Big, bold, jewelry was a trend in 2008 that we recommended investing in early; and true to our prediction, statement jewellery has arisen to a new level of significance for 2009.

Statement necklaces S/S 2008 Statement Jewellery from Emilio Pucci, Bottega Veneta, Ralph Lauren and Roberto Cavalli.

Ranging from the wild, to the wonderful, to the downright wacky; out-there statement jewelry really made its mark on the 2009 Spring/Summer runways, but don't be dissuaded from wearing this fashion trend for Fall/Winter 2009 either!

Themes

Jewellery in the 2009 collections took many and various forms. There were a few common threads amoung them, however, including:

    * Geometric shapes
    * Exotic and ethnic inspirations
    * Rich colours; prominent stones and gems

Geometric shapes in bold colours saw Cavalli extend upon last year's Art Deco trend; while the likes of Ralph Lauren and Anna Sui embraced the exotic, the former with imperial-esque jewels and the latter with ethnic inspired beading.

Others such as Giambattista Valli and Christian Lacroix showed modern, avant garde designs.

Statement necklaces S/S 2008 Statement pieces from Christian Dior, Giambattista Valli, Christian Lacroix and Valentino
Bracelets, bangles and cuffs

Bracelets took various forms on the runways - from simple chains to chunky bangles. It was the ornate cuff that really took trend status, however, worn on the upper arm or the wrist.

Statement cuffs, bracelets and bangles for 2009Christian Lacroix, Chanel, Roberto Cavalli and Alberta Ferretti.

How to wear this Jewellery Trend

The core difference between the previous season of bold jewellery and the 2009 trend is the clothing it's worn with. While 2008 was about playing down the clothing to make the jewels the stand-out feature, 2009 is not afraid to team wildly bold or colourful clothing with over-the-top accessories. Experiment with clashing colours and styles - make them as interesting as possible. Tania Braukamper