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50 Jewelry Styles From the ’90s That Will Totally Take You Back

Don’t suppose you remember a little necklace called THE HEART OF THE OCEAN, do you?

By Rachel Torgerson
Gesture, Event, Neck, Sari, Fashion design, Formal wear, Makeover,
Katie Buckleitner

The ’90s were known for a lot of fashion trends, but arguably, some of the decade’s most memorable pieces were accessories and jewelry. From oversize studs to scarves as chokers to a little necklace known as the Heart of the Ocean, let’s take a walk down memory lane, shall we?

1

Crystal Headbands

26th Annual American Music Awards
Steve Granitz//Getty Images

Glitzy bling was almost as big for your hair as square toes were for shoes in the ’90s. Here, the Dixie Chicks rock the style.

2

Corsage-Esque Bangles

71st Annual Academy Awards - Arrivals
Kevin.Mazur/INACTIVE//Getty Images

Honestly, back in the ’90s, the bigger the flower detail, the better, as Drew Barrymore demonstrates with her huge floral bracelet.

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3

Scarves as Chokers

The 68th Annual Academy Awards
Kevin.Mazur/INACTIVE//Getty Images

Wearing your scarf backward so it looked like some kind of caped choker was All. The. Rage. back when ’90s fashions ruled the red carpets. Here, Halle Berry pairs her lavender gown with such a style at a red-carpet event.

4

Heart-Shaped Collar Necklaces

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Season 6
NBC//Getty Images

Remember those Tiffany’s heart necklaces that fastened with a circle-and-bar thingy? Courteney Cox showed off a similar version of that style while on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

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5

Tattoo Chokers

Premiere of "Nowhere"
Jim Smeal//Getty Images

Pretty much every girl in your middle school class rocked one of these almost as fiercely as Reese Witherspoon does here.

6

Forehead Headbands

Nickelodeon's 12th Annual Kids Choice Awards
Steve.Granitz/INACTIVE//Getty Images

Why wear a headband on *top* of your head when you can wear it *across* your forehead—a question many ladies, including Drew Barrymore, asked around this time.

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7

Gothic Crosses

Ron Galella Archive - File Photos 2009
Ron Galella, Ltd.//Getty Images

Gothic pieces had a huge renaissance during the ’90s, as Jen Aniston demonstrates right here.

8

Matchy-Matchy Earrings

Supermodel and actress Elle MacPherson arrives at
HECTOR MATA//Getty Images

Accessorizing back in the day meant coordinating to a T, so if your earrings had a color, they’d better match your dress. Shout-out to the choker scarf here, too, on Elle MacPherson.

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9

THE HEART OF THE FREAKING OCEAN, MY FRIENDS

70TH OSCARS CEREMONY IN LOS ANGELES
Frank Trapper//Getty Images

Y’all don’t need me to tell you why this particular piece of jewelry was so popular back in the day. Instead, let’s all just bow down to the original jewel of our collective fashion hearts, Celine Dion.

10

Glitzy Layers

Emmanuel Beart
Neil Munns - PA Images//Getty Images

Got some necklaces? Layer ’em all on top of each other—the more sparkly, the better.

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11

Very Subtle Pearl Chokers

50th Annual Emmy Awards - Arrivals
KMazur//Getty Images

Remember that time in the ’90s when everyone was basically dressing and styling their hair as if they were in a Jane Austen movie? These pearls were part of that craze, and Katie Holmes doing it makes me think this should happen again?!

12

Dramatic Drop Earrings

50th Annual Emmy Awards - Arrivals
Jeffrey Mayer//Getty Images

Lara Flynn Boyle showed off the very classic trend—made even flashier in the ’90s—of dramatic drop earrings on the red carpet.

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13

Cocktail Rings

The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
NBC//Getty Images

Have a formal event to go to in the ’90s? Better put on your flashiest rings. Julia Louis Dreyfus demonstrates.

14

Huge, Ornate, Princess Di–Level Studs

The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
NBC//Getty Images

During this time, statement accessories were obviously all the rage, but in particular, people loved oversize studs—take a look at Christine Baranski showing off a pair here! Princess Diana wore these types of jewels all the time.

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15

Safety Pins, Everywhere

The 41st Annual GRAMMY Awards
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“Punk lite” was a major deal during this time period, and nothing read edgier than safety-pin embellishments, seen here all over the Dixie Chicks, who wore it as belts, necklaces, and details on all their clothing.

16

Lace Chokers

The 50th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards
NBC//Getty Images

Any and all chokers were hot in the ’90s, but lace chokers really went with that gothic resurgence vibe.

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17

Dainty Chains Over Turtlenecks

L.A. PREMIERE OF R. BENIGNI'S 'LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL'
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Lots of stylists today would say that necklaces should only go on skin, but back in the ’90s, it was very popular to pair them with turtlenecks, as Jane Seymour shows us here.

18

Subtle Drop Earrings

Showbiz/Julia Roberts
Peter Jordan - PA Images//Getty Images

It wasn’t all about the drama—more subtle earrings also had a moment. Just take a peek at Julia Roberts in these cascading minimalist drop earrings.

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19

Pointed Collar Necklaces

Cannes/Salma Hayek 2
Neil Munns - PA Images//Getty Images

This type of pointed necklace had a major moment in the ’90s, and sapphires in particular were a popular stone, as Salma Hayek illustrates here.

20

Climbing Arm Bands

WORLD MOVIE PREMIER 'EYES WIDE SHUT' BY S.KUBRICK.
Frank Trapper//Getty Images

Look at the crystals on this spiral arm band! Nicole Kidman shows off this ’90s trend while attending a premiere with then-husband Tom Cruise.

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