Gift Guide: buying jewellery for others

Navigating the world of gifting can be testing at the best of times, with many seeing jewellery as one of those problem products when it comes to purchasing for other people. How will you know what they will like? Will it fit? Will it suit their hair length or skin tone or general taste?

It’s definitely true that some pieces of jewellery are more niche than others. Not everyone is going to be bold enough to wear out-there, cutting edge, statement earrings; and not everyone is going to find simple diamond studs fulfilling. But there is a safe middle ground and this post aims to explore some common mistakes in jewellery buying, as well as give some helpful pointers of what to buy when you really just don’t know!

EARRINGS

Earrings are probably one of the safest options when it comes to buying jewellery for other people. Most people’s ears are roughly the same size and shape and therefore can accommodate many different designs. The only major thing you need to be able to answer (without any doubt preferably) is pierced or not pierced? Ie. has the recipient of the earrings got their ears pierced or not, as that will massively inform what style of earring you need to go for.

Once you’ve worked out that minor detail, the only question that really matters is what do you think they would like? Generally speaking, it’s fairly easy to calculate what ‘style’ of jewellery someone likes, or might like, by looking at how they dress and what they wear already. If the person you want to buy for looks more like a librarian than a punk rockstar, you can safely assume that going conservative is going to be the best approach; and by the same token, someone who is a daring fashion designer is probably going to find simple gold studs a little lacklustre. Our piece of advice here would be to pay close attention to how they already dress and also what jewellery they already wear. Unless they have specifically said that they want to branch out, stick to what you know!

For conservative dressers, keeping to a neutral palette can be clever. Blacks, whites, browns, greys, etc are universally worn and loved and represent colours that go with just about anything (including existing jewellery). Look for earrings that feature diamonds, pearls, natural agates, smoky quartzes, onyx or brown diamonds. It’s also important to give consideration to the design of the earring – you don’t want to buy anything that is too avant-garde, big, statement or out there. Simple studs or neat drop earrings are the ultimate safe zone, but beyond that there is still plenty of options. We’ve shown a selection of earrings below that we feel sit in the conservative camp WITHOUT being boring. No one likes boring jewellery, especially when it is a gift:

♥ Hide and Seek key earrings – they are a great size and colour for everyday earrings, whilst also lending a strong design element. Keys are also a well-regarded, long-established motif in jewellery, so nothing too scary here

♥ Square-Peg-Round-Hole earrings – lovely drop earrings in easy-to-wear aquamarine. However, the fact that they are mismatching means that they are by no means boring. A really great pair of earrings for someone who likes things simple but with a bit of a twist

♥ Flower Bomb earrings in blue – again, lapis lazuli is one of those blues that makes everyone feel happy and warm inside. It’s links to denim mean it is probably one of the most approachable gemstones in terms of everyday wear, and goes with all skin tones.

♥ Black Gumball earrings – great shape, easy to wear and interchangeable, allowing someone who normally wears only smaller earrings to experiment with adding the bottom drops.

♥ Terra Nova earrings – If you are looking for a pair of statement-conservative earrings, these are the ones. Neutral in colour, rich in diamonds, and not too scary in shape. They would work on someone older as beautifully as on a younger face.

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Now onto braver horizons…. If the recipient of your great jewellery gift is a little bolder in taste and style, then pretty much anything with a design flair or edge goes. Colour is your friend, not your enemy, and look-at-me size is to be embraced. The only thing to really think about is whether you want to gift them earrings that they can wear on a more frequent basis, or whether you are looking to give them something that is a little more OTT but comes out of the closet a little less often. The latter is obviously conditional on the recipient – some jewellery lovers do wear OTT jewellery (normally reserved for more formal events) during the day, every day. Below is our chosen selection of earrings for the bold and brave:

♥ Rock Pool earrings – crabs aren’t everyone’s first choice when it comes to favourite animals, but for those who like their jewellery fun and unusual we couldn’t recommend these more. Mismatching in length, rich in verdigris colour and packed with gemstone love, these earrings actually go with a lot of outfits. Their emerald green tone means that they aren’t quite so out there as you might first think….

♥ Singapore Sling earrings – smiling Buddhas, diamond chopsticks…what’s not to love

♥ Forest Fawn earrings – perfect for nature lovers, animal lovers, jewellery wearers looking to attract attention and be the star of the show. Remarkably easy to wear due to their neutral palette but guaranteed to turn heads

♥ American Sweetheart earrings – although these earrings are bright, cute, whimsical and cute in colour, their relatively small size means that they aren’t quite as loud as you might think. They are also packed with gemstones, so definitely a grown up option despite the Barbie appeal

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NECKLACES

Along with earrings, necklaces are another pretty safe category of jewellery buying. Again, most necks tend to be about the same shape and width, meaning that most designs suit most people. The one variant to potentially consider is height. Some shorter people feel overwhelmed by big, statement necklaces; they naturally feel that smaller, daintier pieces work better on their shorter, more delicate frames. This is a very personal position and not one that is shared unanimously among all smaller jewellery wearers, so again it’s important to take stock of what they already wear to get a feel of how chunky they like to go.

For more conservative necklace lovers there is still a wide range of styles and designs to buy for. Bead necklaces, tassel necklaces and pendant necklaces are all universally worn and loved – they are styles that have been bought for hundreds of years and feel ‘safe’ in the minds of less adventurous accessorisers. Here are some options from our inventory that we feel would work well for anyone, regardless of their style or taste:

♥ Double denim necklace – a really easy to wear bead necklace in neutral, denim blue hues. This piece can be worn with anything from a t-shirt and jeans to a little shift dress. It can also be worn long or doubled-up-short to accommodate taller or shorter recipients.

