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9 jewelry trends that never made it out of the 1970s
Did you rock a mood ring back in the day? How about an ankle bracelet?
The best way to express yourself during the decade of expression was through jewelry. New influences from non-Western cultures opened up a ton of new styles and options that had never been popular before, and traditional styles started changing with the times.
Sure, ladies wore the most jewelry back in the '70s, but it wasn't just about women. Men wore love beads and puka shells with just as much enthusiasm, if not more. It was hot at the time, but it cooled off rapidly after disco died. Here are some jewelry trends that never quite made it past the 1970s.
1. Love beads
Nothing captures the feeling of the 1960s better than love beads. The popular accessory for men and women came from hippie fascination with non-Western cultures, and centered around the concept of love. It doesn't get more groovy than that.
Image: Etsy
2. Mood rings
If you never really knew how you felt, all you had to do was look down at your ring to see what it said.
Image: ebay
3. Puka shells
The tropical shells were uneven, which gave the necklace an edgier vibe. That was oh-so important if you were a teen idol like David Cassidy.
Image: Backward Glances
4. Chokers
Nothing paired better with a free-flowing shirt than a choker necklace. You could find these in a bunch of varieties, including black velvets, chunky beads, and everyone's favorite - macramé.
Image: Etsy
5. Ankle bracelets
Ankle bracelets might have been some of the most fun jewelry you could wear in the '70s, and it came in a bunch of different styles. Ankle bracelets could be as simple as a silver chain, or as chunky as a charm bracelet.
Image: Deviant Art
6. Birthstones
The Earth trends of the 1970s rubbed off on jewelry with the birthstone. People born in April were the lucky ones because they got to rock diamonds.
Image: Minerals and Crystals
7. Puzzle rings
The whole fun with puzzle rings was putting them together and taking them apart again. Puzzle rings ranged from silly costume jewelry to wedding bands.
Image: Etsy
8. ID bracelets
I.D. bracelets were trendy, but they also had a more sentimental meaning. A lot of young people had the names of soldiers in Vietnam engraved on their bracelets in the hopes they would come home safely.
Image: Etsy
9. Larger-than-life Hoop earrings
When it came to earrings in the 1970s, it was "the bigger, the better." Nothing completed a disco look quite like a pair of giant hoop earring that almost touched your shoulder.
Image: Flickr
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