Styles and trends mark the passage of time in the world of jewellery, but some things never go out of style.  That includes many of the traditions and rules of thumb when it comes to jewellery - or does it?

While there are still plenty of basic rules for jewellery, some rules are simply a reflection of their time.  We’ve brought together three of these old school rules that have fallen out of favor. We’ve also included the one Golden Rule that remains as true today as it was at its inception.

Matched Sets

Matched sets make things easy, but they also put constraints on self-expression. Mixing and matching has become an art form all on its own with people mixing everything from colors to styles. Matched sets remain popular for people growing their collection as well s for those who don’t feel they can mix and match. There isn’t anything wrong with wearing a matched set today, but it also isn’t seen as being the ONLY way to wear a set.

Keep Real with Real

While authentic gemstones are always your best bet, sometimes they just aren’t in your budget. There are many man made gemstones that could easily pass for the ‘real thing’. You still don’t want to overdo it with gemstone jewelry but there’s no reason to worry about mixing man made stones with genuine gems. You can mix with stackable rings, layered necklaces or even include both types in a single setting!

Mixing Metals

The final old school jewelry rule you can ditch this year is about mixing metals.  As with the other rules, it was an extension of ‘Keep Like with Like’ way of thinking. But these days, we’ve embraced how different gemstones, styles and YES, even metals, can complement each other.  Layering silver with rose gold, for example, can make both colors pop and allow them to shine.

The Rule to Keep

While styles and attitudes about jewelry have changed over the years, there are still some rules that transcend time.  Perhaps the most foundation rule comes from none other than Coco Chanel herself.  “Before you leave the house”, she advised, “look in the mirror and take one thing off.”

Taking a moment to see what can be left off in order to make everything else shine a little bit more makes a huge difference. No matter what look you’re going more - less is more.