Hi friend!
I woke up this morning thinking about how we choose the “one” when we’re shopping, both for ourselves and for others, and realized I’ve never talked about gift giving. I think there’s some skill involved here…let’s think about what could make this more of a success–especially when it comes to jewelry.
No rings (probably)~ This category will be the trickiest as rings are the only jewelry with really specific sizing. Unless you know someone’s been eyeing a certain piece or has casually left their ring size on a slip of paper, probably best to move on. Rings can often be resized but also sometimes not, it depends!
Style~ What type of jewelry do you often see them wear? Earrings (small studs, long dangles, hoops?), necklaces, bracelets. Pay attention to scale, are they mostly wearing chunky statement pieces or delicate ones? Note if you see them wearing silver, gold, or some other material like wood or glass or natural fibers.
Color~ This again goes for metals but also for stone choice. Don’t buy me red, I never wear red! Think about the colors they wear in clothes, even their eye color. If their palette is more neutral, diamonds or other colorless stones might be the right choice or even jewelry without stones.
Functionality~ If you’re buying for a mom with small kids a dangly earring will get yanked at some point. Maybe studs are safer. Also if you’re buying for someone who is rough with their hands, rings and bracelets might be a no. Of course, we all need pieces for special occasions but if you’re going for an everyday piece, make sure it makes sense.
Some other considerations~ Sometimes we really want to buy someone a gift from an artist or vendor because we really love it, but if we’re honest it might not be the other person’s style. Be bold and buy yourself the thing you really want, hone in on what’s right for them. For pendants…I would add that as a gift it’s nice to receive a chain with the piece, it just feels more complete. But if you know the person well and know they have plenty of chains already, then you might skip it.
Final thoughts~ For the moments when you really feel you’re in the right arena with your gift choice but something feels a little off–like stone color for example–ask if it’s possible to have one made in a different color (if I can I will!). And if you know you’re in the right arena but the final decision is just too overwhelming, you might just pick up a gift card. (I do offer those too!) No one will scoff at getting to pick a piece for themselves.
For me, gift giving is somewhat of an intuitive art. I hold the person in my mind and I feel around for what grabs me when I consider them. If you need any help with gifts, always reach out!
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