Whether you want to recreate a 60s look for yourself or a costume party, with these 60s jewelry pieces you’ll build the perfect outfit. As you’ll find out pretty soon, a lot of the pieces worn in the 60s are statement jewelry pieces. The 60s fashion was one of the first eras in which designers brought crazy and new styles to life.
In this little guide, you find all the essential and trendy jewelry pieces from the 1960s. And maybe after reading, you’ll add a little fun and 60s flair to your simple or modern outfit with these jewelry pieces!
60s Jewelry Trends
The 1960s brought a lot of new fashion styles – including new jewelry trends. In the following, I show five aspects that were huge in 60s fashion and shaped the following decades of jewelry fashion.
Although common people like you and I made these trends so popular, some celebrities gave a lot of inspiration. Just to name a few, Elizabeth Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, and Audrey Hepburn brought many elegant jewelry trends, while Twiggy or Andy Warhol inspired new and fun ways of creating statement jewelry pieces.
Cheap Materials: Plastics
After World War II, mass production has been higher than ever, as plastics and other new and cheap materials became more accessible as well. With more production of cheaper products, including the jewelry industry, more and more people could afford to buy jewelry and accessorize their looks.
As you will see in this guide, a lot of trendy jewelry pieces were made of plastics which were in the 1960s more than ever before.
Statement Jewelry
The 1960s are a decade of statement jewelry pieces. You see big and extravagant pieces in this era more than you have ever seen the years before. Very many 60s jewelry pieces are big and oversized and have bold colors and patterns. You see this for example on the typical circular hoop earrings or bangles.
With the help of plastic, people could now afford a lot of fun jewelry pieces that could underline one’s personality. Designers in the 60s brought experimental designs and jewelry pieces, covered with crazy and fun patterns. A lot of these creative and new trends were inspired by pop art.
Pop art is an art form that had its peak in the 1960s and included bright colors, crazy designs, and garish and loud patterns and motifs. These expressive designs, for example by the artist Andy Warhol, had such an impact on 60s fashion and jewelry that many costume jewelry pieces were actual and abstract art pieces. Art to wear.
Hippie Style
The hippie movement started at the beginning of the 1960s as a countermovement to the Vietnam war. The mostly young people demonstrated against the war and for love and peace which they expressed in one part with their style. Loose shirts, floral pants, or long hair are just some 60s hippie-style pieces.
When looking at jewelry pieces that many 60s hippies wore, this is still a jewelry blog, we see a lot of natural materials such as wood, stone, cord, feathers, or flowers and leaves. Combine a necklace with wood beads with a typical flower headband, for example. The jewelry pieces that you wear in 60s hippie fashion don’t have to match well together.
The style is pretty ruleless. Next to flower patterns and psychedelic swirls, a lot of beaded necklaces or necklace ropes with a pendant were layered over one another, no matter if they match or not. A lot of long necklaces and flower designs can be seen today in the more modern version of the boho style.
Hippie-inspired jewelry pieces are also still a part of the jewelry trends of the 1970s. As with many other trends from the 60s, the style swapped over the decade line.
Diamonds
As the complete opposite of the hippie style, let’s talk about diamonds in the 1960s. With the mass production and the rising income of many people in the 60s, more and more people could afford to buy luxury goods. Many celebrities brought popularity for big diamond pieces.
Jewelry pieces with diamonds became more extravagant and playful. You could also purchase bigger and more colored diamonds which became parts of popular jewelry pieces. As you could probably imagine, these trends were seen mostly in the upper class of society and they were a way to show one’s wealth.
Other Jewelry Trends
Lastly and before getting started on the specific jewelry types, I want to show you some trends that you see in many jewelry pieces throughout the 1960s.
- psychedelic swirls
- texture in metal pieces
- black and white
- geometrical shapes
- new gemstones
- faux pearls
60s Necklaces
Long Beaded Necklace
The typical 1960s necklace is probably a long beaded necklace. The pearls and beads are typically round and in all kinds of colors and sizes. They were mostly in plastic but could also be made of glass or wood.
