'Throw out the rules' - Maya Brenner shares her 3 top jewellery styling tips (if you have no idea where to start)

2024 marks the 25 years of Maya Brenner jewellery, which is quite the feat when you consider Maya's journey in to jewellery design began as a hobby, making bespoke beaded pieces for friends and family. Fast-forward over two decades later, and her 'delicate but makes a statement' designs are highly sought-after, and regularly seen on A-list celebrities. 

"I’ve always loved jewellery, even from when I was a kid, I think it adds such a moment for a style and can really elevate an outfit," Maya tells me. "I love versatility, so when I’m designing, I’m not just thinking about my lifestyle, but all women – so if you’re going from drop off to lunch with a friend, to work – I love pieces that can be styled with a T-shirt or a sweatshirt, but can also be worn with a little black dress."

To celebrate the business' 25-year milestone, Maya has come full circle with her jewellery design, releasing a new beaded jewellery range, aptly titled Endless Summer, which would sit perfectly in any summer capsule wardrobe. Ahead of the launch, she was kind enough to share her top jewellery styling tips for anyone unsure of where to start.  

1. Make it personal

As someone who doesn't wear much jewellery, but knows the added confidence even the smallest piece can offer, I was keen to lean on Maya's expertise on how to start building a jewellery collection. And just chatting to her for half hour made me think completely differently about how I will now choose the pieces I buy. 

Jewellery can offer something clothes can't, necessarily. And that is a moment - a memory. "When I was designing the asymmetrical letter necklaces, I had young kids, I was in t-shirts and sweatshirts that had spit-up on them, I did not feel glamorous," Maya says. 

"So I created that necklace as sort of a surprise in the design, and when I put it on, even though it was just a little sparkle at the neck, it just made me feel, in my t-shirt and sweatshirt and spit up and messy hair, just slightly more put together. And I love that about jewellery. So I think a meaningful, personalised piece is probably a great place to start."

2. High-low

If you're not sure where to start when it comes to styling jewellery and don't want to spend hundreds on pieces that might not suit, fashion pieces are a great affordable way to find what works. "I love high-low in anything – clothing, home etc –  but I think it’s really important in jewellery too," Maya says. 

"Experimenting with fashion pieces, like a gold chain that’s a little thicker that what you're used to wearing, but it’s plated (not the bad plating that comes off on your skin) and so more affordable. Then you can layer that with a more fine, delicate piece, like the asymmetric letter necklace. Fashion jewellery is a fun, easy and affordable way to help work out your style."

3. Throw out the rules

Growing up, I would often hear certain 'rules' about jewellery – never wear gold and silver together, don't wear too much, don't wear rings on your thumb or index finger. Some of them are pretty bizarre when I think about them now, but others have had a lasting effect on me. 

And I'm not the only one, Maya has also come across similar regulations when it comes to accessories: "We’ve been taught things like 'I have pinkish skin so I can’t wear rose gold', or 'I have yellow undertones so only white gold looks good on me'. No. You wear what makes you happy, that feels good, that speaks to you personally. Throw out the rules and go with whatever you’re feeling." 

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Maya Brenner

Whilst working as a social worker in NYC back in 1999, Maya Brenner started making jewellery as a hobby to create gifts for friends and family. Her designs quickly began to draw attention and when people started stopping her on the street to find out where to buy them, Maya Brenner Designs was officially born. From the iconic Aysmmetrical Letter Necklaces that gave the brand an instantly recognisable appeal to collaborative ranges with the likes of Abigail Spencer, Clare V and the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, the brand has grown dramatically over the past 25 years. Maya Brenner has a global fan base including A-list style icons such as Mila Kunis, Rita Ora, Katy Perry, Rochelle Humes and Meghan Markle.