I have a soft spot for any business that still feels like it happens around a worktable, and Brinker + Eliza is exactly that. Brinker Higgins trained as a metalsmith and spent a decade designing her own line. Her daughter Eliza spent nine years in fashion merchandising. They made one-off pieces for friends and family in their Connecticut hometown, then added a plus sign between their names and launched together in 2017. I went deeper on a related idea in Casona Dresses: Where to Start with the Best Pieces.

 

By 2018 it was a full-time job, and the jewelry is still handmade in that same Connecticut studio. You can feel it in the work, because the details look decided rather than added. Their own story reads like a family conversation, and the jewelry has the same spirit. A shell, a bead or a pearl can feel personal without losing the playfulness.

 

It is a studio-sized point of view with a few clear rules: make the small things count, layer if it makes you happy, and leave room for a little oddness.

My way into Brinker + Eliza is to pick one piece with a point of view and only then decide whether it needs company. The Best Is Yet To Come Necklace is a heart medallion on a gold chain, and I would wear it short near the collar or longer over a crewneck. Confetti Necklace goes the other way, with gemstone rondelles, mother-of-pearl beads and little gold hearts, all handmade in Connecticut. It looks like a party someone dressed for carefully.

 

The Provence Necklace is the quiet gold counterpoint in a stack, while the Lana Necklace and Astrid Necklace bring in the color. Picture her in a striped tee with Confetti, Rhode Necklace and Promise Earrings, just enough going on to make an errand feel like an occasion.

 

My one practical note: two strands at the same length tend to tangle and compete, so vary them. What I would skip is stacking three colorful necklaces at once. Let one lead.

Brinker + Eliza makes sense to me because the family story is still in the work: a metalsmith's eye for finish, a merchandiser's sense of how people actually get dressed, and a shared love of jewelry that is allowed to be fun. The Bloom Necklace, Benji Necklace, Barbie Necklace, Saltwater Necklace and Citrus Necklace all feel like they have a sense of humor.

 

I would begin with one necklace I want to wear often, then add a second strand only if the lengths and colors get along. Although I suspect the Citrus Necklace will end up sneaking into the rotation first.