Many people in the 1960s had long to very long beaded necklaces that sometimes even went to the belly and longer. You can wear the long beaded necklaces on their own, one necklace doubled around your neck, wear a multi-strand bead necklace, or layer several beaded necklaces. The styles were very popular in the hippie style.
Pearl Necklace
A white pearl necklace is a classic 60s accessory. The First Lady Jackie Kennedy was one of the style inspirations in the 1960s and brought an elegant and “preppy” look with her gems and pearls. Especially a short necklace with big white pearls is a great 60s jewelry piece. The classic piece can also be seen as a part of the Old Money fashion style in this aesthetic. {LINK}
Next to the classic single pearl necklace, a multi-strand pearl necklace was also a popular choice. You can add a 60s flair to your outfit with a classical multi-strand pearl necklace that has a bigger stone or pearl in the middle that connects all strands. It’s a really elegant and statement 60s jewelry piece.
Necklace With Pendant
In 60s hippie fashion, you see a lot of jewelry combinations and layered necklaces. While fun beaded necklaces were often worn, you could also see ribbon necklaces with a round or symbol pendant. This style would become quite popular later in the 90s.
60s Bracelets
Bangles
The most worn bracelets in the 60s were probably bangles. 60s bangles are mostly out of plastic and in bright colors, but can also be in gold or silver for a more elegant look. They are often rather big and large and can be worn tight to your arm or loose and oversized. In 60s fashion, people often wear several bangles stacked over one another.
Pearl Bracelet
After the 1950s, pearls remained a very popular jewelry material, for necklaces but also as pearl bracelets. The pearls here are white or beige pearls and fit to match the often combined pearl necklace or pearl earrings. The pearl bracelet is a classic essential that you see in many decades and also in the 1960s.
60s Earrings
Some might say earrings were the most worn jewelry type in the 1960s. For an authentic 60s look, you can’t miss earrings. But how come? Well, in the 1960s, the pixie cut and many other short hairstyles became very popular for women, see for example 60s style icon Twiggy.
With now a “naked” neck and the hair always up, earrings seemed like the best choice to create fun and great looks with. In many earring styles, you will see a lot of bold patterns and bright colors. The earrings can also be asymmetrical or very oversized. Statement earrings are your number one choice.
Big Circular Hoop Earrings
I honestly never know what these earrings are officially called, that’s why I’m just going to describe them while you look at these explaining pictures. The typical 60s-era earrings are these big circular hoop earrings in a round or oval shape and a hole in the middle.
The earrings are made of plastic and are in all kinds of bright colors. You might also see them in different sizes or as flower shapes. Although these circular hoop earrings are a typical 60s piece, they can quickly look too costume-ish and not aesthetic or as something you would wear daily. However, they fulfill their purpose and are a total statement piece.
Dangle Earrings
Speaking of statement earrings, another popular earring trend was dangle earrings. Typical 60s dangle earrings often have quite a long rope with a big pendant on the end. Sometimes, the ropes are so long that the pendant almost touches the shoulders. The pendant can be elegant and chic and is in gold or silver with a fancy design.
It can also be more fun and extravagant with a big round or symbol pendant. These can be fun motives, such as fruits or other objects, that are big and colorful. Very popular in 60s fashion are also flat earring studs that have a dangling big pendant. These are, again, in bright colors and often in plastic material.
Big Studs
Although stud earrings might seem like a rather simple jewelry piece, 60s studs are no other than statement pieces. There are two ways to typical 60s stud earrings. A 60s stud earring can be one huge pearl in white or in a bright color. They can match perfectly the color of your dress or your beaded necklace.
On the other side and for a rather elegant look, big studs with a large gemstone and a fancy silver or gold design around them are your perfect choice. Because of the size and the shiny materials, which can also be rhinestones or diamonds, these 60s studs are statement pieces that can up dress your look.
