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Woman in sculptural black tailoring wearing restrained green jewelry concepts

Journal / People

A Personal Jewellery Vocabulary

A simple exercise in noticing shape, scale and repetition, to better understand the pieces you return to.

Choose three familiar pieces

Begin with three objects you enjoy wearing. They need not be similar, expensive or recently acquired. Set them out separately and describe each in a few plain words: rounded, linear, compact, open, close to the body or more pronounced.

Then consider how you use them. One might be chosen almost automatically, another for a particular occasion, and a third because it recalls someone. Shape and memory can both influence preference. Noticing the difference gives you a fuller account of what you like.

Wide editorial portrait of a woman in black tailoring within dark architecture
An editorial portrait accompanying a reflection on personal style.

Look for the recurring decision

The connection between the pieces may be less obvious than colour. Perhaps each has a clear outline. Perhaps you prefer a small area of detail inside an otherwise simple form. Or perhaps they share only the ease with which they fit into your day.

Write down what repeats without trying to turn it into a permanent identity. A vocabulary should make choices easier to discuss, not limit them. The words can change as your wardrobe, interests and circumstances change.

Use the words in a new encounter

When looking at a new creation, return to those observations. Ask how its proportions compare with what you know, or whether the way it is worn would be familiar. If it offers something different, name what attracts you to that difference.

This can also make a conversation with GREIGN more useful. Describing a preference for an open shape or a compact silhouette gives a clearer starting point than asking for something generally elegant. Bring a photograph of a piece you wear often if that is easier than describing it.

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