Warming Trend – The Resurgence of Yellow Gold in Fashion

Warming Trend – The Resurgence of Yellow Gold in Fashion

With the recent resurgence of 1970s and ‘80s inspired looks, in everything from hairdos to fashion to pop culture, it is no surprise that the fashion pendulum has swung back to yellow gold in the last couple of years. The renaissance of yellow gold feels joyful and celebratory, as the post-pandemic world continues to prioritize feel-good fashion and color. As usual, trends tend to develop over time with celebrities and the fashion world leading the way. Here, we will look at the recent resurgence of yellow gold and where it is most relevant.

“We’ve seen strong demand for our distinctive colored gemstone and/or diamond jewelry set in yellow gold recently,” says Giuseppe Picchiotti, founder and lead designer of the PICCHIOTTI brand. “I welcome it. I love working with gold in its natural yellow, sunny color. It feels like wearable summer.”

Short and Choker Length Necklaces

As early as the summer of 2022, Telegraph magazine explored “Why big gold jewelry is back,” citing “chunky maximalist” looks on red carpets worn by trend-setting celebrities like Rihanna and on fashion runways. Bold short necklaces have been particularly prominent. The trend seems to have started with big bold pearls in 2020, and by 2022, the look broadened to include gold. Trend-setting design houses like Balmain and Lanvin featured gold choker necklaces on the runway that year. Valentino, Fendi, and Versace each featured gold link choker necklaces in their Spring/Summer 2022 collections, worn with a variety of their runway looks. Instead of pearls, Jonathan Simkhai featured big gold beads in a short double-row necklace, to striking effect.

With the “dopamine dressing” trend (which reached its peak in the summer of 2022), yellow gold created a more complimentary accessory. The vibrant rich colors of the last few seasons call for the warmth of luxurious yellow gold. The earthy oranges and floral fabrics that prevailed in 2022 are perfectly adorned with gold. And who could imagine any other metal adorning the crimson reds and sunset ombre hues that were trending in 2023?

Jewelry historian, author, and journalist Marion Fasel reported in a November 2023 trend story for The Couture Show’s website that choker necklaces are “on the horizon of hotness.” According to her, chokers are like a clean slate, offering a polished look on or at the bottom of the neck. InStyle also reference short thick gold chains as one of their editor’s top summer 2023 jewelry trends.

Italians have been making gold jewelry and bold gold chains of all lengths for centuries. The artistry of “Made in Italy” is especially apparent when it comes to chain innovation, not just in design, but also when it relates to craftsmanship. Italian jewelers are known for every style of chain from hand-finished hammered gold links ala the Etruscans to reversible necklaces that are gold on one side and diamond on the other for ultimate wearability. The machinery that makes small link chains for pendants and delicate necklaces are mostly made in the major gold manufacturing areas of Italy like Arezzo and Vicenza. The export of Italian jewelry machinery has always been a strong business that has created trends and employment opportunities in other parts of the world. In Valenza, where PICCHIOTTI has its atelier, the typical workmanship is focused on fine jewelry with precious gemstones such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and emeralds. Lately, even in Valenza, more yellow gold collections have been debuting, especially those with bold designs and very high quality stones.

At PICCHIOTTI, we love the “Easy Wear” style of a distinctive gold chain necklace. Easy to wear because gold goes with everything and dresses up any ensemble, whether it be a sweater and jeans or a classic tailored business suit. Choker lengths add a lot of volume near the face, making them perfect for almost any neckline and adding a sense of elegance and sophistication atop dresses or casual outfits. Versatile choker options are also popular because having various lengths in one necklace can create more options and more ways to wear.  Some gold chains can be clasped at various places along the chain or wrapped for a layered look. We use magnetic clasps at PICCHIOTTI so that a bracelet and short necklace to be clasped together to create a longer length.

Bold Gold Wrists – Cuffs or Stacks

Bold yellow gold has also been prominent at the wrist lately. Chunky gold cuffs were seen on the Fall/Winter 2023-24 runways at Balmain, Tory Burch, and more. Stacks of chunky gold and mixed metals bangles are also popular. No longer reserved for one wrist or the other, today’s wrist accessories are worn on both arms in a Wonder Woman style, as a nod to female empowerment. Saint Laurent has actually featured bold bracelets for the last three seasons of its ready to wear collection (F/W 2022, S/S 2023, and F/W 2023), sporting cuffs on both arms or stacking gold and mixed metal bangles with dresses, wide shouldered suits, and leather jackets. New for Spring/summer 2024, creative director Anthony Vaccarello has paired gold bracelets with gloves at Saint Laurent, worn outside the glove or high on the arm above them.

Chloé, Jil Sander, and Elie Saab have also featured bold gold wrist statements on the runways recently.  Chloé opted for a single cuff, while Saab and Sander wrapped both arms in the luxury of gold. Cuffs and armfuls of bangles are statements of power. They feel good to wear as they are like amulets, summoning superhero strength and grace. Harper’s Bazaar’s recently touted “arm cuffs like Cleopatra” as one of the primary Fall 2023 jewelry trends to complete every woman’s wardrobe. The reference to antiquity further supports the wave of yellow gold fever. White gold alloys were not even available until the early 19^th century.

