by Lora

When you give a gift of jewelry to someone you love, you will always be remembered whenever your gift is worn. Jewelry is special because it is an intimate gift worn next to bare skin or clothing. It is also a public gift because it will be seen by friends, co-workers, and family whenever it is worn. It is a gift that says to the recipient “I love you”. Because jewelry lasts forever, it will be passed down through the years.

But how can you pick out the perfect piece of jewelry from so many choices? Where can you get something unique and beautiful? What if you don’t have the time or patience to run from jewelry store to jewelry store? What if you don’t know much about how to select jewelry? Where can you get advice? How do you know if you are getting good value?

There are many excellent reasons to buy your jewelry online:

• You will have a huge selection compared to a jewelry store.
• You will get more value for your money because an on-line jewelry store does not have the overhead of a brick-and-mortar store. You can stay within your budget and still get beautiful jewelry!
• Often an on-line store will specialize in particular gems or handcrafted jewelry or styles.
• You can study the close-up pictures of jewelry at your leisure on-line and not be pressured by a salesman working on commission.
• You can shop on-line whenever you want to-morning, noon, or night. When you make your choice, it is on your timetable.
• You can narrow down your selections and go back as many times as you want to look and compare.
• You can ask someone who knows your spouse, such as a friend or family member (your daughter would be a good choice), to look at your final choices online to give their recommendations. They don’t even need to be in the same town!
• As you make your preliminary choices, you can jot down any questions that you might have-for example, what kind of clasp do the earrings have, what quality is the diamond, how long will it take to arrive, etc.
• You can contact the store with your questions before you make your final selection. There is usually an e-mail contact link that you can launch directly from the website. You can ask as many questions as you need to in order to make the best choice. It is personalized service, customized to your needs.
• A reputable online jewelry store will send you a certificate of authenticity along with the jewelry to ensure it is genuine.
• The on-line store will have return polices listed, so you will know ahead of time what to do if the piece must be returned.

Here is a useful tip: look in your spouse’s jewelry box first to see what kind of jewelry she likes. That will give you some very important clues in making your selection. What do you see in the jewelry box?

• Gold or silver?
• Classic traditional, sleekly modern, or individually handcrafted?
• Rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets, brooches, or pendants?
• Diamonds, birth stones, precious stones, or semiprecious stones?

If you are unsure of what to get, try to select something similar but just a little bit different. If she has lots of earrings, then she obviously likes earrings. That can be the start of your selection process. Later, as you get more confident regarding what she likes, you can be more adventurous in your selections. Then you might select a piece of jewelry that is different and exciting!

Try this approach - here are some examples:

• If you know that she likes hoop earrings, but when you look in her jewelry box, you see that she does not have any that are full diamond hoops, then go for that.
• If you know that her favorite pair of earrings is purple amethyst, but she does not have a nice necklace pendant or bracelet to go with those earrings, try for an item like that.
• If you see that she only likes white gold rather than yellow gold (or the opposite), try to stick with the type of metal that she likes most.
• The safest approach, if you are unsure, is to pick out a style that she already likes and wears a lot, but swap in a new stone that she does not already have. If she wears stud earrings a lot and likes the color blue, try for something like black opal, blue moonstone, blue topaz, or sapphire, with a diamond trim perhaps.

Remember, a gift of jewelry is a very special present. Whenever she wears it, she will think of you. You are giving her something beautiful because she is beautiful to you!

Editor's Note:

There are many great choices, but we can personally recommend this jewelry website where you will receive an authenticity certificate with every item. We love their gorgeous selection that includes both classic and modern styles, plus the prices are significantly lower than retail stores because there is less overhead for online-only shops.

Another good site, if you are looking for
less traditional styles, is here.