Levi Higgs
As the archivist and social media manager for David Webb New York, Higgs upholds the legacy of glorious, important ornaments.
Instagram followers: 59,000
Formative jewelry memory: Seeing the Fabergé eggs at the Vatican Museums in Rome. I realized that these beautiful jeweled objects have such a social history and serve as an important context for any given period.
Most meaningful piece: A gift I gave to my partner, Mark, for his 30th birthday. We sourced an ancient Roman coin with an image of a lion on it, and then worked together to make it into a custom David Webb, 18-k hammered-gold ring.
Favorite jewelry moment in film: Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo.” Jimmy Stewart has fallen in love with Kim Novak, and made her up to look just like the woman she conspired to have killed. The clue that gives her away is the necklace that she puts on during their last night together.
Next big jewelry purchase: I’m looking for a really good star sapphire to set into a ring.
Why jewels matter: They are cultural capsules and objects of beauty that tell an infinite amount of information about the wearer.
— RB
Marion Fasel
The Manhattan-based jewelry historian’s blingy blog, The Adventurine, covers everything from on-screen baubles to stunning red-carpet rocks.
Instagram followers: 47,000
Signature jewel style: I have a ’70s, Mary Tyler Moore vibe: gold chains, bracelets and a lot of rings that I can pile on at once.
Favorite jewels: A pair of diamond and black-onyx, long earrings by my friend, a designer named Hanut Singh. He actually called them “The Marions” — I was extremely touched.
Jewelry icon: Elizabeth Taylor, because her collection goes from the most beautiful, flawless 33-carat diamond to just little things that represented memories for her.
Dream jewels: “Manchette” diamond bracelets by Van Cleef & Arpels. They’re so cool. At the bottom there are a bunch of not-quite-matching, pear-shaped emeralds. I love the fact that they’re not all the same size.
Favorite jewelry era: The Art Deco period. When cultures blended, when you had the Indian influence on the Parisian jewelers: It has that movement that the East brought to the West.
— RB
Tracey Ellison
The South Africa–born, Miami-based former customer-service strategy consultant is one of the biggest jewelry influencers on Instagram.
Instagram followers: 638,000
Signature jewel style: Pretty classic — diamond studs, a diamond solitaire ring, a beautiful string of pearls. But I’ve started to lean towards more creative, colorful designs, too, like those from de Grisogono.
Iconic jewelry moment of 2019: Lady Gaga rocking that 128.54-carat diamond at the Oscars!
First jewelry splurge: The first paycheck I ever earned went straight to a pair of diamond studs — 0.33 carats each. I eventually upgraded to 1 carat, and today I wear 2.
Most meaningful gift: I’ve been collecting the Bulgari B.zero1 collection, and every year, my husband buys me a new piece.
Shopping advice: Try on as many pieces as you want until you find the one that makes your heart sing!
Dream piece: Hands down a Van Cleef & Arpels Zip necklace. Each one is unique and can be worn as a necklace or a bracelet. I’m pretty obsessed with them!
— AS
Kyle Anderson
A former top style editor at Elle and Marie Claire, the Sweden-born New Yorker is now a fashion and creative director who models on the side.
Instagram followers: 184,000
Signature jewel style: Small, personal pieces with sentimental significance; my husband and I wear matching black bracelets from Messika’s Move collection.
Celeb jewelry icons: When Rihanna started wearing major statement pieces, she made traditional high jewelry look young and fresh. And over the past few years, male stars like 2 Chainz have taken their daily diamond obsessions to social media, showing off their latest pieces.
Styling secret: If you don’t own anything rose gold, consider it. The color looks good on every skin tone, unlike yellow or platinum, which some people don’t feel match their complexion.
Must-haves for men: I especially like when a guy wears a small bracelet that he never takes off, like a cord bracelet with a small diamond. But there’s no limit! If it makes you feel good — isn’t that what it’s all about?
— AS