When it comes to accessorizing, how much is too much?
This is a question that many people ask, and the answer can vary depending on the person. Some people believe that you can never wear too much jewelry, while others think that less is more.
Let’s not consider the growing crime wave in our society, even though we absolutely should.
Common sense would tell us not to wear any jewelry out of your house, nor should you even answer your front door wearing any.
But putting all common sense aside, what about when you are feeling lucky and do decide to chance wearing your jewelry somewhere?
Is there such a thing as being over the top dripping in precious metal and fine gemstones?
Or is that idea just coming from someone’s envy?
In this blog post, we will explore the topic of how much jewelry is too much and offer some tips on how to accessorize your outfits without going too overboard!
Table of Contents
What Qualifies As Too Much Jewelry?
If you consider the occasion or event that you are going to wear jewelry at, you certainly would not want to bring undue attention to yourself by wearing a pound of jewelry, unless that is the exact effect that you are after.
Going to a party vs going to a funeral are two different things.
What you don’t want to do is to upstage the main person for which the event is for, or steal someone else’s thunder.
If you are simply going to work in an office setting, then observe what others are wearing and then scale down if you have a tendency to wear more than 5 or 6 pieces at once.
Keeping it to one ring on each hand, a pair of earrings, a necklace and a bracelet or watch would be conservative enough for any office environment.
Going out on the town for the evening can be an occasion for wearing a lot of jewelry, but keep in mind that you can just as easily become a target for robbery too.
If you notice that you are beginning to get the heebee geebee’s when you are in an environment with a lot of jewelry on, then you probably should quickly peel some of it off and take note of the people who have been looking at you.
Slowly back up out of the building and quickly get into your car and drive away.
There is an old saying “when in doubt, don’t.”
This should be the general rule of thumb.
If you have to ask yourself the question, whether it is jewelry or clothing choices, then there is already doubt in your mind.
How Much Jewelry The Average Person Owns
In order to get a real evaluation of what “average” means, we’d first have to determine several things. The first one is economic status, the second is age, and the last is dollar value vs amount of pieces.
The economic status of an average person seems to follow age.
So if we are to include teens that are of working age, all the way to the elderly who are retired, then we’d say that the median age would be around 45yrs old.
This age category owns an average of $30,000 worth of jewelry if they are of average income (which is an entirely different conversation).
An average income is around $54K per year if you eliminate the poor as well as the upper middle class.
So by the time an “average” person reaches age 45, they will have accumulated about $30K worth of jewelry if they even have a small panache for the stuff.
It stands to reason that people that are young adults in their teens, 20’s and 30’s are still forging their way through the employment gauntlet.
So the amount of jewelry that they have collected, while perhaps not expensive, could be massive.
Someone who loves jewelry could have hundreds of pieces of sterling silver and also several expensive pieces.
So determining the amount of jewelry that a person owns is not really the issue at hand, but how many pieces of it that they wear at one time when they wear it is.
How To Accessorize Without Going Overboard
Going overboard like Mr. T is getting a bad rap.
Why?
When people are putting holes in their eyebrows, tongues, nipples and noses, you’d think that wearing a few pieces of jewelry too much is to be judged as immoral or something.
Okay.
You can actually accessorize without looking like Mr. T.
What Jewelry Can You Wear Every Day?
You can, and should, wear your wedding ring on one hand, and another ring on the other.
You can wear a necklace and a bracelet and a pair of earrings everyday also…a watch too if you are inclined.
So right there we are talking about 5 to 6 pieces of everyday jewelry, even when you are just staying home. But let’s go beyond that to answer the next question:
How Much Jewelry Should You Wear At Once?
This is really what we are after.
“Can” and “should.”
You “can” wear every single piece of jewelry that you own, provided that you have enough fingers and holes in your body to attach them to.
But for aesthetic sake, and so that you are not appearing to be screaming for attention, lets just keep it to this maximum:
- Three rings. One on the wedding finger, and two on the right hand on any finger you want including the thumb.
- Three necklaces. They should tastefully compliment each other and be layered one to two inches below each other. This will make sure that they do not get tangled up and that you are not constantly adjusting the mess.
- Up to 5 bracelets. Two on one wrist, three on the other depending on thickness. These must also compliment each other and fall on the wrist in a way so as not to tangle.
- Two pairs of earrings. One can be a drop dangle, the other a stud just above it.
- Two ankle bracelets. One on each ankle.
- 4 Toe rings. Two on each foot.
So there you have it.
