New Year’s Eve is always a fun excuse to dress up and be a little more extra than you are any other day of the year. I had a couple of different ideas for outfits that I might wear to a friend’s NYE get-together. I have this amazing sparkly jacket that I was considering, but when I put it together with my outfit — it just didn’t look right.

I ended up skipping the sparkles and went with comfy instead. Cute but very casual. But something still felt missing. And it became perfectly clear when I realized the jacket wasn’t happening — I needed a piece of jewelry.

Jewelry is usually the last thing we put on, but somehow it’s the thing that changes how we feel the most. Much like our outfits, everything we wear is intentionally chosen — whether it’s for comfort, confidence, self-expression, or something in between. It’s guided by how we feel or how we want to feel.

This is what choosing intentional jewelry really is.

What Does Choosing Intentional Jewelry Mean?

The short answer: it’s about how it makes you feel. Intentional jewelry is about choosing pieces based on how they make you feel, the meaning they hold, and how they support your self expression.

It’s how you show up. It’s the pause before you walk out the door when you realize your outfit needs something. It’s standing in front of your jewelry — rings, necklaces, earrings — and choosing one piece that feels right at that moment.

On that night, I didn’t want layers or statement pieces. I chose a single necklace — something simple that made me feel pulled together even in comfy clothes. That choice was intentional, even if I wasn’t consciously thinking about it that way at the time.

Choosing jewelry with intention means noticing what you’re drawn to and honoring it — whether that’s for emotional grounding, confidence, nostalgia, self-expression, or meaning.

The Emotional Role Jewelry Plays (Whether We Admit It or Not)

Every piece of jewelry we own — or aspire to own — carries a signal.

It’s a quiet one. A low-grade bat signal, maybe. But it’s still a form of communication. It’s how we tell the world who we are, how we see ourselves, and sometimes who we want to become. Typically when we reach for a piece of jewelry, we aren’t consciously thinking about all of this. We choose based on our outfit, where we’re going, how we feel, and whether that piece has sentimental meaning.

How to Choose Jewelry Based on How You Want to Feel

If you want to feel grounded, reach for a small, minimalist piece of jewelry. A simple chain can achieve this without overwhelming the outfit or look while still feeling pulled together. A classic pair of studs can also achieve the feeling of being grounded.
If you want to feel confident, grab that statement piece. Whether it be a pair of earrings, a necklace or a ring- all these options in the right form clearly communicate self confidence without saying a word. Think of it in terms of the jewelry making the first impression before you actually do.
If you want to feel soft and feminine, choose a classic piece such as pearl earrings, or a modest pair of hoop earrings. These items are timeless classics that never go out of style and almost every woman tends to have in her collection.

Intentional jewelry isn’t about rules, it's truly based on emotion and how the wearer feels. Different days call for different types of self expression through jewelry with the intention you can feel powerful, feminine, visible or grounded.

Why Handmade Jewelry Feels Different

Imagine walking into Target and shopping for a piece of jewelry. You’re likely to find dozens of similar looking pieces that happen to be the trend of the moment. Chances are there are about 6- 10 different items to choose from and all of them are mass produced from a machine. Now imagine walking into a local boutique that smells of hand poured candles, and has a unique front display window featuring handmade items by local artisans. As you walk through the store you find a whimsical display of all handmade necklaces on different size busts, draped elegantly on mirrored trays, rings propped up on raw crystals. The two stores offer jewelry but have two very different ways of selling you the pieces.

Handmade jewelry is special in the sense that it isn’t mass produced. Many artisans create their pieces in small batches or even one of a kind. No two pieces typically are the same in the respect that the design may be repeated but the placement and the size of the stones for instance may be slightly different than the piece made before it.

Every artisan made piece is designed from beginning to end, meaning also that many pieces go through several design iterations before the design is fully complete to the artists’ vision. This is the reason why the pieces at the local boutique are special. They are an embodiment of human hands and energy. They provoke feelings of being special because there aren’t 12 of the same necklace hanging on a rack together. They may be one or two of that design and that feeling of knowing when you show up to the office you and your coworker are less than likely to show up wearing the same necklace that you got. It’s showing up and showing off your creativity through your own self expression. This is also why I believe so deeply in handmade jewelry — not just as a product, but as a form of expression. https://www.shopdynamoonline.com/mindsbehinddynamo

Choosing jewelry with intention isn’t about having the “right” pieces. It’s about noticing what you’re drawn to, what makes you feel like yourself, and giving yourself permission to honor that. Whether it’s bold or minimal, sentimental or playful, new or well-worn — your jewelry is one of the quiet ways you get to choose how you show up in the world.

Choosing Jewelry with Intention: How What You Wear Shapes How You Feel