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JEWELLERY TALES...WITH
HANNAH ALMASSI
Editorial Director of Who What Wear UK and self-confessed magpie Hannah Almassi shares her jewellery secrets with us - from how to wear it to where to find it.
What is your favourite gemstone & why?
I'm a big fan of pinkish-red light rubies sent into vintage gold, like the little ones on my wedding band. They feel decadent, vintage and slightly Persian—a side of my heritage that definitely brings out the magpie in me.

Do you have a jewellery mantra?
I would say I'm an all or nothing girl—it's either got to be big (or at least piled on if small), or no jewellery whatsoever.

What is your trademark jewellery look?
Earrings are my favourite jewellery indulgence, and I have a ridiculous collection to prove it. Many of them are inexpensive as I go through earring trends pretty fast, but a timeless pair of hoops, for example, are well worth the investment.

Who do you think wears their jewellery really well?
I would love to wear bangles like Nancy Cunard, but with the amount of typing I do, it's just impossible…

Which piece of jewellery do you never take off?
I used to take it all off each night, but since I got married last year I rarely take off my wedding and engagement ring. Although it has to be removed when doing the dishes: My vintage engagement ring centres around a pearl and they are notoriously soft and easy to damage. Whoops.
What is your first jewellery memory?
My dad's medallion necklaces—no joke! He was something of a dude in the '70s and he had an Allah charm pendant that he apparently used to wear with his retro shirts unbuttoned to the point where they rivaled John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever. He didn't wear them by the time I was born in the eighties, but I always found the stories of his elaborate personal style funny as a child.

Do you have a favourite Annoushka piece?
I'm sure I'm not alone in always being attracted to anything with my initials on. "H" often sells out too fast for me to get my hands on one—so it has to be the Annoushka alphabet H pedant. It's antique-look perfectly matches my rings, so it could well become another piece I never take off…

Where is your go-to destination in London for sourcing hidden gems?
Gray's Antiques, but I'm also increasingly a fan of shopping on Etsy for costume pieces like retro brooches.

If you could depict yourself as a charm what would it be?
A cat—and specifically, a British Shorthair blue like my pet (my everything), Folly.

What tips do you have when it comes to styling jewellery HAT TIPS DO YOU HAVE WHEN IT COMES TO STYLING JEWELLERY?
I've got a feeling that the very archaic idea of having a matching set (earrings, necklace and brooch) is going to come back—I keep finding myself attracted to buying them in vintage stores and that usually means my trusted internal trend radar is bleeping…
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