5 Things to consider when buying jewelry as a gift

The gift giving season is upon us so I thought it would be important to talk about 5 important things every gift giver should consider when choosing jewelry as a gift.

Sizing

This is probably the trickiest part of buying jewelry for someone. Rings are probably the trickiest to choose for gifts since sizing for them is the least forgiving. This is not to say that you should never give rings as gifts but doing so probably requires a bit more prep so I generally recommend saving rings for really momentous gifts. And this may or may not be Christmas for you. Instead, consider going for earrings, necklaces, and bracelets for holiday gifting. 

Metal 

The best way to go about this is to find out if the person you’re buying for favours a certain metal over another. If you’re not sure, you can also pick based on what may compliment their skin tone. Yellow and rose gold bring warmth to those with cooler skin tones. And silver, white gold or platinum can really stand out on those with warmer skin tones. These aren’t hard and fast rules though (for example, I’m big on mixed metals so it really depends on the piece of you ask me) but they can help if you’re not sure where to start. 

Meaning

The best part of giving jewelry to someone is the meaning behind the piece. Do the gemstones in the piece have a special meaning? Perhaps it's a style you know that they've been after for a while. So when gifting jewelry, make sure to write a small note or card to tell the person you’re gifting to why you picked the piece you picked for them.

Timeless or Trend

Depending both on who you’re giving jewelry to and the meaning you want to put behind that gift, you’ll want to consider whether or not you want to pick something that is trend-driven or timeless. If you’re gifting to someone that’s always up on the latest fashion, perhaps they’ll appreciate something that is very on trend at the moment. But if you’re gifting to someone who loves a good staple and you know will treasure this piece for years to come, then perhaps you want to pick something that is timeless. 

Lifestyle

Are you looking for jewelry for someone who wears their pieces daily or only special occasions? Is their lifestyle really active? Do they have younger children? 

These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself about someone’s lifestyle when planning to gift them jewelry. If they are someone who wears their pieces daily then a huge statement piece might be a risky pick. And if they’re daily wearers and also really active then you probably want to consider whether they would want the trouble of taking care of fine pieces in the form of rings or bracelets while doing daily errands like washing up. If they’re parents then you’ll want to consider the age of the children and whether or not they’re still in the “tug on everything you see” phase. 

If you’re not sure where to start with gifting jewelry, these 5 considerations are a great place to start. If all else fails, opt for a gift card to your favourite small business jewelry brand.