Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreWhen did you last give your jewellery any thought? I’m guessing, like me, you have some everyday small gold or silver earrings, a chain with a little pendant or two, and for parties you might upgrade to a hoop and a drop pearl.Jewellery has, for a while, been chain-based (thick, thin, a trio with a subtle pendant) and discreet. I can’t remember the last time I wore a bead necklace, let alone earrings the size of sea anemones. And, yes, you guessed it, that time has come again.The great news is that you can polish up an outfit now and give it catwalk cachet by adding punchy costume jewellery (the right sort, of course), and your enamel floral earrings are going to be working as hard as your shoes or your bag – maybe harder.This also means that, henceforth, your nest of chains and delicate drop earrings are standing in the way of your outfit getting the necessary 2026 upgrade (not such good news if you’re reluctant to be parted from your mini gold hoops).This new bold jewellery moment will take a bit of getting used to – as I say it’s been a while since an earring was the essential finishing touch to an outfit – but Matthieu Blazy at Chanel has put them back at the top of the must-have list.A quick important note: I’ll stop mentioning Blazy as inspiration soon, but his impact on fashion has been extraordinary, and it’s important to know the spiky flower earrings made of feathers he sent down the catwalk – white ones with a tweedy new-look suit; red with a black and ivory satin dress – have been as coveted as any of the clothes or accessories, even though they cost £1,730.Evidently, the message has got through that the right pair of earrings transforms simple clothes into fabulous new looks. The extra good news is that it’s not hard for the high street to produce something similar. You may not find feather flowers, but you’ll find plenty of costume jewellery in the Blazy spirit – for under £20. This new bold jewellery moment will take a bit of getting used to – but Matthieu Blazy at Chanel has put them back at the very top of the must-have list (Pictured: Chanel S/S 2026 show)Zara and Mango are ahead of the field, but for a beaded version of Chanel’s spiky, feather flower explosions you can’t beat Asos’s red earrings (£12, asos.com).Red is a dead cert for earrings now and that shot of red – particularly next to the face – is what makes monochrome wearable. Even head-to-toe solid black can be made 50-plus friendly with the addition of the right bright red jewellery.Zara’s maxi embossed red flower earrings are plastic but look like coral (£17.99, zara.com) – another Blazy theme along with chillis and shells – and its coral-shaped glitter-encrusted earrings, or topaz-coloured oval studs with gold round shell pendants attached (both £17.99) are similarly in the hot zone.If you’re feeling brave, earrings that curl up the ear like cuffs or that cover the ear completely (gold and red scallop shells on the catwalk) are the most fashion forward, but it’s easier to wear a big floral earring that fans out up your lobe and down to your jaw.Not for everyone – you need a longish neck for a start – but Zara once again has done a terrific pair in cream with black details (£17.99) or a more manageable gold fan flower version (£14.99).I also love H&M’s shiny, hammered gold flower pendant earrings dangling from an abstract butterfly-shaped stud (£19.99, hm.com), and the plain, hammered gold flower earrings (£9.99).You can’t go far wrong provided you avoid minimal modern silhouettes (the mood has shifted to costume and colour), choose the maxi pair not the mini, and steer clear of string, raffia and anything that looks like you might have bought it at the beach on holiday. There’s nothing kitsch about this jewellery moment, it’s all about polish.Necklaces are back, too, but they’re harder to wear. If you have a shorter neck they may look overwhelming and can fight with necklines. The best bet is a multi-strand short necklace (seed pearls or beads) or a chunky short necklace. Both sit draped over the collarbone in the open neck of a silk blouse or V-neck.M&S’s irregular link necklace fits the bill (£25, marksandspencer.com), and H&M’s short gold necklace with two floral charms is quite new Chanel (£37.99). But if you want to make the most of your money, a bare neckline with a big Blazyish earring is the smart way to go.SHOP: The jewellery styles that always look cheap, no matter what the price tag - and the elegant pieces to choose insteadREAD MORE: Who has the best royal jewellery box: Expert rates Kate's 'approachable mum' accessories against Meghan's bling - including a £56,000 diamond pinky ring