The many faces of boho jewellery

What is boho jewellery?

From humble beginnings as the favourite of bohemian free spirits, boho jewellery has grown over the decades to become an ever-evolving and always relevant fashion accessory. While the spirit of boho jewellery has remained the same - an expression of individual freedom, rejection of convention, a sense of rebelliousness, and a preference for handcrafted and unique artisan pieces - many very different looks have evolved from this philosophy. Boho jewellery embraces looks as different as the heavily bejewelled gypsy style to the more minimalist rodeo look of minimalist artisan steer skull pendant, ripped jeans and cowboy boots.

Boho jewellery - from festival fave to mainstream fashion

It's difficult to find a fashion trend these days without an element of boho. Designers aspire to the unconventional and unique rather than conservatism and convention, and virtually every catwalk has a sprinkling of boho jewellery and clothing elements. Because the range of boho jewellery is so broad, there is a piece of boho jewellery that suits virtually every style.

Here are the main boho trends you should know about. There's sure to be one that suits your personal style and adds that wonderful element of personal expression to your wardrobe.

Hippie and festival boho jewellery

A descendant of the original Bohemian movement of the 1800s, the hippie movement embraced boho jewellery as a perfect expression of the desire to disassociate themselves from the materialistic and conservative culture of past generations. These days this style is usually called festival boho jewellery.

Hippy or festival style is easily recognised by free flowing fabrics, flared pants or skirts made of native cloth, peasant clothing with an emphasis on handmade materials and accessories. Hippy boho jewellery is organic and again, artisan made from natural materials. A mixture of tribal influences creates an eclectic appearance - the aim is to distance yourself from both convention and materialism. (Photo: Pinterest)

Gypsy boho jewellery

Gypsy jewellery strongly acknowledges its Romany beginnings, and the emphasis is on extravagant beaded pieces with charms and coins. Bright scarves and loose flowing hair, often entwined with gypsy jewellery, is part of the look. Mixed prints and unusual fabric combinations combine with heritage embroidered pieces. 

This boho gypsy wrap necklace, complete with layers of beads, charms and gemstones,  works surprisingly well with a classic little black dress as well as with a more traditional gypsy-style outfit.

Tribal boho jewellery

Together with hippie boho, tribal boho jewellery is a definite festival fave. While hippie jewellery draws upon many diverse influences, tribal jewellery takes its inspiration from Native American jewellery. Often called Southwestern boho jewellery, the tribal style almost always contains elements of turquoise and silver. Leather and other natural components such as bones, shells, feathers and other organic elements are also used.

The Spirit Dreamer necklace together with tribal boho masses of bracelets is a festival favourite. The tribal necklace contains gorgeous turquoise beads suspended on natural leather, and is decorated with tribal silver charms and a stunning golden feather. For a full festival feel, combine with turquoise bracelet and a turquoise bracelet stack.

Ethnic boho jewellery

This boho style owes its inspiration to the beautiful ethnic jewellery of traditional jewellery from cultures all around the world. Think of silver arm clasps of ancient Afghan women, oriental jewellery, the stunning bone and wooden beads of Africa, jewellery from the Indian Raj, in fact any of the numerous cultures of the world which have retained their aesthetic traditions. 

This turquoise wooden bead and leather necklace owes its origin to the traditional wooden beaded necklaces of Africa. Ethnic boho jewellery harks back to ancient jewellery traditions of often nomadic and rapidly disappearing tribes and cultures.

Urban boho jewellery

Boho jewellery, once seen as an accessory for hippies or worn at festivals, has hit the city streets in the last two decades. The boho style has been adapted and 'citified' to suit the urban lifestyle and dress styles. Think leather or leopard jackets to accompany this style of boho jewellery. Jeans and cowboy boots replace the traditional sandals. Despite being distinctly minimalist, urban boho still retains its original bohemian heritage, however - expect to see lots of turquoise and handmade silver components.

The inspiration for this artisan urban boho necklace is evident in the tribal touches of distressed leather wrap and the rare turquoise nugget suspended from a handmade, artisan tear. Tribal origins transformed into minimal city elegance. Matching arches of copper and silver are perfect earrings to complement this piece.

Metro boho jewellery

Metro boho is the next generation of boho jewellery, stepping away from the tribal and hippy influences of other boho styles. While the bohemian philosophy remains, the style of metro boho leans more distinctly towards a more diverse style of dressing. Metro boho jewellery is versatile enough to be worn with classic outfits, but is edgy enough to give your look that distinct bohemian oomph. Think classic chains or chokers transformed into something unique with handcrafted silver bones and Swarovski crystal skulls and Swarovski wolfs teeth.

Metro boho takes urban boho jewellery a step further into the city with glam components such as edgy Swarovski crystal skulls and bones. This Swarovski skull choker necklace and earrings come in a stunning range of shades.

Artisan boho jewellery

Boho jewellery has always promoted handmade or handmade pieces over factory made accessories, and many of the finest boho pieces have been created by the world's best artisans.

Some of the most beautiful boho pieces are one-off pieces created by world-class artisans. These stunning beaten copper talons with rare turquoise beads are an example of artisan boho jewellery at its finest.

Now you're an expert in the many boho styles and can appreciate the versatility of the style, is there a boho style that reflects your style - or perhaps a style that expresses an unexplored aspect of yourself?  Explore the range at Her Lovely Bones jewellery to discover a unique piece that might be just perfect for you.