The Bead Goes On: Summer’s Big Trend Gets Bigger

By Brittany Siminitz | May 25, 2022

It was summer 2021, and we were readying our finest fashions to go out and play like it was 2019 (sort of). On the menu: bead jewelry, inspired by the entirely fun “adult summer camp” aesthetic.

These were DIY-esque pieces, though, for many of us, purchasing the styles from our favorite designers was a better idea than going it ourselves. You saw a lot of bracelets, but necklaces were there, too, and even some rings and earrings, which didn’t quite make as many headlines (or at least Instagram photo shoots).

Pamela Froman colorful necklace — *Candy Crush necklace in 18k yellow gold with opals, pink sapphires, apatite, tanzanite, spessartite, amazonite, chrysocolla, and 0.24 ct. t.w. diamonds, $10,650; Pamela Froman*

Bea Bongiasca bead necklace — *B multi beaded necklace in 9k yellow gold with custom-made, hand-cut rock crystal beads, multicolor glass beads, and enamel, $1,150; Bea Bongiasca*

Mejia Jewelry rainbow necklace — *Rainbow necklace with pearls, $175; Mejia Jewelry*

Jane Bartel blue sapphire bead necklace — *Double Love circle necklace in 18k recycled yellow gold with faceted blue sapphire beads, $2,300; Jane Bartel*

Kitty Joyas Tangerine Dream necklace — *Tangerine Dream necklace in gold vermeil with Ghanian vinyl disk beads, £95 ($120); Kitty Joyas*

Coeur de Lion GeoCube necklace — *GeoCube Iconic Joyful Colours necklace in stainless steel with synthetic tiger’s eye, haematite, and Swarovski Crystals Polaris rhinestone rondelles, $219; Coeur de Lion*

Mined and Found crystal quartz necklace — *Line necklace in 14k yellow gold and Cool Rainbow Silk with crystal quartz, $675; Mined + Found*

Well, summer 2022, are you ready for a bead redux? The thing about enduring trends is they tend to get even better with time. Creators have had more time to construct or perfect their entries to the category, so there’s more to choose from. And when styles stick around, it makes more sense that shoppers would be willing to spend more money on them, meaning that fine materials are sought after for lasting pieces.

Imperfect Grace turquoise bead necklace — *Hand-knotted charm holder necklace in 14k yellow gold with turquoise beads, $1,650 (18 inches)–$1,860 (24 inches); Imperfect Grace*

Girl Up watermelon tourmaline toggle necklace — *Toggle necklace in sterling silver with watermelon tourmaline, $330; Girl Up Collection*

Samantha Tea bead necklace — *Vega necklace in 9k gold with rainbow moonstone beads and diamonds, £660 ($840); Samantha Tea*

Amulet by D Surfs Up necklace — *Surf’s Up necklace with emeralds, Ethiopian opals, hematite, malachite, quartz crystals, rainbow moonstones, vintage African chevron trade beads, and Venetian lampwork beads, $225; Amulet By D*

It also means that the styles start to vary, which is a good thing! We’ve seen bead necklaces in a lot of different lengths and materials, but also, the size of the beads is notable. Rainbow assortments of small plastic or gemstone beads; larger, monochrome styles made with carved or beaded gemstones; you can even find big beaded shapes in sterling silver, gold, or vermeil.

Lagos gold Caviar bead necklace — *Caviar beaded necklace in 18k yellow gold, $19,500; Lagos*

Jenny Lauren Colorful World necklace — *Colorful World necklace in 14k yellow gold with carnelian, jade, resin, glass, and cat’s-eye beads, $350; Jenny Lauren Jewelry*

Marlo Laz Squash Blossom bead choker — *Squash Blossom bead choker in 14k yellow gold, $16,800; Marlo Laz*

Stranded Jewels amazonite necklace — *Necklace in 18k yellow gold with amazonite, apatite, and turquoise, $1,090; Stranded Jewels*

Mateo onyx choker — *Beaded choker in 14k yellow gold with onyx, $1,250; Mateo*

Emily P Wheeler amazonite bead necklace — *Ombré bead necklace in 18k yellow gold with amazonite and yellow sapphires, $9,800; Emily P. Wheeler*

Then there’s the “coastal grandmother” aesthetic, a departure from the free-spirited style of summer camp but one that can rock beads just as well. Have a look at Harry Styles on the cover of the June issue of Better Homes and Gardens (he is photographed in the magazine wearing various colors—and even a rainbow one!—throughout).