Why I love the look of classic and timeless designs in jewelry

Trends come and go. The pieces you truly love have a way of staying.

I’ve always been drawn to things that feel classic.

A beautiful Oxford shirt. A great pair of jeans. Boots I’ve owned for years. An oversized sweater. Pearls. Sterling silver. Simple shapes and thoughtful details that don’t need to shout to be noticed.

Apparently, even when I buy a jean dress, it ends up looking like an Oxford shirt. 😂

My style has changed over the years, but what I’m drawn to really hasn’t.

I like things that are comfortable, beautiful and easy to live in. Pieces I can reach for again and again without having to think too hard about them.

And when I think about it, my approach to jewelry is exactly the same.

I’ve never wanted to make jewelry you love for one season.

I want to make jewelry you still reach for years from now.

Timeless Doesn’t Mean Boring

When we hear the words timeless jewelry, it can be easy to picture something formal or perhaps even a little old-fashioned.

But that isn’t what timeless means to me.

Timeless design is about creating something that continues to feel beautiful even as fashion changes around it.

It might be a simple pair of sterling silver earrings.

A strand of beautiful gemstones.

A pearl necklace worn with a crisp Oxford shirt.

Or a handcrafted piece with just enough detail to make it interesting without overwhelming the woman wearing it.

The best pieces don’t need to belong to a particular season or trend.

They simply need to feel like you.

I Want Jewelry to Work With Your Real Life

This is probably one of the biggest influences on the jewelry I make.

I don’t believe beautiful jewelry should spend most of its life tucked away waiting for somewhere special to go.

I want you to wear it.

To lunch with a girlfriend.

To work.

Out for dinner.

Running errands.

Travelling.

Or sitting on the deck at the end of the day.

Because an ordinary Tuesday is still part of your life — and I happen to think that’s reason enough to wear something beautiful.

The idea always makes me think of a photograph I have from years ago, when my daughter and I stopped for coffee in Calgary.

There was no special occasion. It was simply time together over coffee and a ridiculously good piece of pumpkin cake.

And those are exactly the kinds of moments I mean.

Not every memory announces itself as something important while we’re living it. Sometimes it’s just coffee with someone you love on an ordinary day.

Those moments count, too.

That is why I keep coming back to clean lines, sterling silver, pearls, beautiful gemstones and designs that can move easily between casual and dressed up.

It’s also the idea behind my Sterling Silver Jewelry Collection — pieces designed to be worn, loved and lived in.

You shouldn’t have to think too hard about how to wear them.

You should simply put them on and feel a little more like yourself.

Trends Ask, “What’s New?” Timeless Design Asks, “What Will I Still Love?”

There’s nothing wrong with enjoying a trend. Fashion should be fun.

But when I’m choosing something I want to keep — whether it’s for my home, my wardrobe or my jewelry box — I tend to ask a different question:

Will I still love this years from now?

It’s a question I think is worth asking when you buy jewelry, too.

Will you wear it with more than one outfit?

Does it suit the way you actually live?

Does it feel comfortable?

Is it well made?

And perhaps most importantly:

Does wearing it make you feel beautiful?

Those questions matter far more to me than whether something happens to be having a moment right now.

The More You Wear It, the More It Becomes Yours

There’s another reason I love timeless jewelry.

It gathers stories.

The necklace you wore on a wonderful trip.

The earrings you reach for whenever you need a little lift.

The bracelet you bought for yourself after accomplishing something you weren’t entirely sure you could do.

The piece someone gave you because they knew it was completely you.

Over time, jewelry can become connected to people, places and moments we don’t want to forget.

And I think that’s when it becomes far more than something pretty.

It becomes part of your story.

Choose What You’ll Love for Longer

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become increasingly drawn to the idea of choosing fewer things — but choosing them well.

Things that feel good.

Things that are made with care.

Things I genuinely love rather than things I think I’m supposed to want.

Jewelry is no different.

I’d rather have a small collection filled with pieces I reach for constantly than a jewelry box overflowing with things I rarely wear.

And that’s the philosophy I bring to my own designs at Plein De Vie Jewelry.

I want to create pieces that earn their place in your jewelry box.

Pieces you wear now.

Pieces you wear five years from now.

Pieces that quietly become part of your everyday life.

Because trends will always change.

But beautiful things that feel like you?

Those have a wonderful way of lasting.

Life is short. Wear the beautiful things.