The Statement Earrings

Are the Outfit

Let the Earrings Do the Work

A staple on the red carpet for decades, the statement earrings have become a truly must-have everyday accessory. The allure is pretty simple: one great pair can change the entire energy of a look. Wear them with something equally maximal or let them be the only thing trying particularly hard. Both work.

“It is important to play with fashion—and we could all use a little fun right now—so people are pulling out earrings they only wore to galas in the past, and they are seeing how they can reinvent them with more casual looks,” explains Law Roach, the stylist whom celebrities like Zendaya and Kerry Washington turn to for fashion advice.

“A flawless pair of earrings can elevate any look – even everyday T-shirts and jeans.” The newest “wow” diamond earrings are surprisingly lightweight and flexible, and they are comfortable enough to wear all day long—yes, even on never-ending Zoom meetings.

Go Big. Then Go Bigger.

Jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz is famous for her oversized diamond jewels, which are favorites of celebrities like Beyoncé and Blake Lively, and few designers understand the appeal of a truly enormous earring better.

“Earrings should make a woman feel sexy and glamorous,” says Schwartz, who is a third-generation diamond expert. “I design earrings that are cool, have an edge and move with the body.”

Schwartz’s large-scale diamond mesh earrings are soft and supple like fabric, while three-tier hoops with removable pear- or emerald-cut diamonds turn the ear into something closer to a composition. Big doesn’t have to mean heavy, stiff, or overly precious. These earrings are on the move.

“These earrings are for an independent woman, who would just as easily wear them with a t-shirt as an evening gown… because it is about the woman and her sense of confidence, not the jewels.”

Even at this scale, Schwartz knows when to pull back. Rose-cut diamonds and minimal metal settings can soften the effect, proving that an earring can take up serious real estate without overpowering the person wearing it.

Keep the Diamonds, Lose the Dress Code

Pick Your Level of Extra

But these bold looks aren’t just for high-profile celebrities. They suit people of all ages, from the younger set who want to rock a chandelier style to a more sophisiticated crowd who want to uplift their everyday style.

Project Curator of Jewellery at Victoria and Albert Museum, Rachel Garrahan, knows better than anyone, “A good earring can transform any look and never more so than in the age of Zoom when the world sees you in a tiny box on screen.”

There are no limits to what a great diamond earring can do for your image. The common denominator is confidence. A great earring changes the proportions of a look, draws attention to the face, and gives even the simplest clothes a sense of intention. You decide how far to take it.

The Statement Earring Edit