< Culture & Style / Jewelry Trends
The Best Diamond Pendant Styles to Start Your Jewelry Collection
Perfect on their own or for layering, these necklaces are a diamond essential must-have.
The idea of building a natural diamond jewelry wardrobe can be a bit overwhelming. Where do you start—diamond pendant designs. It is helpful to think of your natural diamond jewelry in the same way as you do your fashion investments, like say a little black dress, a khaki trench coat or any other high-quality item you wear repeatedly over the years. There are several diamond essentials to consider for your collection, eternity bands, tennis bracelets, hoops and rivières all included. A key piece to add to the list: diamond pendant necklaces.
Meet the Expert
- Marion Fasel is an esteemed jewelry expert, author, curator, and trend forecaster
- She is the founder and Editorial Director of The Adventurine online jewelry magazine
- She is the author of several books, including The History of Diamond Engagement Rings: A True Romance
What Is a Pendant?
A bit different than most of the classic diamond jewelry styles, diamond pendants have a broad definition, running the gamut from a solitaire necklace to distinctive designs. The individuality of these designs literally extends back to the dawn of time. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, they can be found in jewelry collections dating to the “Stone Age when pendants consisted of such objects as teeth, stones and shells.” Flash forward to the Renaissance and diamonds became a part of designs that included all kinds of fantastical creatures and mythical characters. For the last hundred years, diamond pendant designs have transformed as lucky charms as well as pretty motifs.
Today, diamond designs couldn’t be more popular. People often layer them on other necklaces of various lengths. Jennifer Aniston demonstrated the style to perfection when she arrived to the 2016 Critics’ Choice Awards. The actress’s jewels included diamond pendants in different shapes from Anita Ko, Suzanne Kalan, and Carbon and Hyde.
So, returning to the original question in this story: how do you pick the perfect diamond pendant or better yet start a capsule collection of your own essentials? Well, it all starts by understanding a few timeless categories.
Solitaire and Cluster Diamond Pendant Styles
In 1974, when Elsa Peretti launched her collection at Tiffany, it included a solitaire diamond on a chain that was part of her Diamonds by the Yard(r) collection. This little piece popularized diamond solitaire necklaces, which are still beloved to this day. When asked by Newsweek about the jewel in 1977, Peretti said, “There is nothing more pretty than a little diamond on a chain.” Of course, leave it to Zendaya to continue to prove this true nearly four decades later.
Jewelry brands today have gotten creative with the idea of designs involving solitaires. Some styles include colorful enamels around one stone.
Others make pendants, like Suzanne Kalan’s below are made out of a cluster of stones. There are also styles centering on various fancy diamond shapes such as a pear shape.
Initial Diamond Pendant Necklaces
The history of initial diamond pendant designs has been getting a lot of play in the fashion press lately because Balenciaga made a chunky rendition thought by many to be reminiscent of the famous style worn in the 16th century by Anne Boleyn, the doomed wife of Henry VII.
Whatever the case may be regarding Boleyn inspiring Balenciaga, the story proves initial necklaces were genuinely worn hundreds of years ago. Stephanie Gottlieb’s charm necklace allows you to design your own pendant arrangement with an initial and birthstone to represent someone special in your life.
Today, initial diamond pendants designs can be found in any number of styles from delicate styles to chunky gold fonts. There are also diamond letters set in pearls and pieces that pop with colorful enamel.
Choose a letter for your first name or last name. Charm styles that can be piled on a chain make it possible to wear even more letters. People often assemble the initials of their children or other loved ones.
Symbolic Diamond Pendant Designs
Signs and symbols are the most perpetually consistent diamond pendant design category. Wearing one with a meaningful motif puts your lucky charm right near your heart. It also presents your sentiments to the world as it is worn in the line of sight of your face, unlike say a ring or bracelet. The Foundrae collection has a comprehensive array symbolizing everything from good karma to a course correction.
Designers express themselves through signs and symbols in any number of creative ways. Catherine Sarr of ALMASIKA has a complete collection of gold and diamond cowrie shells, named Le Cauri Endiamnté. In African legends, the cowrie shell is a motif of protection linked to the Ocean.
No matter what essential pendant style you choose to add to your collection, it will undoubtedly transform into a beloved personal treasure for its inherent meaning.
