I trust a jewelry designer more when color is clearly her first language, and Helle Vestergaard Poulsen's is. Before she started ANNI LU in Copenhagen in 2013, she worked as a creative director and art director for Danish fashion magazines, making jewelry on the side. Those small beaded experiments grew into a full-time label, and her editorial years taught her to think about color as a way to set a mood. I went deeper on a related idea in Alighieri Jewelry: Rosh Mahtani's Pieces Named for Dante.

The name holds two of her closest inspirations, her late mother Anni and her daughter Luella. The brand's own story calls the jewelry delicate, colorful and made to mix and match, which feels like a direct extension of that family idea: make things with your hands and do not take style too seriously. Helle also draws on travel, local markets and small details like the colors in an old rug or the texture of a shell.

I like that the result is not precious in spirit, even when a piece has a little sparkle. You can layer a few beaded necklaces, wear one pendant on its own, or let a bright bracelet do all the talking.

The ANNI LU trick is to treat color as something to play with, not something to match perfectly. La Mer Earrings bring an ocean note, while the Crystal Bay Hoop and Golden Link Earring give a stack two different shapes. The Dream Catcher Earrings add a little movement. For the neck, the Poolside Necklace and Jaws Big Wave Necklace make a bright, beach-minded pair, and the Flower Power Necklace is a small floral detail to fold in.

Picture her leaving the beach with the Poolside Bracelet and Ocean Treasure Earring still on, adding a plain white shirt for the walk into town. My tip is to choose one color family first, then add a single shell detail like the Silver Shell Earring. The Glazed Donut Hoops and Cherry On Top Earrings are fun on their own, and what I would skip is a busy necklace with either one if the top is patterned.

I understand why ANNI LU keeps returning to beads, beach colors and small objects with a story. Helle's years in fashion magazines gave her a sharp eye for mood, but the pieces still feel personal instead of styled. In my fashion dreams, a beaded necklace picked up on a trip becomes the one thing I reach for with a white tee, a summer dress and the jacket I already own. The point is not to build a matching set, although I will admit I would try anyway.