Silver Diamond Earrings
For a classical 60s Hollywood glam look, hanging diamond earrings are a must-have. Inspired by many looks from actress Elizabeth Taylor, diamond or rhinestone silver hanging earrings, maybe with a big gemstone inside, can make a gorgeous 60s red carpet look. Or for just looking elegant and amazing, in case you have no red carpet to go to.
Hoops
When talking about “hoops”, I don’t mean the typical 60s circular earrings that we talked about earlier. The classic hoops aren’t the most worn earrings in the 60s and had their peak in some other decades, such as in the 70s or 90s, but they’re still an honorable mention. Hoops in the 60s are thick and chunky, but rather small and not so large. They are also out of gold or silver.
60s Rings
Cocktail Ring
Rings didn’t have their peak era in the 1960s, but if people wore rings, they wore cocktail rings. Well, not always, but it definitely was a popular ring choice. A 60s cocktail can have a series of shiny diamonds or gemstones, such as in our picture, or just one big diamond or gemstone, often surrounded by fancy metal details.
60s Accessory Trends
Hair Band & Head Scarf
Accessories for your hair became a popular trend in the 1960s. Hair bands are often styled directly to fit into the hairstyle and give you an elegant and sleek look. They can be colorful or just black or white to match the colors in the outfit.
You also see a lot of bands or ribbons around the head. With flowers combined, they are a classic hippie essential. Head scarfs are another accessory that gives you a great 60s vibe. Style it to your hair and leave some strains out or put it all back for a classic retro look.
Statement Sunglasses
Typical 60s sunglasses are rather big sunglasses with a white or colorful frame. The frame is usually pretty large compared to modern sunglasses. These sunglasses have black glasses and are round or oval-shaped.
This 60s trend coming from the 1950s combined with a pretty head scarf can create an authentic 60s outfit. By the way, you can see this trend already in the 1950s as well.
Where To Buy 60s Jewelry
Of course, the best way to have 60s jewelry is to get it vintage, to get actual jewelry pieces from the 1960s. Ask your family members, neighbors, friends, and your friends’ family and neighbors if they have any old jewelry boxes.
By asking nicely around, you might be lucky and find some antique pieces from the 60s. But since the 1960s are already 60 years ago, you should probably ask some older people or ask if the person has some jewelry from their parents.
In case you are not very lucky, second-hand and vintage shops are your place to go. Ask the stores in your area if they have an antique jewelry section from pieces in that era. For an authentic 60s look, jewelry from the 60s is just really your best shot.
Many online thrift stores have a selection of old jewelry. You can look for example on ThredUp or you find your luck in other retail stores such as Depop, eBay, or Etsy. Online vintage jewelry shops, however, are often pretty expensive and might not be something for you.
60s Jewelry Modern Brands
For those of you who would rather want to buy jewelry pieces that were made in this decade and that are modern with a 60s touch, I’ve got these jewelry brands for you.
The first shop I want to show you is Fried Flowers. You actually saw already their pieces in this guide! Although I didn’t live in the 1960s, the funky yet stylish jewelry pieces seem very authentic to me. I especially like the statement dangle earrings from their 60s-inspired Summer of Love Collection.
The next jewelry brand for a classic 60s outfit is The Kitschy Cactus. As the name might lead you, the brand has some adorable and fun 60s statement earrings and necklaces. Although the pieces have a similar vibe, a 60s hippie vibe, the earrings, and motifs look all different and can be the missing piece to your rather simple outfit.
For a rather elegant 60s Hollywood red carpet look, or whatever you create with this jewelry, I want to mention Jewels by House of Aria. The brand has some amazing shiny statement pieces, such as statement earrings and bib necklaces. Because they use rhinestones instead of actual diamonds, the beautiful pieces have affordable prices while still accessorizing your 60s outfit perfectly.
