Jewelry Gift Giving Guide – 4 Tips on Selecting the Perfect Gift

Jewelry always makes a great gift, especially handcrafted jewelry. However, it can be difficult to know what to get your loved ones. While I’ve had my jewelry shop over 10 years, I only recently started giving my jewelry as gifts. I went through the same thoughts that you probably have (since you’re reading this post) and worried that the jewelry I chose wouldn’t be what they wanted. Jewelry, just like clothing, is a fashion statement, and tastes vary wildly – from the simple understated classic pieces to large ornate statement pieces. However, you can find the perfect gift using the following 4 tips.

Tip #1: Stalk Social Media

With social media so popular these days, it’s easy to stalk your family and friends to see what type of jewelry they usually wear. Checking Facebook and Instagram for selfies or other pictures they are tagged in is a great way to see their tastes. Things to look out for:

• Do they usually wear silver or gold? If they show a preference for one color over the other, that’s good to know.
• Do they wear multiple necklaces at one time? A unique gift idea is my necklace detangler – Necklace Detangler – 2, 3, or 4-strand

• Do they wear bracelets or bangles? If you notice they wear a lot of bracelets and bangles (especially more than one at a time), then bracelets are a great gift idea to add to their collection. Stacking bracelets is very popular and more is always better!

• Are their ears pierced? I mistakenly gave my sister-in-law a pair of earrings once for Christmas. While I’ve known her for 30 years, I never noticed she didn’t have pierced earrings – that was awkward!
• Do they tend to wear large jewelry or small, simple pieces?

Just a short time checking out Social Media can narrow your search down considerably!

Tip #2: Size matters

Some of the most common questions I get are related to jewelry sizing. Necklace length and bracelet/bangle size can be tricky, so here’s my advice:

• For necklace length, the standard length is 18″. Petite and/or slim women will usually do best with 16″ length. Larger women are more comfortable with a 20″ length. If purchasing a choker style, err on the side of smaller, 16″ usually works best for most women.
• Bangle sizing can really be tricky since bangles generally slip over the hand and don’t unclasp. So, the size of the hand is more important than the size of the wrist. Here’s a video I created showing how to size for bangles:
  • How To Measure Your Hand for Slip-on Bangles
• Because sizing can be an issue, I allow for free exchanges on all my jewelry. If you live in the U.S., I will even ship it back for no charge. The only extra charge is if the buyer wants an upgraded piece of jewelry. They also ship it to me at their cost, but I will remake any piece of jewelry and ship it back for free.

Tip #3: When in doubt, keep it simple.

Simple jewelry is always a safe bet. Even though chunky, statement jewelry is a great trend these days, there are always occasions when simpler, elegant jewelry is needed. Even if they normally wears larger jewelry, they can appreciate classic pieces that never go out of style (while the reverse isn’t the case). Weddings, church services, and other formal occasions are times when simple, classic pieces are always in style.

Tip #4: Personalize!

At Theresa Rose Designs, there are 2 ways to really personalize your gift. One way is to purchase personalized jewelry itself with birthstones and/or initials. These are always thoughtful gifts and show that you took the time to find the perfect, meaningful gift. The second way is to select a personalized jewelry card from my over 50 choices. Depending on their personality and relationship, I have cards for all family members, inspiration, and soon to be added – an entire selection of humorous cards (I’m really looking forward to launching these!).

I hope these tips are helpful. I’m always available to assist you with all your gift giving needs.