HOW TO CHOOSE JEWELLERY AS A GIFT

You know jewellery makes a beautiful present for someone, that’s why you’re here! So let’s cut right to the chase: here are the five things you need to consider when picking out jewellery as a gift.

1. What’s their style?

Of course, it’s great if you have an idea of what style of jewellery they already wear. Pay attention when you’re next together, look up any photos of them to see what jewellery they’re wearing. Ask a family member or close friend if you need more input. Do they go for bold or understated jewellery? Dainty or chunky? Chains, gemstones, texture, colour. What kinds of shapes are they drawn to?

The more thought you put in at this stage, the more chance you’ll choose something they’ll love. If you only know of a couple of pieces of jewellery they own, we can look to other areas of their life to discern their preferences:

Think about their wardrobe: how would you describe their style? Edgy/alternative or classy/elegant, or maybe pretty/cute? Do they like big, bold pieces or are they more unstated in their clothing choices? What do they pay attention to: texture, structure, little details? How they dress will give you a lot of information on the kind of jewellery they’d be drawn to, but also the kind of jewellery that would complete their current look. For example, if someone regularly wears big, chunky Dr. Martens, chances are they quite enjoy a statement accessory. If their go-to is sleek flats and a little cross-body bag, they probably prefer smaller, classic pieces of jewellery.

Think about their home: we can’t hide our style. Every choice we make says something about us. What artwork do they like, what about ornaments and ceramics, rugs or other soft furnishings? Do they like textured or smooth surfaces, are they maximalist or minimalist? Is their décor classic, mid-century, industrial, artsy or Scandi? Think about the jewellery that embodies these styles, and match up their home and wardrobe style with different jewellery pieces.

2. What jewellery do they usually wear?

So we’ve already thought about style, now we’re thinking about specifics. There’s no point buying someone a bracelet if they don’t enjoy the sensation of having something on their wrist, or gifting someone a pair of statement drop earrings when they only ever wear little studs.

Type: Earrings (if so, hoops, studs, dangly/drop earrings, small, mid-size, big?), necklaces (layering, chains, pendants?), bracelets (charm, chain, cord?), bangles (chunky, skinny, stacking or solo?), rings (big, small, chunky, dainty, plain, detailed?). You can even consider ear cuffs, piercing (nose, septum, helix) jewellery, for something really personal and thoughtful.

Do they change up their jewellery regularly or wear the same few pieces for months at a time? If they change things up often, it would be a great idea to get them something they can put in rotation that complements their current collection. If they wear the same things for a while, get them something that really fits their style, is versatile and can be worn comfortably in the long run (consider size, texture and durability).

Do they like to stack/layer their jewellery? Opting for layering necklaces, chain bracelets, sleek bangles or stacking rings could be a great option here.

Gold or silver? Most people have a preference. Some people wear both, in which case the choice is yours! For something even more special, you could get them a mixed-metal piece of jewellery (this is a great option to uniting a jewellery collection with both silver and gold pieces).

I understand that you probably don’t just want to get them a replica of the jewellery they already own – the aim here is to get them something similar to what they have so you’ll know they like it, but I like to try to put a little twist on my jewellery gifts. For example, let’s say they often wear medium-sized hoops in a couple of different styles. It’s a safe bet to get them a medium-sized pair of hoops, but why not opt for an unusual shape or texture (that you know they’ll like)? They stack a couple of pendant necklaces, why not add a chain layering necklace to add to their stack? They wear the same abstract studs every day – how about gifting them a pair of new abstract studs that are a bit different, to refresh their jewellery wardrobe?

If it helps you decide, the most popular jewellery gifts are studs, necklaces and, in my experience, hoops (for hoop lovers, of course!), with bracelets and drop earrings coming in second.

3. What’s their size?

Okay, don’t panic! If you’re looking to buy a pair of earrings, you’re safe because there are no measurements involved!

Necklaces, bracelets, bangles and anklets are a little bit trickier but thankfully there aren’t loads of sizes to choose from, so it’s usually a fairly risk-free option. If you can get hold of one of their pieces of jewellery to measure (length of necklaces, bracelets and anklets with a ruler or tape measure, diameter (from one side to the other) of bangles), that’s a great way to work out what size to get. For layering necklaces, you need to order a necklace that’s a bit shorter or longer than their current stack so they don’t all bunch up in the same place. Getting a photo of the person with their necklaces on can help here – it’s not a foolproof way to tell the length, but it can certainly help your friendly local jeweller (hi!) to recommend a size.

We all know buying a ring for someone else is haaaard. So how can you work out someone’s ring size?

Option 1. Obvious but, have you considered asking them? Does secrecy have to play a big role in your gift-buying? “Hey, I was thinking of buying you a ring for Christmas. Do you know your size?”. If they don’t know their sizes, take them to a jewellers to get measured (write their sizes in your phone!), and grab lunch after – even better!

