Fashion Rocks

With the merry Christmas season drawing close, expect a jam-packed social calendar and a need to dress up for  all those special occasions! Many events these days start off with serving cocktails. People are able to move and mingle more freely around the event area. Such events are usually ritzy and glamorous, held at the most posh of hotels and what girl wouldn’t love looking and feeling like royalty for a night?

Think of all the sleek champagne glasses, the delicate bites for weight-watchers and the endless flow of drinks that put the “cocktail” in “cocktail party.” Better watch your hands then, since you’re going to be using them a lot. So a personal favorite accessory to jazz up any outfit (and I mean, any) is the oh-so-sophisticated cocktail ring.

A cocktail ring (also called a dinner ring) is a large jeweled ring worn at cocktail parties or special occassions. Many of these rings look like huge rocks. The cocktail ring was very popular in the 1920’s in America, as a symbol of status. To this day, gleaming cocktail rings are spotted on celebrities and socialites gracing social events, and the rings still radiate glamour, sophistication and cool.

After doing some fashion research, here are some tips I unearthed on wearing cocktail rings:

1. Look for rings with one focal stone. Ideally, the ring should only have one large focal stone. If the ring has other stones, the smaller ones should complement the focal stone, not distract the viewer from it.

2. Skip the rock-sized cubic zirconia. Unless you have big, fat deposits at a Swiss bank, a real diamond ring crafted as a cocktail ring would be too impractical. Don’t choose cubic zirconia either; chances are, it wouldn’t look natural. Instead, opt for emerald, sapphire or semi-precious stones, such as opal, amethyst or garnet. Jade looks lovely as well. If you are younger, then semi-precious stones are your better choice.

3. Choose darker shades for more versatility. The darker shades are more versatile for your outfits, and darker shades take to evening parties better than lighter pastel colored ones.

4. Size matters. Fashion advice has it to opt for a focal stone that doesn’t extend past the bottom of your knuckles, especially if you have small hands. Otherwise the ring would look overhwhelming.

5. One at a time. Unless you’re going for over-the-top, it’d be best to wear just one cocktail ring at a time. Because the ring draws so much attention to the hand, it cancels the effect of other jewelry. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wear other jewelry with it, but it’s just that the ring will be the focal point. Stud earrings or a necklace on a fairly thin chain can complete your glamazon look, particluarly if you’re wearing a little black dress or an outfit in matte, solid colors.

Fashionable cocktail rings (precious and semi-precious and fancy) are available at local department stores, bazaars and fancy boutiques. Keep your eyes peeled and fashion radar open and you’re bound to come across a beautiful one that can take you from looking run-of-the-mill to runway ready!