Statement Jewellery: Rings

Statement jewellery really took off last year and became one of the biggest trends of 2012. Well, good news for all you lovers of bright, chunky, eye-catching jewellery, because it only seems to be getting bigger. 

I'm a huge fan of statement jewellery. It can make an outfit and add another element to it; handy when you don't feel like particularly putting in much effort into your clothes or just wearing something simple.

I thought I'd split my jewellery blogs into three different segments: rings, necklaces and bracelets. So here is my first installment: statement rings.

Skulls

I'm obsessed with skulls. I always joke with my friends and family that I'm too easy to buy presents for because I automatically love anything with skulls on it. It could be my love of Alexander McQueen or my attraction to the macabre but, whatever it is, I can't walk past anything with skulls on it. Therefore, it'll come to no surprise to you that I own a few skull rings. 

New Look - £2.99

I got this guy at New Look a little while ago for only £2.99 since it's acrylic. I love how, despite being a skull, the flowers make it somewhat feminine. It's also really comfortable, something I look for with rings since I hate having the feeling of stuff between my fingers. I personally wear this with feminine colours and flowing fabrics because I love the contrast of hard/severe with soft/sweet.

Destiny, via Matalan - £6

This is a slightly less harsh version of the skull ring above. If you want to try out statement jewellery but feel a bit apprehensive, this is a great piece to try out as it's not too big or bright but is still an eye-catching piece. The flowers and jewels make it feminine and it'd go well with a summer dress.

Destiny, via Matalan £6

Do I really need to go into why I love this? It's gold. There you go. Exactly the same as the silver skull ring but gold... obviously. This would go really well with a black, long sleeved top or dress; really stunning.

Floral

Floral jewellery, except for roses, has never really been my thing. However, I love this stretchy, red flower ring by Emporium (I think). I can't seem to find this ring anywhere online but I can assure you, if you Google 'red flower ring' you won't be stuck for choices. Bright statement jewellery looks great with contrasting colours, for example, I'd wear this shade of red with blue or green.  Something else I love about this type of ring, is it has a stretchy band so it's one-size-fits-all. 

Odile & Fleur - £5

This one's a lot smaller than the others and some could probably argue that it's not a statement ring at all but I beg to differ. If you're new to wearing jewellery, this piece is perfect to start; it's pretty, feminine and will go with most outfits.

Gothic

All That Sparkles - £8.50

As you can probably guess, I love all things Gothic and jewellery is no different. This ring is pretty big and, unfortunately for me, looks a little bit odd on my short, little fingers. If you have normal-to-long fingers, however, I'd really recommend something like the ring above; it's stunning and would go with most outfits but I'd personally advise wearing it on a night out with your favourite little black dress.

New Look - £4.99

This ring is beautiful and classic and really reminds me of a cameo without the portrait in the middle. Again, this would look fantastic with an evening dress.

Emporium - £12.50

This bad boy is massive, even by my standards, but is simply gorgeous. The picture doesn't quite portray how classy and luxurious it looks. Again, this would look great with a simple black or lace dress, but also with other monochrome outfits. I'd be tempted to wear this with a flowing skirt and simple top, purely for the contrast.

Destiny - £5

Double rings look as if they're the most uncomfortable things ever invented but they're actually not, I for one was surprised! I just think they look so cool, for lack of a better word. You can get triple rings, something I want to look out for, and I think they just add a completely different dimension to wearing jewellery.

Hand Chains

I wasn't sure whether to include these two pieces, as hand chains could count as either rings, bracelets or 'other' but in the end I decided I might as well.

New Look - £4.99

This Egyptian hand chain/cuff is practically impossible to get on because it's so 'stirdy'. When I want to wear it, I have to get another person to lever it open while I slide my wrist inside. However, once it's on, it looks amazing. I love the effect of the chain dangling from the hand, there's something so luxurious about it and I can't quite pinpoint what it is. This (and the hand chain I'm about the show you) are the pieces of jewellery, apart from necklaces, that I get the most compliments on.

New Look

This piece is far more feminine and understated than the previous hand chain but is still utterly stunning to wear and, as I said above, gets a lot of positive comments. This would go well with a pretty, gold, pink or coral dress. However, I recently wore this for New Year's Eve with a black, sleeveless dress and other gold accessories.

The thing to remember with statement jewellery is to not be afraid. It's not a tattoo or permanently glued to your body; if you're feeling uncomfortable and not appreciating people asking about it, just take it off. Especially with rings, they're probably the least obvious piece of statement jewellery that you can wear and are therefore a good place to start for the slightly more timid.
Most pieces I've mentioned here aren't expensive, only one being more than a tenner, so treating yourself isn't such a gamble. Have a look around on the internet first, there are thousands of options and if you're not into anything I've featured here, I'm sure you'll find something perfect for you.