I never thought I was a jewelry rules person. But earlier this year, February 22 to be exact, I began to realize that I hadn’t fully thought it through.
When I posted a picture on Instagram Stories of Teyana Taylor wearing a 50-carat citrine ‘Bird on a Rock’ Tiffany brooch on the upper right side of her Burberry gown at the BAFTAs, my friend Róisín Ní Mhórdha commented, “I wish I could have switched the brooch to the left side.”
I knew what she meant. It’s an old school jewelry rule.
Some say the tradition of wearing a brooch on the left side, above the heart, began in the Victorian era as a symbol of love. Others believe it is a practical issue related to the fact that most people are right-handed. Leaving the right side unobstructed means nothing will interfere with a handshake or other right hand activities.
Honestly, I didn’t think I cared which side of the upper torso one wore a brooch on. After all, I like brooches worn in alternative places, such as the waist, cleavage or back. Then I realized, it does feel backwards and decided, on the torso, the left side is right.
Would I think differently if Teyana were left-handed? Checks Google. Teyana Taylor is left-handed!
Maybe that’s why she wore it on the right side, to keep her left hand free. It’s possible she knew about the jewelry rule and chose to break it. She may not have had any idea about the obscure rule and just instinctively placed the piece on her non-dominant side.
Whatever the case may be, Teyana’s unconventional brooch placement got me thinking about jewelry rules. Most are not widely known and are occasionally broken by high-profile women. At King Charles’s coronation, for example, Princess Kate (of all people) broke a significant rule in a way which shook the jewelry world.
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