Option 2. Can you get your hands on their jewellery box? If you can take a ring or two of theirs to a jeweller, we can measure them for you. Then you can buy a ring in that size. If you don’t think you can get away with borrowing a ring for a bit, try it on yourself and if it fits any of your fingers, you can go and get that finger measured!

Option 3. Get them to try on some of your rings, and if any of them fit, get them measured! You could also go on a shopping date with them, for example to an independent craft fair, and get them to try on rings there and get the measurements from the jeweller. It’s also a good way to see what jewellery they’re drawn to, which will help you select something for them as a gift later. Top tip: pretend you’re buying a ring for someone else, and get them to try them on and pose for photos to “show” the other person. That’s a good way of finding a ring that fits them, which you can then get the size of. Sneaky!

Option 4. Ask a friend or family member if they know the person’s ring size, can try on or get hold of their rings for you. There’s no harm in recruiting helpers!

Option 5. Resizing is always an option. Check with the jeweller you’re buying from on their resizing or exchange policy. You can give your best guess as to their ring size, even just based on a photo you show your jeweller, and if it doesn’t fit, we can exchange or resize it for you. The important thing is the style you chose, and the effort you went to!

See my sizing guide here.

4. How to choose a meaningful gift

If you’ve put thought into the first three questions in this article, you’re already well on your way to buying your special person a really thoughtful present. There are a couple of additional things you might be considering when it comes to buying jewellery for someone else:

Occasion: jewellery makes an amazing gift to mark a special moment or celebration in someone’s life because it’s so long-lasting, and the person can literally carry it with them everywhere. Whether you’re buying for a graduation present, birthday, engagement, housewarming, promotion, Christmas or just to celebrate someone having had a particularly amazing/challenging/eventful year, jewellery is an amazing choice.

Location: you could buy jewellery from a jeweller based in a place that’s special to you and the person you’re buying for, or a local jeweller to where one or both of you live. Maybe the jewellery is designed with a specific location in mind, or the materials used were sourced from somewhere special.

Values: buying according to your values and/or the values of the recipient, are another way to make your gift more personal and thoughtful. For example, choosing an eco-conscious, inclusive or vegan jewellery brand (like MALT!) or one that is owned by someone you connect with are great ways to show the person you’re buying for that you’ve put extra thought into their gift. And don’t be afraid of explaining that when you hand over your present! (See “Thoughtful presentation” below)

Significance: jewellery has a long history and symbolic meaning. The type of jewellery you choose can also say something about how you feel about the person you’re giving it to and the kind of gift you want to give.

Rings and bracelets will always be in the person’s eyeline; they can look at their jewellery and think of you! Earrings are easily visible and quite personal, since they’re right next to the face and often a strong indicator of personality and style. Someone wearing the earrings you bought them can be a sign that they’re happy to be associated with you and they love the style you picked out for them! Necklaces, on the other hand, sit close to the wearer’s heart, so they can make for a particularly personal, loving gift.

5. Thoughtful presentation

Now you’ve spent time finding the perfect piece of jewellery to give as a gift, it’s time to make sure it’s packaged perfectly for the occasion. Putting a little bit of thought into gift presentation goes a really long way for the recipient and can make for a life-long memory.

Check whether the brand you’re buying from provides a beautiful box for the jewellery (spoiler: I do), so the recipient will have somewhere special to store it. You can source some beautiful gift wrap yourself or see whether the jewellery brand offers a gift wrapping service. At MALT Jewellery, I also provide a little leaflet with care instructions with every purchase as well as a card explaining the values of the brand.

Lastly, I always advise writing a gift note or card with a couple of lines about why you chose this piece of jewellery specifically. If you’ve gone to the effort of finding something perfect for your loved one, let them know, so they’re in no doubt as to how special they are to you!

Bonus: gift vouchers

If you're not confident choosing a piece of jewellery for someone, but still want to get them something meaningful, consider getting them a gift voucher. Where you get your voucher from speaks volumes; choosing a jewellery brand with an aesthetic and/or values that you know your person would connect with shows thoughtfulness on your part. People love to feel seen and appreciated, and giving a gift card can still do that if you choose carefully. You can put a physical voucher in a beautiful card with a thoughtful handwritten message, explaining why you thought this brand would speak to them, or send them a digital card in an email with a similarly special message. That way, they can choose their own jewellery, guaranteeing a perfect fit and a piece they'll absolutely adore.

So to summarise, think about the recipient’s style, what type of jewellery they usually wear, their size, the meaning behind the gift and how to present it beautifully. If you need help with any of these steps, please feel free to contact me – I love helping people choose the perfect gift!

Explore gifts here. I also have a collection of gifts for men, as well as unisex gifts. If you're just looking for a small, but meaningful and beautiful gift, take at look at MALT gifts under £50.