What Jewellery Would Julia Gillard Wear?

Julia Gillard was Australia's first female Prime Minster, taking the mantle in 2010.  Her no-nonsense approach to politics was a talking point, but rather cleverly she opted for plain outfits to ensure that there would be minimal focus on her personal style and that few statements could be made about it.

She was known for wearing dark colours and a lot of classic tailoring, so the appearance of lilac piping on one of her suits caused a bit of a stir, as did a polka dot skirt she wore with a plain jacket in parliament.  Her partner used to be a hairdresser so perhaps he had some influence over the evolution of her style to incorporate more feminine touches.  He is certainly responsible for her iconic sleek red bob and that's Gillard all over – timeless classics are the basis of her looks.

She tends to go for simple and stylish two-pieces, stud earrings with a matching necklace that will work with any outfit.  This is a sensible option for a powerful woman who doesn't want to spend a lot of time thinking about what she's wearing, or make any overt statements with her clothing and accessories.  In terms of materials, she loves pearls and is often seen wearing pearl jewellery and she also prefers plain colours to bright pieces, perhaps because the fewer colours there are to match the easier it is to pick a set and run with it.

We think she would adore the Twinkle pearl earring we have in our freshwater pearl collection, and for a showier look the Affinity earrings would be ideal.  Both have drop shaped pearls which she has been seen wearing, so if she loves that shape she'd snap up the Twinkle matching necklace too.  These earrings have a slight drop to them which means there is movement to the pieces, but they wouldn't be considered “dangly” making them ideal for wearing in high office as they're classic and not distracting.  Julia would wear many of our pearl earrings, and perhaps for everyday wear the Full Moon or Purity pearl earrings would fit the bill.  Both feature a single pearl in a simple mount, but the Full Moon option has a single cubic zirconia accent. 

Our Circle of Life necklace with matching earrings would look great on Julia – she'd go for the plain cubic option and wear them with anything and everything.  We also think that our Journey necklace would appeal to her style.  It's simple but does make a subtle statement, perfect for reflecting the political journey she took throughout her career.  The solid silver piece features a line of cubic zirconia at each end of the swirl, representing the start and end of her political career and it would look great worn with some understated stud earrings.

The Serenity two-piece set is also a Gillard style favourite.  This cross design uses four stones set in an attractive square setting which brings out the angular styling making it ideal for wearing with power suits for a really polished look.  Julia would go for the cubic zirconia option but there are sapphire and ruby options too, which are gorgeous for a little splash of colour. 

Gillard made headlines when she wore a large diamond ring at a press conference in late 2010, which sparked excitement that she might marry her partner, Tim Mathieson, while in office.  The large stone was set in a simple claw mount which is in keeping with her jewellery preferences and turned out to be one she had owned for a while and wore on either hand depending on the day.  We don't have anything which is a perfect match, but we think our Opulent ring has the right blend of sparkle and simplicity to appeal to Julia.

The bob haircut never goes out of style, neither does Julia Gillard's jewellery choice so if you want to cultivate a timeless and low maintenance look with your jewellery, she's your go to for inspiration.