In this post I will give you some ideas on how to choose jewellery for the woman or man in your life that she or he will treasure and love. Jewellery is a very personal thing and it really comes down to individual taste as to what people will wear.
While jewellery can make a great gift for a loved one it can also be tricky to pick something that’s appreciated. So how to choose the right jewellery for your partner?
First of all, here’s the obvious question: Does your partner actually like and wear jewellery? If the answer is “no” – you can stop reading now. If the answer is “yes” keep on reading.
Ask yourself the following questions when you are looking for jewellery for your partner:
Does your partner wear jewellery every day? If not do they wear jewellery at special occasions such as going to the opera, for a meal out or birthdays and Christmas?
What type of jewellery
What type of jewellery does your partner wear most? Is it mostly rings, pendants or earrings? Or bracelets, brooches and bangles?
Precious metals or non-precious metals
Does your partner only wear precious metals such as gold, sterling silver or platinum? She or he might have an allergy to non-precious metals.
Or is your partner happy with wearing non-precious metals?
Precious stones, semi-precious stones or man-made beads?
What about semi-precious or precious stones? Does your partner like Lapis Lazuli, Agate or Rose Quartz? Or does it have to be diamonds?
What about man-made beads made with various materials such as glass or polymer clay?
Does your partner mostly like bling and sparkly jewellery?
Fashion versus individual one-of-a-kind
Does your partner prefer to be on trend and like jewellery that is popular and fashionable?
Or does he/she prefer one-of-a-kind jewellery nobody else is wearing?
Does your partner like wearing jewellery with his/her own name on it?
Don’t forget colour choice
What colours does your partner mostly wear? What’s his or her favourite colour?
Art jewellery, themed pieces, bold pieces or dainty jewellery?
Does your partner mostly wear art jewellery?
Or bold statement pieces? Or does he or she prefer small and dainty pieces?
Or does he/she prefer abstract pieces, organic pieces or specifically themed jewellery?
Does she or he like animals and wear animal related jewellery? If yes – what is her/his favourite animal?
These are a lot of questions to consider and it really helps that you know your partner’s preferences. You might have to play detective! If it’s not so obvious to you, you could check out your partner’s jewellery box and wardrobe. Failing that ask close friends who might be more observant and can help.
My husband knows me pretty well so if he buys me jewellery (which he has now stopped because it’s a bit weird given that I design jewellery myself and don’t wear much – I know it’s a bit odd! ) he always gets it right. In the past he has bought me a cute necklace with a cat made of pewter, a lapis lazuli necklace and earring set as a wedding gift, because blue is my favourite colour and I love Lapis. My engagement ring (which still doesn’t fit, it was too big and has been resized twice!) is made with a Sapphire and 2 tiny diamonds – I actually picked that one and he bought it for me. Once you know a person’s preferences well – shopping really does get easier.
Don’t forget: size matters
Another important point to consider is size. This can be a bit tricky as you really need to know your partner’s wrist or ring size. It helps to actually measure your partner’s existing pieces – if you can.
Here are the most common sizes for different pieces of jewellery which you might find helpful too.
Typical lengths for women’s necklaces:
The collar which fits quite tightly to the neck = 14-15 inches (35.56 cm – 38.1 cm)
The choker which fits also fairly close to the neck = 15 – 16 inches (38.1 cm – 40.64 cm)
The pendant is a more commonly worn piece = 18-19 inches (45.72 cm – 48.26 cm)
The matinee type is longer = 20 – 24 inches (50.8 cm – 60.96 cm)
The opera style is getting quite long and you can wrap it around your neck twice if you want to = 28-32 inches (71.12 cm – 81.28 cm)
The rope length is 40-45 inches long (101.6 cm – 114.3 cm)
The lariat which is just wrapped around your neck and loosely knotted as it has no clasp is the longest type of necklace and starts at 48 inches (121.92 cm)
Typical lengths for men’s necklaces:
Men don’t seem to have that much choice. They can either wear a choker, a medium or long necklace.
The choker is 18 inches long (45.72 cm) so like a pendant.
The medium length for men is 19-23 inches (48.26 cm – 58.42 cm)
The long necklace for men is 24+ inches long (60.96 cm +)
Most of the necklaces I sell tend to be of pendant length between 18-19 inches long or 20 – 23 inches when they are beaded necklaces. I found these are popular sizes. If someone wants a very long piece – and I had a commission for a rope length necklace once – I am happy to oblige.
Typical sizes for women’s bracelets:
Small size: 6-7 inches (15.24 cm – 17.78 cm)
Medium size: 7.5 – 8 inches (19.05 cm – 20.32 cm)
Large size: 8.5 -9 inches (21.59 cm – 22.86 cm)
My bracelets tend to be medium sized as I found that these are the most popular sizes.
Typical sizes for men’s bracelets:
Small size: 8 – 9 inches (20.32 cm – 22.86 cm)
Medium size: 9.5 – 10 inches (24.13 cm – 25.4 cm)
Large size: 10.5 – 11 inches (26.67 cm – 29.94 cm)
So far I haven’t had have any male customers ordering for themselves, which is why I don’t have bracelets in these sizes in my inventory. However, I am more than happy to design customs pieces for the man in your life.
Rings
Ring sizes can be bit tricky as different countries use different systems to name their ring sizes. In the UK and Australia, for example, ring sizes go from A to Z, while in America sizes are numbered. You can find a handy ring conversion chart on this website.
I find it really tricky to make rings because of the size issue and creating beaded rings poses an extra challenge because of the bead sizes. I have noticed that size M and N tend to be quite popular which is why most of my beaded rings are a size L/M or M/N, while the plated rings are designed to fit every finger.
Most jewellers have a nifty ring tool which they use to measure their clients’ fingers. If you want to find out the size of your partner’s preferred ring finger you either have to simply ask or you can measure your partner’s finger in millimetres – ideally when it’s not too hot or cold as it will skew the size – by using a tape measure. The conversion chart will help you determine the correct size. Or you can just take a punt and order the ring you like the look of – if it doesn’t fit you can always return it.
I hope you have found this post useful and have a better idea of how to choose gorgeous jewellery your partner will treasure and love. Maybe you can even find the perfect jewellery in my shop.
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