One of my favorite styles this season—and one that continuously made appearances at JCK Las Vegas and Luxury—features charm-like adornments that elevate your basic hoop earring, stacking ring, and even pendant necklace.

These aren’t the charms you’re most accustomed to: While the 2019 JCK Industry Report shows a decline in the popularity of charms, what I think that refers to is the highly collectible, repeat-business pieces that certain brands were built upon, like Pandora and Alex and Ani, for example. These charms are different.

They’re different because they serve as an accessory to a piece that can exist perfectly well without them. Take these earrings from Nina Runsdorf, for example. From the designer’s Artist collection, the mustard-yellow enamel mini hoops are eye-catching in all the right ways, on their own or in a group of various designs along the ear. Looped with their accompanying smoky topaz charms, the earrings take on a different style, catching attention with the swingy, sparkling addition. But they’re amazing either way.

It’s this versatility that causes styles like these to grow in popularity, as shoppers seek to spend their dollars on pieces that will stand the test of time—and the test of their ever-changing style preferences, too. Sometimes you just want your jewels to do more, and that’s precisely what this is.

Inspired by Runsdorf’s Flip ring, items from this collection build on the original piece that motivated the jeweler to start her brand in 2005. For this iteration, the Artist collection lines its rings and earrings in colorful enamel, each shade an ode to one of Runsdorf’s favorite paintings.

This particular pop of yellow was inspired by Wigs, a part of Ellen Gallagher’s DeLuxe, an installation of 60 individually framed prints that are on display in the Tate Modern art museum in London.

And just to show where jewelry can take you, I’ve just spent the last 30 minutes reading and learning about the work of Ellen Gallagher, and I’m about to go down an art world rabbit hole for more. I hope that Runsdorf would be pleased to know that her design has inspired a fan of Gallagher’s work. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

You’ve got to see the other pieces from the Artist collection, especially for the rich color options. These hoops are also available in a larger size, which would look just grand with one’s hair pulled back in the summer heat. Looking ahead to fall, this particular color combination couldn’t be more perfect, could it?

Top: Mini enamel hoop earrings in mustard yellow in 18k yellow gold with enamel and smoky topaz, $4,500

Brittany Siminitz

JCK Contributing Editor