as a childhood trinket chain, but as a curated collection of talismans that mark milestones, memories and personal stories. It’s the sort of trend that feels as though it’s been waiting quietly in the wings for the culture to be ready for sentiment again.
This trend really excites me because it’s where jewellery becomes a form of autobiography. My Pocket Treasures bracelets were designed with exactly this spirit in mind — tiny silver treasures that can be added to over time. Acorns for strength and new beginnings, daisies for simplicity and joy, buttons for nostalgia, shells for summers by the coast. A bracelet that grows with a life lived is, to me, one of the most beautiful forms of charm jewellery. It also takes me back to seeing the charm bracelets of my grandparents. It is meaningful jewellery at its very best.
Mixed Metals & Layering
In recent years, it has become increasingly common to mix metals, finishes and textures. Gone are the days of choosing between gold or silver. Stacking rings, layered chains and bangles offer so many combinations, and there are no rules beyond “enjoy it”.
In the shop I see customers instinctively doing this already. A hammered bangle next to a textured one. A fine silver ring paired with a gold band. The contrast is beautiful and on those workshops with stacking rings and bangles, most people are thrilled by how lovely the copper and the silver jewellery is when it sits together.
A Dash of Colour
While silver leads materially, colour is making a quiet appearance through gemstones and enamel accents. Not in overwhelming rainbows, but in small, intentional bursts.
For me this most often shows up in commissions — a birthstone for a milestone birthday, an opal for an October celebration, or a sapphire to commemorate an anniversary. It’s colour worn for meaning rather than decoration, and I think that distinction matters.
The Brooch Revival
Perhaps the most joyful surprise in jewellery trends for 2026 is the return of the brooch. Designers are treating brooches as miniature artworks and conversation starters, worn on coats, scarves, hats and bags. A single piece can transform an outfit.
If you’ve visited the shop recently, you’ll know I’ve been quietly developing a collection of stick pin brooches with button toppers and silver star anise. Norfolk feels like exactly the right place for brooch jewellery to have a renaissance.
What These Trends Tell Us About 2026
Taken together, these trends suggest something rather hopeful about where jewellery is heading. We are moving away from disposable costume jewellery and towards pieces that feel personal, crafted, sentimental and expressive. Jewellery that is kept, not cast aside — it lives in a box for decades and still feels relevant because the meaning hasn’t expired.
As a maker, this is the most exciting landscape to be working in. It rewards thoughtfulness, slow craft and storytelling — all things that I believe matter.
If you’d like to explore the new pieces for 2026 (or start a charm bracelet of your own), you’ll find them online and in the shop. I can’t wait to see how you wear your stories.
