As a kid, I’d spend hours sifting through my mum’s jewelry box, organizing and reorganizing her necklaces and earrings, dreaming of the day I’d be grown enough to wear them. As a moody teen, I embraced a “more is more” philosophy. Iwore piles of cheap jewelry from the flea market, jelly bracelets from wrists to elbow, and so many ten cent mood rings that my fingers were stained green. As an adult, I’m a little more discerning — but I do still love to sparkle and shine with amazing jewelry. Here are the 15 pieces of jewelry that I love so much, I never take them off. Mine is white-gold, but it’s also available in yellow and rose gold ($95, Stone and Strand). This sterling silver reverse-hoop features a reverse-set black diamond “thorn” ($90, Etsy) for the stone. Word to the wise: This earring’s post is quite thick, so make sure you wear it in an older, fully-healed piercing. ($60, Stone and Strand) This pin is no longer available, sadly, but you can lurk eBay to catch them when they pop up. Seven is my lucky number, and I wear a white gold 7 earring ($60, Stone and Strand) to bring me extra luck. When I want to keep it simple, it’s this sterling silver flat dot ($18, Etsy) in my third piercing. Real talk: I don’t wear statement earrings that often anymore. But when I do, I stick one of these beauties ($25, And Other Stories) in my right earlobe, and keep the asymmetry with something small on the left. PS: If you’re looking for affordable, decent quality jewelry, And Other Stories is VERY good. Set with pave crystals, these arrow earrings by actual queen Pamela Love ($228, Shopbop) are just fancy enough for every day, but no so fancy that you feel weird wearing them without a ballgown. This earring is by Jack and G, who make incredible jewelry in gold and sterling silver. This big talon earring ($165, Jack And G) is worn through a normal single ear piercing, then “clips” to the side of the lobe so that it sits flush against your ear. I bought this earring several years ago when I was in a very difficult work situation — it made me feel powerful and armored, and every day I put it on and am reminded of how badass I am. OK that’s not true. I wear rings because I like them! Why else do you have 10 fingers if not to stack jewelry on them? Here are the rings that I wear every single day. Anyway. Is this ring about a size too big? Yes. Have I scratched up the stone quite a lot? Yes. Do I feel naked if I don’t wear it? Absolutely yes. This ring is a reminder of my friends, my life before New York, and where I come from. The fact that it looks like the Eye of Sauron is just a nerdy bonus. (This ring will soon be joined by my wedding band, but I’m not showing that off until August.) I get hyped when I find new brands that I love, and Jewelry Mirta is DEFINITELY one of those. This double ring ($109, Etsy) was so exactly what I was looking for, I was like “Who has been reading my diary?!” This double ring — which is joined on the underside, so you only have to put ONE thing on — is amazing. Sculptural yet easy to wear, comfortable with a don’t-mess-with-me vibe, it’s all I’ve ever wanted. I’d admired Olivia Kane’s jewelry for some time, but this moonstone ring ($212, Olivia Kane) is my favorite piece. Each stone is unique, and mine has a bright blue flash to it that makes me feel like an elegant witch casting spells from my Brooklyn apartment. Set in silver, this ring ($169, Etsy) is the perfect open diamond ring — delicate without being too cutesy. Another Jewelry Mirta piece (I think I’m a collector now), this ring has one normally set black diamond, and one set upside-down. Cute, unexpected, awesome.