♥ For Will pendant – keys are such a great motif in jewellery, and this little gold pendant is perfect as a love token or gift for a special someone. It can also be engraved or set with a gemstone of choice, making it personalised and all the more special

♥ Kahlua necklace – neutral mid-tones make this tassel bead necklace a really great option for someone who is conservative at heart, but wants a bit more oomph from their jewellery. Again, this one-of-a-kind piece can be worn dressed down or dressed up.

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For those with a heftier appetite for colour and statement jewellery then the world is your oyster in terms of necklaces. There really aren’t many limitations and a bit of fun should be embraced.

When searching for a present for a more confident jewellery candidate we would recommend buying the below three necklaces for a couple of reasons. Firstly, their form and style is still quite traditional but their use of material them different, so they are a good mix of safe and not-safe – perfect for braver jewellery wearers. Whilst bold in colour, they also still conform to a jewel-like palette, again making them noticeable but not too out-there (easier to wear ruby pink than neon yellow). Finally, neither of them are too big or too small, making them approachable whatever your stature or frame.

♥ Santa Rosa necklace – a gorgeous mix of sapphire blue lucite and white agate beads

♥ Miss Daytona necklace – ruby reds and pinks, perfect for autumn outfits or summer dressing. A real universal winner

♥ Tutti Frutti necklace – it might be a colourful little number, but it co-ordinates with more outfits than you might think. Perfect for someone who uses statement jewellery to elevate a more simple wardrobe.

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RINGS

Rings are perhaps the most difficult present to buy as a gift. The main issue is that everyone has different sized fingers, and unlike earrings or necklaces, rings need to be the perfect fit in order to stay put and be worn comfortably. Too small and they restrict blood flow, won’t come off and are just generally uncomfortable to wear; and too big, rings will sit incorrectly, swivel to the side, or at worst, just fall off and be lost forever.

If you would like to buy a ring as a gift for someone, it is either best to know their size or buy a ring that can be easily re-sizeable. Some guesswork with a reputable jeweller can be done behind the scenes in secret to ascertain ring size, but this tactic is only fairly accurate. So if there is a chance you really aren’t sure what size to go for then we would always suggest buying a ring that can easily be amended to fit their ring size. Below are some options that are easily adapted to fit any finger:

♥ Pacific Cocktail ring – if you are looking for a great, grown-up cocktail ring to gift, this piece couldn’t be more perfect. It’s neutral in tone (diamonds and pearl) so it goes with everything, perfect for the more classic jewellery lover, and yet still design led so it would also suit someone who wants a bit of flair from a ring.

♥ Pick ‘n; Mix rings – these great, fun little rings are perfect for stacking. Also affordable, they make great gifts for teens or delicate ring lovers

♥ Whoops-a-Daisy ring – this is a more statement ring due to its size, but being neutral in tone it can be worn both by day and night, making it more universal than it might first seem. This would be our recommendation for anyone looking to gift a safe, statement piece.

♥ Eye Candy ring – like the small Pick ‘n’ Mix rings, this baby is perfect for those who like their jewellery to have clean lines and a modernist vibe

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If you are shopping for a cocktail ring lover, statement ring lover, or someone who just has to have something different and fun on their finger, then you want to stay away from dainty and traditional. Explore rings that are heavier and larger in size, and also use fun materials such as resin or lucite, perhaps incorporate found objects or use carved gemstones. Colour is a must.

Below is our pick of some good options for brave ring lovers (but only if you know their ring size):

♥ Palm Beach ring – made from vintage lucite, gold and aquamarine, this gorgeous cocktail ring is the perfect mix of timeless and completely avant-garde. Plastic is not a material commonly used in fine jewellery, but here it really shows off how it can work alongside more traditional materials

♥ Absinthe ring – chunky and perfect for nature lovers, garden lovers and avid drinkers

♥ Everglade ring – magical and mesmerising, this amazing little piece is about as unique as you can get from contemporary fine jewellery.

♥ Longitude ring – a more classic option for those who perhaps shy away from colour but want something chunky and more noticeable on their finger

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CUFFLINKS

Lastly, and by no means least, it’s important to remember that buying jewellery doesn’t just mean something for the girls. Men wear jewellery too, and most traditionally in the form of cufflinks.

Despite historical connotations, cufflinks can come in the form of both conservative and loud, and choosing the right pair for your recipient follows the same rules as before: what style do they normally dress in? What cufflinks do they already own and wear?

In our edit below we’ve highlighted a selection of cufflinks that range from the very conservative to the down-right mad:

♥ Cryptic cufflinks – plain gold and as safe as you can get. Who doesn’t like a rectangle?

♥ Hemisphere cufflinks – these are a good option if you want a bit more ‘design’ to your cufflinks, but still play it safe. The diamond touch gives it a little bit of edge, making them perfect for eveningwear

♥ Cryptic Sapphire cufflinks – enamel is another safe way to add ‘design’ to more traditional-style cufflinks. Being navy blue, this piece is highly unlikely to offend any cufflink lover, but still attract compliments

♣ Miami cufflinks – for those who like a bit of fun and don’t want to take their jewellery too seriously

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PERSONAL SHOPPING SERVICE

If all else fails, and you are finding it impossible to make a decision on what to buy, we offer a completely complimentary personal shopping service to all. Just get in touch with us via email or our online chat and let us know how we can help!