Body Mind Spirit Wholistic Pendant by Inori

As much as trends change from minute to minute, and day to day, some aspects of modernism stay the same. A focus on sleek designs and simplicity is one aspect of a modern style, while the doppelganger half of fashion looks to asymmetry, unusual combinations of materials and styles, and freeform, fluid looks for inspiration. If you know somebody that is truly a child of the moment, reveling in all the accessories of the modern age, we have some great men’s and women’s modern birthday gift ideas for you this August.

Rochet Men’s Black Carbon Fiber Bracelet

Stainless Steel Cable Necklace

Inori Men’s Blue Layers Pendant

Silver Earrings with Blue Topaz, Amethyst and Citrine

Purple, Red and Green Gemstone Necklace

Pandora Rock Crystal Flower Necklace

Pandora Leather Anklet with Hanging Paraiba Topaz Flower

With classical jewelry, the focus was all about the beauty of the metals and gemstones that formed the piece. Modern jewelry is not afraid to say something - especially when it is a message with such modern relevance as the Body Mind Spirit holistic pendant at the beginning of the article. There has never been such a recognition as we currently have of the ways that mind affects the body, the body affects the spirit, and the spirit affects the mind … and vice versa! Indulge it with this tough stainless steel, gold/black PVD coated pendant by Inori. The pendant itself measures a dainty 2cm long, making it quite a unisex design. It is a stand alone item, so you’ll need to pick your own chain to go with it.

Modernism is all about exploring new frontiers - and in jewelry making, that means the use of new, non-standard materials that can sometimes be a little difficult! The black carbon fiber ID bracelet at right is by Rochet. The dramatic dark accents on the face are actually carbon fiber, not the usual ion or PVD coating. The bracelet measures 22cm long, so is suitable for most men’s wrists, and there is space to engrave a message on both the front and back of the piece.

Why do something the same way you’ve always done it, when there are exciting new methods and styles to explore? The combination of the stainless steel cable necklace at right and the Inori blue layers pendant pushes the boundaries for modern style men. The stainless steel cable necklace is a high-sitting 40cm long piece, a very contemporary look for guys, while the stainless steel blue Layers pendant at right incorporates a bright boldness with unusually bright color for men’s jewelry. The cable necklace has a new-style magnetic clasp, and the blue coating on the pendant is actually PVD. The pendant itself measures a masculine, yet versatile 3.5cm long, and has space for a free engraved message on the back (up to 20 characters!).

When it comes to fashion, and being ‘of the moment’, though, there is no gender with a more overwhelming obsession than the softer sex! We love the colorful, yet understated style of the modern silver and gemstone earrings at right for August born girls. They are a stunning 4.5cm long, so are best suited for evening wear, and the gemstones are generously sized also. The blue topazes at the crown of the piece are 7mm x 5mm stones, while the amethysts and citrine for tang and spice are 2.5mm across. Best of all, you can layby these for less than the cost of one takeout lunch per week!

It has only been recently that jewelers have begun forming gemstones into pictorial arrangements. They were so expensive in times gone by that one or two per piece had to do, and jewelers didn’t have the technology to make such delicate cuts in such small stones. However, modern girls will simply adore this gemstone pendant, with its marquise cut purple amethysts, green peridots (the birthstone for August!), and red garnets to provide subtle color variance. The piece also includes five diamonds, for a clear., frosty sparkle. The pendant section measures 45mm long, great for stunning evening wear, and the necklace pictured is included with the piece - a high quality 18ct white gold chain.

Modern style jewelry doesn’t necessarily have to drip with expensive gemstones or be of the highest quality to become a favorite, though. It is often the simpler things in life that are the most appreciated - that is as true now as it was a hundred years ago! The Pandora rock crystal and flower necklace has a lovely layered style that contemporary styling favors, with a large clear rock crystal as a silver flower. The silver flower has a hot-right-now vintage look, with its oxidized indents, and you can capitalize on that with some of the matching jewelry. There are drop and stud earrings, a ring and also a Pandora bracelet charm to choose from!

As designers push boundaries, they discover not only new materials to make gorgeous jewelry, but new places to put it on the body! Anklets are starting to join mainstream jewelry, rather than being something that primary school kids weave at lunchtime, and Pandora is leading the field with their anklet range. The gorgeous black leather anklet at right features a Paraiba topaz, a beautiful new variant of the traditional blue with a deeper aqua tone. The anklet is self-adjustable, tied as it is in lariat style around the ankle.

There are literally hundreds of modern-style products in store, with just as many for men as there are for women! If you haven’t had your ‘A-ha’ moment yet in your search for an August birthday gift, keep browsing now in our Gift Ideas for Women and Gift Ideas for Men sections. And if you have nay trouble differentiating the modern from the way-too-old (!), just click the Live Help link at the right of screen … we’ll be happy to help.