Jewellery is having a genuinely eventful year. Between shifting silhouettes, a renewed appetite for personality over formality, and a handful of specific pieces experts keep singling out, UK fashion and jewellery coverage has converged on a fairly clear picture of what’s actually worth wearing — and buying — in 2026.
Tassels are replacing the dainty pendant
If there’s one casualty of this year’s jewellery shift, it’s the small, delicate pendant that dominated minimalist styling for years. According to Who What Wear UK, dainty pendants are firmly on their way out, with extra-long tassels — in the form of tasselled earrings or lariat necklaces — taking their place. The trend’s rise has been credited to indie jewellery brands Le Sundial and Ayllón, whose viral signature tassel necklaces sparked the shift over the summer, before the look made its way onto runway collections from Fendi, Michael Kors, and Chanel.
Cocktail watches are back, minus the formality
Watches are having their own resurgence, but not in a strictly formal sense. Who What Wear points to the rise of the Cartier Baignoire as evidence that cocktail watches are having a real moment again in 2026 — this time framed around personality rather than occasion-driven dressing. The trend has even picked up its own cultural shorthand: fashion writer Ava Gilchrist described the cocktail watch as the ideal companion to “an extra-dirty martini” on nights when checking the time is the last thing on anyone’s mind, tying the accessory back to a distinctly Carrie Bradshaw-coded sense of glamour.
Bezel settings are quietly taking over
Away from statement pieces, a more structural shift is happening in how stones get set. Bezel settings are having what Who What Wear calls a major moment, driven partly by the growing size and popularity of lab-grown diamonds. Engagement rings are leading that charge, with diamond earrings and pendants following close behind — bezel-set pieces are being framed as secure enough for daily wear without ever feeling heavy, which is exactly why they’re increasingly treated as everyday essentials rather than special-occasion pieces.
Vintage, but reworked rather than replicated
According to Nombulelo Makombe, speaking to Marie Claire UK, 2026’s take on vintage isn’t about nostalgia for its own sake. “Vintage references will continue to shape jewellery in 2026, but in a way that feels modern rather than overtly nostalgic,” she said, pointing to black rhodium plating, Art Deco silhouettes, and T-bar motifs inspired by antique pocket-watch chains as the specific references shaping this year’s pieces. For accessible price points, she flagged brands including Laura Vann and Tilly Sveaas, while naming Lucy Delius’s black rhodium-plated 18ct yellow gold T-bar charms as a standout investment option.
Gemstones and layering hold their ground
Not every 2026 trend is new. Gemstone jewellery remains a consistent favourite according to Beaverbrooks, spanning statement gemstone cocktail rings through to dazzling necklaces, with the added appeal of birthstone meaning giving pieces sentimental as well as aesthetic value. Layering is also being treated as a defining theme for the year rather than a passing styling trick — Beaverbrooks describes 2026 as centred on “timeless details and layering,” encouraging shoppers to mix styles freely rather than sticking to a single aesthetic.
The bigger theme: personal expression over rules
Underneath all the individual trends, there’s a consistent thread running through this year’s expert commentary: jewellery in 2026 is being framed less around strict style rules and more around personal expression. Jeweller Roxanne First, quoted in Marie Claire UK, predicted that “2026 will be all about personal expression and wearability when it comes to jewellery” — a sentiment echoed across multiple sources covering the year’s direction.
Why this matters beyond the accessories drawer
Jewellery trends tend to move more slowly than clothing trends, which makes this year’s shift toward tassels, bezel settings, and reworked vintage details a genuinely useful signal for anyone thinking about longer-term wardrobe investment rather than seasonal purchases. The consistent emphasis on wearability and personal styling over rigid formality also reflects a broader shift happening across UK fashion more generally this year — a move away from prescriptive “correct” dressing and toward pieces people will actually reach for daily.
What to watch as the year continuesExpect tasselled pieces and bezel-set jewellery to keep gaining ground through the rest of 2026, particularly as more mainstream and high-street brands catch up with the indie labels that originated the tassel trend. Cocktail watches, meanwhile, are likely to keep showing up as a talking point through the UK’s autumn event season, given how closely the trend is tied to evening dressing and occasion-based styling.
