I have mentioned before that I have a true fondness for costume jewelry, and this spring I’ve been taken with many of Anthro’s offerings. Since the website is not great at showing scale of these items I thought I’d do some reviews.
Above is the Cherished Trinkets Necklace ($38). It’s been backordered since it appeared on the website but Anthropologie is slowly starting to fulfill orders. This piece was well worth the wait. I wasn’t sure how the green clear beads would work against the gold chains but this mishmash of gold (plated), clear (plastic) and sparkly acrylic work quite well together. I especially like the small gold beads around the blossom. I really get the effect of a flowering vine. It’s not heavy at all. Since Anthro’s jewelry hardly ever makes it to sale I never wait if I like a piece. This one is worth full price to me.
There are two variations of the Dripping Gems Necklace ($42). This is the “grey” version which is actually aubergine drops and clear lilac droplets. The chain on this necklace quite frankly sucks. It’s thin, easily tangled and I’m in constant fear that it will break. At 20″L it’s also a good three to four inches longer than I like my necklaces. Still it’s a keeper because I love the colors. It goes with so much in my spring wardrobe and can either dress an outfit up or hold its own against a fancier look.
Here’s the “blue” version of the Dripping Gems Necklace ($42). The beads are so vivid in real life and make my hazel eyes pop. The scale on this variation of the necklace is more natural to me with the larger droplets balanced against the smaller ones. It has the same weak chain as the grey version above and like the other version I wish this was a few inches shorter. In spite of these issues it’s another one living contently in my jewelry box.
Finally, this is the Dripping Dew Necklace ($38). The color is called “dark blue” but I think I bought another variant that is more of a blush/pink color. I grabbed this one to polish off a gift card and thought it would be a return for sure but surprise! The neutral tones have me constantly reaching for this piece. I love the irregular mix of large facets and small circular drops. I have a couple of pairs of earrings that match well with this. The chain is slightly thicker and therefore better than the one on the Dripping Gems Necklace.
While in-store I noticed that a silver version of the Pessinus Garden Necklace ($32, not online) is floating around. Soho had both the silver and gold in stock last week. Do you own any of Anthro’s jewelry?
I love Anthro's jewelry. But some of their pieces make me worry in regards to quality. I get tons of compliments on their jewelry because they are so unique and special. I really love both versions of the dripping gems necklace. Too bad about the chain, though.
That Dripping Dew necklace is so pretty! I, too, love costume jewelry. I used to buy a lot from J Crew when it went on sale but lately I'm finding their stuff a) way too expensive for costume jewelry, even when marked down and b) too heavy. In fact, I just bought a necklace on sale there today that I'm going to have to return because it feels like I'm wearing a cement block on my chest.So I've started to grab more from Anthro, because I think in general their stuff is lovely, unique, and reasonably priced (for Anthro).I have several pairs of Anthro earrings which I love. And a couple of necklaces, my favorite of which is one I scored last week for $10. I can't remember the name and it's gone from the website–but I think "sun" was in the title and it's a two chain, gold-plated necklace with discs. So pretty and versatile.
This is such a great post! Like Tien, I really love most of Antho's statement jewelry, but I am extremely selective due to concerns for quality. My mom is hugely interested in jewelry, so I guess I've developed her taste for real gemstones (baroque pearls are my passion) like her. But it does make me hesitant to spend $300 on some of those fantastic multi-strand necklaces with unique pendants and charms. So as a result, I'm really happy that Anthropologie has been offering some of those "statement" pieces at a more affordable price (and albeit, on a smaller scale) like the Pesssinus Garden Necklace and From O'Keeffe necklace. I'm so excited for the Cherished Trinkets necklace – it is right up my alley! And it looks great on you Roxy :). It isn't a color I wear terribly often though, so what color tops are you planning on coordinating it with?Anthro, please keep it up with pieces like these!
I love Anthro's jewelry….though sometimes only aesthetically when I feel the plastickyness of some of their artificial crystal/gemstone offerings. However, I think they've improved in the last year or two. I saw that the Dripping Gems necklace in store the other week and was so tickled to see that the stones were nicely made. The blue version is sitting on the top of my jewelry wishlist! It's pity to hear about the weak chain though. Oh, and seeing the Dripping Dew Necklace on you, I now am lusting after that one too :)Thanks for reviewing all of these and giving an idea of scale — you are right, the size is definitely difficult to determine on Anthro's website, and often I've recieved jewelry (mainly earrings) that are either miniscule compared to what I expected or gigantic! Oh and I love your Maya sweater 🙂
SOOO happy to see a review of the jewelry. I had my eye on the blue Dripping Gems to go with my Saturation Point heels. Thanks for the heads up about the chain.Especially because just today I had a little "gem" drop off my O'Keefe necklace. In public. How embarrassing to hear that "clink" on the floor and everyone see it laying there at my feet. Ugh. I know it wasn't super expensive, but I still paid $48 for it!
