Jennifer Meyer

Jennifer Meyer

Jennifer Meyer learned to make enamel jewelry at six with her grandmother Edith, then started her own line in Los Angeles in 2005. Notes on the jeweler behind these small gold symbols, and how to choose the one you will wear every day.

It Started With Her Grandmother

Every jewelry brand has an origin story, but Jennifer Meyer's is sweeter than most. She was six when she learned to work with enamel alongside her grandmother, Edith Meyer, a California artist. Years later, after communications jobs at Ralph Lauren and Giorgio Armani, she sketched a leaf and started her own line in 2005, teaching herself as she went. The Edith pieces here are named for her grandmother.

That is the key to the whole brand. These are small symbols meant to mark something, luck, love or a milestone, and they are made to be worn daily. Earrings are the easiest place to feel it. The Mini 70s Star earrings are tiny and specific, the kind of thing people notice on the third day, not the first. The Edith diamond hoops are the classic of the group.

Symbols Worth Wearing Close

Necklaces are where Meyer's language of luck really shows up. Evil eyes, open hearts, clovers, wishbones, a mini hamsa. I used to think symbol jewelry was a little sentimental, until I noticed how many women I admire wear one small pendant every single day. It becomes part of how you look.

The Open Heart diamond necklace is the easiest one to live in, simple enough for a crewneck or an open collar. The Evil Eye multi-stone necklace carries more color, so let it be the only chain you wear. Her big break, for what it is worth, came when Jennifer Aniston wore the leaf necklace in The Break-Up. Pick the symbol that actually means something to you, and the length that sits right on your usual neckline.

A Ring Has To Survive Your Hands

Rings have the hardest job in fine jewelry. They get knocked against desks, dunked in dishwater and caught on sweaters. Meyer's rings keep the same pared-back feeling as the rest of the line, which helps. The Mini Clover ring is small enough to stack with something you already own, and the Dome white gold diamond ring has more presence without a stone high enough to snag.

I would wear any ring through a full day of typing and carrying bags before deciding it belongs on your hand for good.

Bracelets That Move With You

The bracelets are where Meyer's everyday philosophy gets tested, because a bracelet has to live next to a watch, a sleeve and a phone. The Edith links carry her grandmother's name again and are substantial enough to wear alone. The Mini Evil Eye diamond bracelet is the lightest way into the symbols, and the tennis bracelets are for anyone who wants a line of sparkle with no motif at all.

My advice is to pick one bracelet that survives your real day, then wait a month before adding a second. A stack built slowly always looks more like you.

Worn, Not Stored

Jennifer Meyer's jewelry works because it was designed to be worn, not stored. The best pieces here are the small symbols and plain gold shapes, the kind you put on once and forget to take off. I would slow down at the high end of the range, where a diamond piece costs several thousand dollars and should be something you are certain you will reach for daily. The evil eyes and hearts are popular for a reason, but a symbol means more when you choose it for yourself rather than because it is everywhere. The piece to buy is the small one tied to something real in your life, worn every day until people stop noticing it and start thinking of it as yours.