STAR TRENDS

Charmed circles

Pendants are hip

Mena Suvari looks chic in her sky-blue pendant. To see more Star Trends visit PEOPLE.COM

(PEOPLE) -- Looking to find the neck's best thing? Check out the funky pendants on beaded chains decorating the décolletage of such trendsetters as Sandra Bullock, Tea Leoni and Cindy Crawford.

Pendants are "hip, pretty and fun," says celebrity stylist Deborah Waknin, who recently selected a lightweight, carved rose by Los Angeles designer Geordi Jiminez for "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"'s Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Plus, she adds, donning one of the edgy necklaces "makes a statement without being ostentatious."

Often crafted from down-to-earth materials like wood, amber and semi-precious stones, the baubles "have a very positive energy and a personal vibe to them," notes designer Sage Machado, whose vintage hand-painted dragon pendant is a favorite of Susan Sarandon's.

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Best of all, "pendants don't have an age," notes L.A. jewelry designer Erica Courtney, who points out that stylish stars both young and old are snapping up the trendy style.

But make no mistake -- the bold beading and eye-catching colors of the necklaces "take the traditional into the 21st century," says L.A. boutique owner Jennifer Kaufman. "This is not your grandma's pendant."

N.F. Mendoza and Marisa Wong contributed to this report