I'm All About Luxury Jewelry—These Are the Investment Pieces I Never Take Off
And exactly how I stack them.
Hi Marie Claire readers! I’m Marci Hirshleifer-Penn, a 5th-generation owner of Hirshleifers, where I work with my family as the Global Personal Shopping Director and one-half of our women’s buying team with my aunt Lori Hirshleifer. This is my column! I’ll be sharing stories with you monthly about my favorite things—clothes, jewelry, bags, and all things fashion.
When Marie Claire asked me to come up with a concept for my first column, a voice in my head immediately said jewelry. It’s been such a huge part of mine and my family’s lives, and, in my humble opinion, a must-have for elevating any outfit. I grew up watching my nana layer her costume jewelry, then watched my Aunt Lori as she started to build her collection and personal taste. (All while also curating the jewelry we've carried here at Hirshleifers over the last 30 years!)
I’ve always loved the way jewelry makes me feel and the way it evolves with me throughout my life. I still have some of my first pieces that I wear to this day, 20+ years after I bought them. Which brings me to the meat of my first column: The jewelry I never take off and how I stack around it.
In my view, the thing about stacking your jewelry is: There is no wrong way—but there is a formula I personally live by.
Start With a Tennis Necklace
I have a Sophie Bille Brahe tennis necklace that I got a few years ago. It’s the starting point for my layering and sits the highest on my neck, which makes it easier to layer from there. For a starting piece, a tennis necklace is a classic that'll never go out of style. I love the brand Kimai for lab-grown options and Sophie Bille Brahe and Uniform Object for natural options.
Follow Up With Layered Chains
To balance out the tennis necklace, I layer with a chunky chain that sits about an inch or so lower. Mine is Uniform Object. Foundrae and Sidney Garber also have great options—they all sit at the perfect length. For a more affordable option, Loren Stewart's chain is so chic.
Then, the key piece in necklace layering: a long chain. I’ve had my Hoorsenbuhs long-link chain for years. It’s a big investment, but it’s so versatile and a personal favorite. You can wrap it around and wear it short as a choker, or play with the lengths.
Playfully Stack Bracelets
This changes up a lot, depending on my mood, my outfit, where I am, what I’m doing. The pieces I don’t take off are my Hoorsenbuhs cuff, my tennis bracelet, and my ID bracelet. I’ve gotten these particular pieces at significant times in my life and they feel like an extension of me. I’d be lost without them.
Right now, I feel like my stacking is a bit more playful on my wrists. I have a Nadine Ghosn pencil bracelet that I recently got—we just started carrying her pieces at Hirshleifers after a long friendship and I'm obsessed. She gifted me a playful bead bracelet that I’ve been loving wearing in the summer; it’s a fun piece that makes me smile. For a similar vibe, I love Roxanne Assoulin and Eliou.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my Shamballa bracelets. As one of their early U.S. partners, my family and I have been wearing Shamballa for years. They most definitely sit in the category of "bracelets I can’t go without" and add dimension, texture, and color to my stack. You can choose your beads individually and build your own bracelet; mine are reflective of my design choices. I also get them restrung every few years, so you can change up the bracelet by choosing different string colors and so on. For a more affordable option, Kimai does a great job.
Curate a Mix of Rings
Finally: my rings! My husband updated my engagement ring to a beautiful diamond a few years ago. I changed my old diamond into a pinky ring and wear that and an emerald on my pinky every day. I love a solitaire stone on your pinky—and not in a signet way; I feel like it’s a cool juxtaposition and a bit unexpected.
My other rings are a mix of things. I’m more of a chunky ring person outside of my engagement ring, so I love thicker bands like Hoorsenbuhs, Eli Halili, Spinelli Kilcollin, and Uniform Object. I also wear a M diamond ring by Sophie Bille Brahe. Again, it’s a fun take on what would be an otherwise serious ring!
My main takeaway? Have fun with it. Jewelry tells a story, and the best thing you can do is try out different combinations until it starts to feel like you.
