Step aside dainty necklaces and studded earrings, the hot trends in jewelry right now are all about making a statement. To be on trend in 2012, you want to make sure your baubles are one of the three B’s: Big, bold and bright.

Being a gal who tends to gravitate towards simple gold accessories, I will admit it took me a while to take to some of these trends. But with emerging designers like Dannijo and Tom Binns on the scene dressing the necks of some of my favorite street style fashionistas like Mira Duma and Taylor Tomasi Hill, I eventually warmed up.

However, don’t go trading in all of your gold pieces just yet; the arm party is in full effect! Stack and layer your bangles and simple gold bands to get the look.

Collars are another key trend in jewelry right now. Being the masters of minimalism, the house of Celine has put forth some beautiful gold collars. Since this highly coveted and exclusive brand is a bit harder to track down, I recommend this Kenneth Jay Lane bold gold collar to get this Grecian goddess look. Houston boutique à bientôt has an amazing selection of Kenneth Jay Lane among other great baubles.

Unless you have been hiding under a rock, you know that color is huge right now. Reach for anything from pastels to neon or bold brights when looking for statement pieces. Gradient color or ombre is another key trend in fashion which has also made its way into the accessories department. I found a gorgeous ombre necklace for only $28 at Houston showroom, New for the Night.

One of my favorite online retailers, Moda Operandi, has a killer selection of statement jewelry by EK Thongprasert right now. Click here to peruse the sale.

To check out more about the key trends in jewelry, watch my live segment on Great Day Houston:

---

Lindley Arnoldy is the author of the fashion and style blog The Flip Side.