The genre of alternative jewelry includes many different pieces and is actually hard to explain. Alternative means anything that is not classified in any other category, and anything that is not the norm of the jewelry world. A lot of the jewelry is very unique even to the point where there is only one of a kind. Personal jewelry is often designed by the client and created by the jeweler for the clients to wear only and not mass produced. Photographs can be reproduced into a jewelry piece, perhaps on a pendant on a chain. Alternative jewelry could also include non standard gems and stones. A very unique type of jewelry, mostly rings, includes a factory produced diamond from the carbon created by the ashes of a loved one that has passed. Ashes are carbon based, just like diamonds. The carbon from the loved one is put under extreme pressure as a natural diamond is, but it is created much faster than a natural diamond and then put in a setting of the client’s choice. It is a way to keep the loved one close and also be a tribute to the memory of the one that passed. These types of jewelry are very expensive but are a one of a kind piece.

Another category that has only been created in the past couple of decades is the body jewelry category. There is no limit to body areas that are being pierced. Clients are looking for earring types of pieces in loops and bar bell type of posts to place in two entry points in the skin. Alternative areas of body piercing include the eye brow, nose, tongue, lip, nipples, navel and genitals. There is a unique type of jewelry for each different area of the body pierced.
Alternative jewelry can also be designed that uses items not usually associated with jewelry. An example of this would be the soup can earrings that Andy Warhol made popular. Alternative jewelry includes pieces that are made with materials uncommon to jewelry like string, tin and glass.

The high end jewelry stores can also provide alternative jewelry and they would also include non standard pieces, mostly custom designed jewelry. Alternative pieces may include very large gem stones like large diamonds or diamonds that are rare colors. The red diamond is the rarest diamond on the planet and very few possess them and because of their rarity would classify them as alternative jewelry. The raw, uncut diamond pieces that are currently highly trendy use an untouched diamond that is not usually used in high end jewelry.
Ethnic jewelry can also land in the alternative jewelry category because they are usually created based on a belief of one race. The evil eye necklace charm worn on necklaces is believed by the Greeks that it keeps away the lure of those that possess the evil eye, which are light colored eyes. The Indian culture wears head jewelry among the multitude of other jewelry pieces that are historically Eastern in significance. Each piece represents a different superstition, culture and religion.