Jewelry Fads of the Sixties and Seventies

The 1960s and 70s were two decades with their own very distinct fashion. Both decades shared a love of bright colors, bell-bottoms, and wild patterns, but the 1960s were all about the flowing lines, whereas the 1970s were dedicated to geometric patterns. And just like the music and the movies, the jewelry trends of those decades are also iconic!

While you won't find any love beads while you're looking at estate jewelry in Kansas City, they were still a huge part of 1960s hippie culture—and you might find some while ransacking your mother's or grandmother's jewelry drawer. In fact, you'll probably find a lot of funky, shiny items that were popular back then, like mood rings. Invented in 1975, the mood ring was an enormous phenomenon in the 1970s—sort of the emoji of the decade! Chokers are still popular today, but they were extremely fashionable in the 1960s, just like ankle bracelets were an iconic trend of the 1970s.

Mood rings and love beads might look a bit retro these days, but there are some 1960s and 1970s trends that are still hot. Just like the Beatles or bellbottoms or tie-dye, it's rarer these days, but you can still find puzzle rings around (albeit usually in the sort of stores that sell incense and swords). Hoop earrings might be more modestly sized these days, but the classic round shape is always elegant, whether they're made of plastic, brightly colored gems, or classic silver or gold.

And then there's birthstone jewelry! Birthstone jewelry was invented in the 1970s, and today it's still a lovely and elegant addition to any jewelry box and continues to make a wonderful gift. Garnet earrings, amethyst rings, and ruby pendants will never really go out of style, even if what's hot in settings changes every decade or so.

With notable exceptions, most of the hottest jewelry trends of the 1960s and 1970s would look as odd with modern outfits as go-go boots or a "have a nice day" T-shirt. That said, wearing jewelry from another era can give you a sense of connection to the past—either your family's past or just an era you really like. Estate jewelry is a wonderful way to express funky, unique style while still wearing classic gems and elegant metals.

Estate jewelry has become incredibly hot in recent years. The flexibility of modern fashion means jewelry items that would have been the height of fashion in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s bring retro glamor even to a work-appropriate suit or elegant evening gown. And while your great grandmother's cameo or your aunt's engagement ring will have sentimental value like none other, estate jewelry sellers like Noe's in Kansas City will have an excellent selection of vintage and estate jewelry to make any jewelry box more exciting to open on those special occasions—or every day! And one day, you can pass that estate jewelry on to your nieces and daughters, and it'll have a whole new story to go along with it.

Noe's always has a great selection of estate and vintage jewelry at our Raymore, Missouri jewelry store.