Jewellery Guide – Choosing The Perfect Jewellery Gift

Gifting isn’t always easy, and when it’s something as personal as jewellery, it’s important to get it right. In this guide we’ll give you some top tips to help you choose the perfect jewellery gift for a friend or loved one.

It goes without saying that receiving a gift of jewellery can be a wonderful thing. Jewellery is such a personal, thoughtful gift to receive and when the sender gets it right it’s wonderful, but it’s fair to say it can be pretty awkward when they get it wrong!

I mean of course the thought is still there, so there’s that but it can put the recipient in an awkward place, compelling them to wear the item whenever they see the recipient to show gratitude.

When you’re choosing jewellery as a gift for a friend or loved one, you’re probably going to be basing your decision on two main criteria.

One, it’s going to be something that you like and speaks to you, and two, of course you’re going to be considering the recipients style preferences and perhaps even a sentiment you might want the gift to convey.

Whatever the reasons behind wanting to gift jewellery, we’ve got you, and will help you make the right decision. Whether you're buying jewellery for a Christmas, birthday, anniversary or any other occasion.

In this guide we’ll talk you through 6 main things to consider before you buy jewellery for someone else.

Things to consider before buying jewellery as a gift

1. Are they a silver or gold person?

Figuring this out for a close friend is likely to be pretty easy, but if you don’t already know there are lots of things you can do, some subtle, some less so, to help you figure out the right metal to go for.

Choosing  the metal is a great starting point to help you select a piece of jewellery as it automatically narrows down your search options.

Is she strictly gold, silver or a mix of the two depending on mood? Typically people tend to stick to one or the other, but that’s not always the case! Rings are generally worn every day so these can provide your best clue to the safest metal choice to go for.

Once you know the metal colour, the next step may be to try and figure out what colour gemstone(s) will be right. To nail this, pay close attention to your friends visual style. Are they colourful and quirky? Do they have a bohemian vibe? Are they more into subdued and into classic styling?

Pay attention to what colours they like to wear, the colours of their existing jewellery and to totally win at gifting, a really good friend will remember little titbits of information their friend might have previously given and you’ve squirreled away, for example her mentioning an item of jewellery that she loved months ago that you remembered.

Perhaps you’re not buying for a close friend and it could be a friend or relative you may not have seen in some time. If this is the case, then the internet and social media in particular is your friend!

Take a look through their Facebook and Instagram photos, or have a flip through physical photographs of them that you might have to get a feel for the kind of jewellery that they usually wear.

2. Consider their birth month

Even if you’re not buying a gift for a birthday, thinking about their birth month gives you an easy route into choosing a piece of jewellery featuring a meaningful gemstone.

You might be hoping that the recipient isn’t born in April so you don’t have to fork out for diamonds, but you could be surprised by how affordable diamonds can be, especially if you choose grey diamonds, with items like grey diamond stud earrings or the Twinkle diamond pendant necklace making lovely gifts for those born in April.

Similarly, for those born in July who have the dazzling ruby as their birth stone, you’ll still be able to find some lovely affordable pieces like our Nexus ruby necklace or our Asha ruby hoop earrings.

Whatever their birth month, you can find our full guide to gemstones by birth month here. 

3. Consider their aesthetic and home interior style

Some people are easier to buy from than others, and if you’re struggling to get a read style wise on what the recipient might like, then you can take cues from their home. 

A friend who owns a home with a classic interior full of muted colours could dress in a similar toned down way and may prefer classic, less showy jewellery in which case choosing pearl jewellery or something simple and unadorned could be a win.

If their home is an eclectic representation of their personality, full of pieces from their travels, then look at some of our more decorative items of jewellery like our colourful, intricately carved jewellery.

4. Avoid disappointing your significant other

This might seem like and odd thing to say, but stick with us and trust us on this one! For couples who have been in a committed relationship for some time or for those who’ve previously discussed marriage, the last thing you want to do is buy an item of jewellery that could look like it might be an engagement ring if that's not your intention.

It’s important then to consider the packaging and tread carefully if you’re buying a ring for your partner. You don’t want an awkward moment when they realise it’s ‘just’ a ring and not ‘the’ ring that they might have been hoping for.

Similarly a pair of small stud earrings might be presented in a box that could look suspiciously like a ring box, so if this is the case, we’d recommend setting expectations first perhaps to avoid seeing your partners face fall when they open the gift.

Remember too that if this does happen, it’s likely to be a momentary slip in composure and that it doesn’t mean they don’t like what you’ve bought them. Indeed, they might love the stud earrings or ring, it’s just that it’s not quite what they were expecting or hoping for.

5. Budget should be a consideration

Of course budget will come into it and we’d never recommend spending beyond your means just to impress.

A gift perceived as being too extravagant could feel awkward to accept, especially if it’s between friends. An extravagant gesture between partners or a special family member however could be a wonderful idea!

“Stuff” doesn’t show how much you care about someone, but let’s face it, we all like to feel a bit special and receive something really thoughtful and lovely every now and again.

6. All wrapped up

Of course the finishing touches really matter too. Beautiful presentation is a great way of setting expectations and even the plainest piece of jewellery can be elevated when presented in a beautiful box that’s been prettily wrapped.

So once you’ve chosen the ideal piece of jewellery, put a little bit of effort into how you’ll present it to them. Whether it’s glitzy gift wrap, ribbons and bows, a simple gift bag and tissue paper or a more bohemian and eco friendly fabric wrap, don’t forget to pay attention to how the jewellery is presented.

Here at Pomegranate our jewellery comes in beautiful deep navy boxes with our name in gold, inside a gorgeous traditionally block printed Indian fabric pouch. So pretty that you won’t want to wrap it up, so you could opt to give it as it is, or just pop it straight into a little gift bag.

By taking into consideration all 6 of our above tips, you can be sure you’ll be gifting them some beautiful jewellery that they’ll love and cherish.

Happy gifting! x