The concept of dopamine dressing came to prominence at the height of the pandemic – when happiness hacks were needed more than ever – and it isn’t just a trend, it’s a way of life.
The theory goes that when you wear bright colours, dopamine is produced in your brain, which can lift your mood.
Now, the cheerful aesthetic has moved into the world of jewellery, and after years of delicate gold and silver dominating the fashion landscape, designers are thrilled to be a bit more playful.
“Colour in jewellery is overdue,” says Susannah King, founder of Susannah King London (susannahkinglondon.com).
“Trends are less valuable now than ever, and people are starting to realise they can wear whatever they want. Instead of meticulously following fashion, jewellery wearers have chosen to opt towards a celebration of their own personal love for colour.”
Sophia Lutz, head of design at Coeur de Lion (coeur.uk), loves the optimism of the look, saying it represents “a bright, diverse and colourful world with plenty of possibilities”.
We’re now seeing an evolution of the stacking and layering trend with pops of neon, candy and sunset hues proving popular with celebs and influencers this summer.
Plus, there’s the return of eye-catching statement pieces – ideal if you’re more of a fashion minimalist – and playful charms on everything from earrings to anklets.
So how do you style technicolour trinkets? Should you team complementary colours, for example different shades of blue stones, or go for one bold rainbow-coloured piece?
“The dopamine jewellery trend celebrates brave colour mixing and matching, throwing the ‘complementary colour’ rule book out the window,” says Clio Thomas, founder of Clio Saskia (cliosaskia.co.uk) fine jewellery.
“Think pastel enamels with pink and green diamonds, and rich golds with blue and lilac.”
King agrees: “Just throw it all on! More is more, and I never limit myself. All metals, all colours. Do what makes you happy! Your own self-expression is more important than ever.”
If you’re used to wearing delicate chains and bracelets, you might want to tailor your choices to the metal you like best.
“Since silver fits cool colours, I would recommend mixing it with cool shades like blue, lilac, pastels, anthracite, off-white, nude colours and pearls,” says Lutz.
“For gold, match with bright colours, especially green shades, bright blue, turquoise, pink shades, violet shades, orange, red, earth colours, yellow shades and pearls as well.”
Thomas also recommends finding pieces that complement your complexion: “Some olive skintones bring teal and green sapphires to life in yellow gold, whilst darker skintones make champagne diamonds and rose gold sing.”
If you don’t want to clash lots of shades together, Lutz suggests: “Limit the number of different colours you select, and play with a variety of tones to create depth and layers in your outfit.”
Whether you want to curate your colours or go all-out, here are some brilliantly bright buys to get you started…
Coeur de Lion GeoCUBE Iconic Multicolour Indian Summer Necklace, £149; Bracelet, £75; and Earrings, £55
Astley Clarke Cirque Collection Earrings, from £70 a pair; Rings, £75 each
River Island Gold Diamante Drop Earrings, £15
Bryony Bel Sofia Pearl & Shell Necklace Orange, £48; Bracelet, £29
Oliver Bonas Skyla Yellow Bead & Pearl Collar Necklace, £22
Seol + Gold Lemon Yellow Enamel Hoops, £32
Crystal Haze Nostalgia Bear Hoop Lagoon, £34.99 each
Sif Jakobs Ring Belluno Due 18k Gold Plated with Multicoloured Zirconia, £149
I’Mmany Cutie Pie Lampwork Glass Tangerine and Crystal Drop Earrings with Pearl Studs, £82, Wolf & Badger
