As with clothing, jewellery items are subject to the changing moods of fashion. Every style fan knows that jewellery is the most important accessory - it can make or break an outfit.

The following guide will explore some of the hottest upcoming jewellery trends this year, to help you keep your finger on the fashion pulse.

Antique and Classic Jewellery

To those who enjoy a classy, old-world style, antique or classic jewellery will never go out of fashion. Nevertheless, this type of design is going to be big in 2012. From earrings, necklaces and pendants to bracelets, broaches and rings, expect to see lots of antique jewellery styles worn by those in the know.

Handmade Jewellery

Handmade, natural looking jewellery items are making a come-back, they’re going to highly in vogue for 2012. In particular, metal work is set to be majorly popular, as well as the use of multicoloured painting and pearls on jewellery creations. While this marks a return to a more traditional and nostalgic style, modern touches will give handmade jewellery an added cutting-edge look.

Natural Flora and Fauna

Flora (flowers, plants) and fauna (animals) inspired jewellery is another hot prediction for the New Year. This natural touch in items will give them an original and environmentally conscious appeal that signals a move away from jewellery fashion trends of previous years which has had a harder, space-age edge.

Beads and Pearls

Once thought of as gems that are worn by older women, pearls, as mentioned above, are making a surprising come-back in 2012. These lustrous natural stones can be rather pricey however due to their rarity. If you’re on a tight budget, the good news is that bead designs are also going to be popular this year. Appealingly colourful and versatile in all kinds of creations, beads can add flair to any jewellery item.

Crosses

Reminiscent of their last major heyday when Madonna first made it big, crosses are set to be an important accessory in 2012. There are no particular rules to their design – according to your individual tastes, you can choose a cross necklace that is either large or small, subtle or bold, simple or bling-luxurious. This type of jewellery is predic

ted to be completely in vogue for both men and women this year.

Brightly Coloured Jewellery

This year’s fashion trend is all about positively bright colours, and jewellery is no exception. Any outfit you wear will be significantly enhanced with some colourful, bold jewellery that simply won’t accept being relegated to wallpaper status.

Big and Chunky Jewellery

As with the above trend of boldly bright jewellery in 2012, large and chunky items are expected to be firmly in vogue (as seen already in recent runway events). Examples include big rings (to some these can never go out of fashion) and choker necklaces. All in all, this is definitely a year to throw subtle caution to the wind and replace it with confident pieces that burst with vibrancy and stand out from the crowd.

Large Crystals and Gemstones

Again following this year’s trend for bold, colourful jewellery fashion, large crystals and gemstones are expected to be hot items in 2012. These beautiful stones not only come in a wealth of colours to compliment any outfit, they’re also highly affordable. Some people believe that gemstones and crystals provide positive spiritual and physical benefits – if you’re of this mindset, it means you’ll both look and feel good wearing these types of jewellery creations!

Blue Shades

For those who love the colour blue, 2012 is undoubtedly your year as it is predicted to be huge in jewellery fashion over the upcoming months, so expect to see a host of blue shaded jewellery on offer from popular outlets. Recent runways events feature a dazzling range of blues, from aqua and azure to turquoise and navy. Complimenting colours such as green and purple will also be a good choice to enhance this blue trend.

Conclusion

From expensive items such as pearls to the highly affordable yet beautiful materials such as beads and other handcrafted designs, the jewellery fashion trends this year encompass every budget, so all of us can stay in style this year without worrying about the price tag. All in all, jewellery fashion in 2012 is going to be bold, colourful and creative – this is definitely the time for the confident, individual personality to shine!

About the Author: Julia Littlewood is a stylist and jewellery designer.