I tend to collect things I like In multiple colorways, so I own the Gilded Impatiens necklace in both gold and silver. Just tonight I purchased the Pessinus Garden necklace in silver to add to my gold version that I turn to so often! ~~ Sandra
Like other commenters, I like the look of Anthro jewelry (esp. the necklaces) but have been disappointed by the quality of some of the items. So far I'm batting .500 (or at least my Anthro necklaces are)–I love my Pessinus Garden and Ripening Berries necklaces and they've held up pretty well for all the wear I get out of them, but my one of the strands on my Bookends necklace recently snapped off and the O'Keeffe necklace I ordered online arrived damaged, with one broken petal and a piece of unglued chiffon sticking out. So I guess it's been kind of hit-or-miss for me. On the bright side, I do enjoy the colorful little cloth pouches that come with online jewelry purchases…
Tien – I have seen you rocking the Anthro jewelry in many of your OOTDs! Always brings a smile to my face. :)Lauren S. – I'm having the same issue with J.Crew at the moment. LOL at comparing it to cement, that's about right. (Still my cart has two bracelets and a necklace in it so clearly I never learn.)Lauren – what a great family connection. As a kid my cousin and I would play with our Grandma's costume jewelry collection and I've no doubt that's where this love grew from. For the Cherished Trinkets necklace, I plan to wear it over a pale yellow top once the weather warms up and the flowers bloom. For now I'll wear it over tan and darker olive greens.goldenmeans – why thank you, I love my Maya too. It's held up well. I agree about the earrings being a surprise! Many of the studs I've ordered were either much bigger or much smaller than I expected. Was it you who got the Pachyderm studs only to discover they were itty bitty? I remember laughing really hard at that post.Katie – oh no! That really is the worst. I hope you at least found the piece, I have lost little rhinestones from earrings before with no hope of recovery.Sandra – I agree. It happens for me mostly with earrings but I like to get both silver and gold variations.t. – yikes! Luckily I have never received a broken piece, I can only imagine how annoying that must have been. I love the cloth bags too, I have quite a collection of them at the moment. When I travel I use them to separate jewelry so they're going to good use. 🙂
Great idea to feature jewelery! I hate that Anthro doesn't show scale. Geez Anthro, throw it on a freaking headless bust or something. Throw us a bone.Thanks Roxy! [You look gorg in the JC Maya, btw!]
I'm a big costume jewelry junkie – and Banana and Anthro are my go to places. I decided a while ago that occasional quality issues just come with the territory, and invested in a pair of jewelry pliers, jewelry wire, and jump rings (the "o" ring links) so that I can repair the occasional issue. (You can get it all at Michael's for under $10).That being said, overall I've found Anthro's jewelry quality to be much better than Banana's, even on the low end items.Lately Anthro's necklaces have been grabbing me. I have:From O'Keefe NecklacePessinus Garden NecklaceGilded Impatiens NecklaceSubmerged NecklaceMajorelle NecklaceRoped Posies NecklaceThough I'm usually a sale buyer, I usually make exceptions for the jewelry and will buy it at full price. I mean, heck, the jewelry will always fit! (Even if I do decide to have another baby and gain too much baby weight…again…) 🙂
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I am loving the new lithographic necklace that is online. I am tempted to order it to see what it is like because the price is so reasonable and it looks really very pretty.
I own a lot of Anthro jewelry, mostly necklaces. I think I have at least 10. Maybe I should go count? I always get compliments on these more than anything else I own. They really do add a lot to my look of the day.Quality has been so-so for me as well. I make jewelry when the mood strikes me, so I have all the tools needed to do quick jewelry repair.
I like the first one, but when I saw you wear them, I like the last one.:0
Roxy – I think it explains my love for the larger aka "statement" pieces, as well! I think that's really sweet that you also have that family connection – I can only imagine the kind of collection your grandmother had! Even though I have that inclination for the "real" thing, costume jewelry is definitely fun, and I love unique jewelry. I find that costume jewelry more often fits the "unique" and "statement" category for me.Hopefully I'll be able to get a good look at this necklace in person tomorrow. I really like it with what you are wearing in the photos, actually!
I just got my Cherished Trinkets Necklace in the mail also! I love Anthro jewelry for what it is – unique-looking costume jewelry. I never used to purchase it before I became obsessed with the Pessinus Garden Necklace last December (thanks to this blog!) but since then, I have managed to pick up a few great necklaces:-Pessinus Garden Necklace-Submerged Necklace-Glimmer and Glint Necklace-Uncovering Green Necklace-Cherished Trinkets NecklaceI also briefly owned the From O'Keefe Necklace, but it arrived broken, so I returned it. Fortunately, CS was really nice about refunding my money immediately and paying for my return shipping.
It's all very pretty, but for the price I would rather support an indie designer like Erica Wiener or someone on Etsy. When Anthro did carry Erica's France necklace (long and brass with a hammer on it as well?), it was $20 more than she sells it for online. Stil, if they went on sale, I would probably pounce. Thanks for the review. And PS – Seattle University Village anthro has shoes in clearance… Chie Mihara pink metallic heels size 39, and two pairs of Frye boots size 6.5.
love the jewelry reviews-keep them coming! I have some earrings and a couple of necklaces. I'd love to have some more necklaces-the Dripping Dew necklace looks great-I also really like the aubergine version of the dripping gems necklace-I also really like the looks of the new Lithographic necklace. And the Gilded Impatiens necklace always tempts me, but i've not yet pulled the trigger on that one..I'm petite so i feel like a lot of their jewelry will be overwhelming on me…I wish they modeled their jewelry on the website on a real person or at least a bust or something…
Thanks for the fun review of the necklaces Roxy! The only jewelry I've purchased from Anthro are some earrings. I always admire their necklaces but I have never bought them. Instead I gather inspiration from them and make my own version! 🙂