Many people love our stacks of Xpandable™️ or Xpandable Reversible™️ bracelets for adorning a wide variety of their own looks, from casual everyday attire to little black dresses. The current trend of wearing cuffs or stacks on both arms makes the collecting process fun for customers, as well as the styling. There has never been a better time to add to your bracelet collection! For luxury watch owners, many styles of bangles and cuffs pair well with watches (even smart watches).

Fashion designers have also given us permission to mix metals now. As seen on the runways and red carpets of late, mixing white and yellow metals is completely acceptable, shattering any old rules related to matching. Given the prevalence of such mixed metals in modern jewelry collections, bangles, cuffs, and stackable bracelets no longer need to be all gold designs. Experiment with a variety colorful bracelets, and have fun stacking them up. Color offers great gifting options, too. You can select the birthstone of your loved on or his/her favorite color or a gemstone that matches their eyes. Many people love our Gem Ceramic collection, which features black ceramic and gold styles that include white diamonds.

Chunky Gold Earrings

 

Large gold earrings, especially hoops, created a sensation on runways for the Fall/Winter season. At Bottega Venetta, the runway style earring from their F/W 2023-24 collection sold out as shoppers scrambled to buy it, following a Kendall Jenner paparazzi snapshot that went viral. WhoWhatWear reported “If there is one jewelry piece to buy for fall 2023, it is the chunky earring. Hot on the heels of the viral Bottega Veneta Drop Earrings that continue to be sold out everywhere and found in the wardrobes of celebrities such as Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner, we’re seeing a rising appetite for outfit-finishing statement earrings that designers are delivering for fall.” 

The bold gold look can be worn on one ear or both ears and is intended to be worn with everything for almost any occasion.  WWD (Women’s Wear Daily) concurred “They say the bigger the better — and when it comes to recent earring trends, this theory holds true.”

Chunky gold hoops, in particular, were also seen on the catwalks at Paul Costelloe, Gucci, Valentino, and Jason Wu, as well as mismatched large and small at Chloé. The classic hoop is proof that some things just never go out of style. Worn on runways with blazers, print fabrics, dresses, pantsuits, and more, the wider the hoop the better for a contemporary look.

Gold Bridal and Statement Rings

 

The bridal industry has consistently opted for white metals for quite some time. The tide is turning, though, as younger generations are choosing yellow gold. Business Insider recently published that, “yellow gold is the winning metal color for engagement rings” for 2024, a celebrity driven trend as trend-setters like Lily Collins, Katie Perry, and Hailey Beiber opted for yellow gold rings. Fashion reporters at Refinery 29 agree, touting the recent rise of yellow gold bands, compared to when Carrie Bradshaw objected to a gold engagement ring in the ‘90s series Sex and the City.

Brides.com not only confirmed the trend for brides but also pointed to the resurgence of gold in fashion as the impetus. “Yellow gold engagement rings are having a renaissance of sorts from shiny styles to matte finishes—likely a result of gold jewelry trending in the market from pendants to stackable rings and hoop earrings.” Earlier this summer, Brides also collected the “27 best gold wedding dresses for a unique bridal look,” proving that the fashion trend for gold extends to bridal dresses and fabrics, as well.

Similar to the mixed metal bangles mentioned above, contemporary brides are also more comfortable mixing metals these days. Many choose the yellow or white metal of their preference for their rings, without any obligation to match the metal in their day-to-day accessories.

Personally, at PICCHIOTTI, we have definitely seen a rising demand for engagement rings, wedding bands, and anniversary bands set in yellow gold, as well as statement fashion rings. Our new Xpandable™️ Gold Accent assortment includes 18K gold framing the diamonds or gemstones. These rings are made with brides-to-be in mind, as they use an invisible, durable mechanism to easily expand and contract (up to 2.5 U.S. sizes), making them comfortable for lifetime wear, regardless of changes in size over time. Another notable warming trend is the rise in request for fancy yellow diamond engagement rings, as opposed to traditional white diamonds.

Gold statement rings are also popular as many women are now wearing rings on multiple fingers.  One of the benefits of the Xpandable rings is that they can usually be worn on different fingers as the mood strikes, easily expanding to fit larger or smaller fingers. Bands, in particular, are no longer reserved for wedding bands. Many people will wear a band on a middle or pointer finger simply for style. The Gold Accent anniversary style bands have a “quiet luxury” vibe, the warmth of the yellow gold beautifully accenting the diamonds and toning down the sense of “bling.”

Fans of yellow gold can certainly celebrate the return of the warm, beautiful, sunny sheen of gold, but minimalists and white metal fans need not despair. The trend toward gold is thriving, just as mixed metals are also trending. For everyone, it is clearly time to update the jewelry wardrobe with some staples in yellow gold. Dig out your mom’s or grandmother’s chunky vintage gold and mix it with new short chains, chunky earrings or hoops, bold cuffs or stacks of bangles, and statement rings. Have fun mixing metals while you’re at it.

Note – portions of this post first appeared in Jewellery Business Canada’s February 2024 issue.

Feature image at top – clockwise form upper right – PICCHIOTTI Easy Wear chain with diamonds, Jason Wu f/w 2024-25 (Spotlight Launchmetrics), PICCHIOTTI Xpandable Gold Accent ring, Chloé s/s 2020 (Getty), PICCHIOTTI Reversible earrings

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