By Aonika Laurent Thomas

I recently visited a few of my favorite jewelers with one question in mind: what jewelry should I invest in, and by what age? Depending on where you stand in life financially, jewelry may not be a priority. It’s presumptuous to say that you need a particular piece by a certain age. On the other hand, we all have goals. The jewelry we wear can say a lot about us. French women have a minimalist approach but invest well. Meanwhile, we Americans wear more and pay less. Currently, romantic, delicate necklaces and stack-able rings are trending, but the reality is that they never go out of style. Every jeweler I spoke with said the same thing: if you can only afford one piece of jewelry, then get DIAMOND STUDS.

If you have the budget, the following is a list in order of must-haves.  If you don’t, don’t sweat it—just fake it ’til ya make it.

Here’s a list of the real and not-so-real versions of “must have” jewelry.

Diamond Studs:

An elegant pair of gold hoops:

A classic watch from Cartier Tank, followed by a leather band watch, or other options:

An iconic bracelet, the Love Bracelet from Cartier, or another option:

A delicate necklace:

A long chain, diamonds by the yard:

A signature pinky ring in white gold from David Yurman, or another option:

The bold, fashionable, and beautiful right hand Serpenti Ring from Bvlgari:

A sentimental piece to celebrate a new accomplishment or a new baby, the locket from Monica Rich Kosann, or another option:

Statement earrings, the citrine and sapphires Cognac kiss earrings from Leon’s of Beverly Hills, or another option:

A string of pearls from Tiffany or elsewhere: