Five Necklace Styles Every Woman Needs in her Jewelry Wardrobe

Here at Bailey’s Fine Jewelry, we often get questions or requests for advice on where our patrons should start when developing their jewelry wardrobe. Building your fine jewelry wardrobe is a life-long, ongoing process that should be slow and steady. Just like in your closet, you will need staples in each jewelry category that will take you from yoga class to happy hour and from day to night. Here are the top five necklace categories that every woman will need in their fine jewelry wardrobe!

1. Station Necklace

A station necklace is a staple in every woman’s jewelry wardrobe because it accomplishes two things: it’s a great stand-alone necklace, but it can also take your necklace stack to the next level. A bezel-set diamond station necklace is the perfect chic addition to any outfit that will stand the test of time and evolve with your style. 

If a classic, bezel-set diamond station necklace isn’t your personal style, there are so many gemstone and pearl options to choose from that you are sure to find the perfect one for you. Gurhan, a designer that we love, makes a beautiful station necklace with colorful gemstone briolettes. If you’re looking to add a station necklace to your jewelry wardrobe at a lower budget, we love Wendy Perry’s spike necklace, which comes in different colored beads that are fun, fashion-forward, and edgy. 

If diamonds or gemstones aren’t your style, one of our all-time favorite station necklaces is our 14-karat yellow gold Five Station tube necklace from our GOLDMARK Collection

diamond station necklace and tennis necklace

2. Pearl or Bead Strand

The next must-have that every woman should have in their jewelry wardrobe is a strand of pearls. Occasionally, a classic strand of pearls can feel formal or even boring, especially when worn on its own but from an investment standpoint, when you’re starting your jewelry collection, it’s a really safe option. 

Though you don’t see many young women wearing classic pearl strands lately, that could be all the more reason to have one and wear it proudly! A pearl strand looks elegant, classic, and cool on any woman with any skin tone. Here at Bailey’s, we love to wear our pearls with a white t-shirt and jeans for a casual look or to dress up a little black dress for a work event or a friend’s wedding. Similar to a pair of diamond studs, a pearl necklace is something that can make a young woman feel elevated and professional – we always like to say it will make you stand a little taller and feel proud that you’re wearing them. 

If you are someone that doesn’t love the look of a classic pearl strand, consider a more modern take on pearls like freshwater, baroque, colored pearls, or even Tahitian pearls which appear black. The options are so endless that you are sure to find a pearl that you love.

If you’re absolutely against the idea of a pearl necklace, then a fun bead strand will serve a similar purpose. Marci has had a strand of tiny turquoise beads for over ten years that she gets so much wear out of. If you are going to opt for beads over pearls, we suggest something neutral enough that you can wear it all year round so you can maximize the amount of wear.

pearl strand with white tshirt

3. Tennis Necklace

The third category in our necklace necessities is the tennis necklace. It goes without saying that the tennis necklace is going to be the largest investment of all five categories, but, in our opinion, it’s a worthy investment. 

A tennis necklace is something that is never going to go out of style and will carry you through many decades and many evolutions of your personal style. In the past, tennis necklaces and Riviera necklaces have been worn exclusively on their own and for dressy occasions. However, in recent years, we have seen tennis necklaces become an everyday staple – especially, in smaller total carat weights that can be used more as a layering piece in a stacked necklace look. The perfect example of this is our Bailey’s CLUB Collection tennis necklace which is our best-selling piece of jewelry from all of our Collections. This beautiful necklace has a great price point for a big look and is versatile because it can be worn anywhere from a choker up to 18 inches which makes it a beautiful example of today’s modern tennis necklace.

And, of course, we love the idea of a larger tennis necklace as well. This is something that can be layered with a bezel diamond station necklace, or even just strands of beads for a really fun look. I love the idea of the tennis necklace being something that a woman aspires to add to their jewelry wardrobe – putting it at the top of your wishlist and dreaming about it, and saving up for it because there’s nothing better than a classic tennis necklace. 

two shapes of tennis necklaces stacked

4. A Forever Chain

When we were making a list of must-haves, it was difficult to consolidate our top choices into just five categories, but we decided to choose a forever chain as one of our necessities because of its versatility. Rather than saying “pendant,” we’re saying forever chain because it’s something that you can add a pendant to, wear alone, or layer in with your necklace stack. Plus, you can swap your pendants out on your forever chain as your style changes.

One of the keys to finding your perfect forever chain is finding something that you can wear at different lengths. Whether it has jump rings that are spaced out or the links are larger so you can put your clasp at whichever length you want, being able to adjust the length of your chain means that it will always fit into your stack seamlessly. As you build your jewelry wardrobe, it would be a worthwhile investment to have a forever chain in both white and yellow gold so that you can maximize the number of outfits and pendants that you can pair your forever chain with. 

Often, our patrons think of a chain as something that can only be paired with a pendant but chains are something that can stand alone, especially, if they are a little longer like 20-24 inches. In the grand scheme of your jewelry wardrobe, a forever chain can be a minimal investment that you can get maximal wear out of.

gold chains at multiple lengths

5. A Touch of Fun

The last category of necklaces that we think is an absolute necessity is a little touch of fun! In our opinion, a lot of your personality can be shown in your necklace stack or even in an individual necklace. A great example of this from Marci’s personal jewelry collection is her diamond horseshoe pendant, which was made from an antique pin with beautiful old European cut diamonds. Being unique, it’s a conversation starter, and it adds personality to a stack without being so “out there” that it doesn’t feel wearable.

There are so many necklaces in our Bailey’s Collections that are the perfect touch of fun, whether it’s our GOLDMARK Collection Pave Star Pendant, our ICON Collection Puffy Heart, or even our GOLDMARK Collection Pave Horseshoe Pendant. Even things like fruits and vegetables are really trending right now in the “Touch of fun” category, which our new ruby and diamond cherries pendant would be perfect for. Your touch of fun should be anything that brings a little bit of whimsy and interest to your necklace stack and shows off your personal style!

Collections necklaces stack

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