Endless Summer

Dear Heather,

I love your sea urchin beads, but I'm afraid since summer is over I'll have to wait until Spring to order some. Is it a faux pas to wear urchins after labor day?

Sincerely,

Endless Summer

Dear Endless Summer,

Jewelry is worn for many reasons. One reason is the story they tell or a memory they evoke. Regardless of the current fashion or season, if you love the ocean and the beach why not wear your urchin all year round?

Here are a few designs to help you transition using summer style beads into designs that can be worn during the colder months.

Autumn Ocean Necklace - pair up a summer style bead in tones that lend themselves to a fall color palette. Here I mixed a peachy terra cotta urchin with Vintaj brass, brass wheels, copper disks and copper pearls.

Key to the Sea Pendant - combine the current season's "in" thing with your beach inspired beads for a trendy look. Antique keys, vintage inspired pendants, hardware as jewelry components, are all big for fall. This pendant simply combines a skeleton key, hardware snap rings, gunmetal chain and a sea urchin in green. This is a very long pendant hanging 30" that would look at home paired with a sweater in a soft sage color.

Woods and Shell Bracelet - combine your beach beads with darker accents for the fall and winter season. Here I mixed an urchin with dark wood wobbles and a seaweed pewter button from Mamacita Beadworks.

It's okay to channel your inner mermaid off-season!