This formula disburses approximately 19 pieces of jewelry throughout the entire body while not making you seem as if you are hiding behind it all.
We are not suggesting a ring on every finger, nor are we suggesting that you should wear all of this.
We are simply saying that this would be the maximum amount to wear all at the same time without seeming like you are begging to be attended to in some way.
Tips For Wearing Statement Pieces
Sometimes you just want to make a statement.
You want people to know that you are important and that they should treat you as such.
You want them to give up their seats on the train, open doors for you, and basically just be nice because they see how much money you have.
We get it. It’s tough out there. But how do you make a statement without looking like an idiot?
The secret is in the layering.
You can wear as many pieces of jewelry as you want, but if they aren’t tastefully done and compliment each other, then you will look like Mr. T or some kind of gypsy fortune teller.
Everyday Statement Jewelry
You will get a lot more mileage from a statement piece of jewelry if you are wearing it alone on one hand, alone on the neck, alone on the ears, or alone on the wrist.
It should not be something that easily snags or is delicate in design because after all, it is to be worn daily and we want to make sure it can withstand the wear and tear.
Statement jewelry is really stand alone jewelry and needs very little to be worn with it to make it pop.
A strand of pearls that falls an inch or two below a statement necklace would frame it wonderfully.
But the knots in a strand of pearls get dirty fast, so keep that in mind.
Generally speaking, the moment you add something else to a statement piece, unless you are using it to frame it, then you are stealing its thunder.
Statement Jewelry At The Office
Keep it simple as above.
Why would you want to draw additional attention to your jewelry when the point of going to the office is to earn an income rather than parade your wealth around to your coworkers, making yourself a target of their back-stabbing?
You wouldn’t. So don’t.
Statement Jewelry At Formal Events
Formal events require that statement jewelry is worn singly with a few pieces of other statement jewelry. One necklace that matches or compliments one pair of earrings.
One ring on each hand, and one bracelet. That’s it.
Formal event jewelry wearing should be limited to your most expensive pieces of jewelry, but only if they each compliment the other.
Statement Jewelry At Parties
This is where people love to put on the dog. Show off what they have.
Why? Don’t know. But there it is.
So here you’d want to encircle your statement pieces with “lesser than” but “more of” pieces that compliment it.
This means that if you are wearing a large cocktail ring, then you’d want to wear several bracelets that compliment the ring but don’t take away from it.
The same goes for necklaces and earrings.
If you have on a really great pair of chandelier earrings, then choose a necklace that is a little more subdued.
Don’t overdo it.
Remember, the goal is to look like a well-put together human being and not a character from The Hunger Games, even as tempting as that may be.
FAQ’s About Wearing Too Much Jewelry
How many bracelets is too many?
To answer this question we might want to consider what is worn in India perhaps? The women there wear their wealth in the form of high karat gold and they put as many bracelets as they can, along with earrings and necklaces and even ankle bracelets.
The average woman wears a pound of high karat jewelry if she is in her mid forties. So in that culture, too many is not an issue.
You get used to the weight really fast. Here, it depends on where you are and what you are doing.
You decide when to stop.
Is it OK to wear matching necklace and earrings?
Wearing matching necklaces and earrings is wonderful!
Why not?!
Matching or complimenting different pieces of jewelry tastefully is a good thing. Wearing pieces of jewelry that clash with each other will just make you look like you got dressed in the dark.
Is it OK to wear two necklaces?
It is fine to wear two necklaces.
If you have a nice pendant and then add a pearl strand just below it or a nice gold chain below it that is complimentary, then you have just framed and highlighted your pendant with something equally as nice but not clashing.
Wear three if you can make that work too.
Four is a bit much, but it depends on the styles.
Can I wear my diamond necklace all the time?
You should wear your diamond as much as you can and wherever you can. Jewelry is meant to be worn; otherwise why own it? Nowadays, you cannot tell the difference between a real diamond and a Moissanite diamond, so what difference does it make to wear the one or the other?
Final Thoughts
Do not allow anyone to determine how many pieces of jewelry that you are “supposed” to be wearing or not.
This is a personal decision that is a learned experience about what works for you rather than what works for others.
If you live in a high crime neighborhood, it is best not to be sporting your jewelry around, and instead, sell it so you can move elsewhere if possible. If however, you live in a high-falutin neighborhood, or have a high-falutin job that comes with the typical office parties, then you will have more occasion for wearing more jewelry at one time.
Finally, if you live out in the boondocks and are working the land and cleaning up after the chickens, then you may not want to wear your best strand of pearls or anything else for that matter.
You choose.