Archive for May, 2010

Special events in one’s life are made even more memorable when commemorated with a personalized gift to mark the occasion.  And for that very special lady in your life nothing would say how much she means to you on such a momentous day than presenting her with a heart pendant.  Just like many other kinds of heart jewelry, the great thing about heart pendants is the fact that they are a fabulous gift no matter what age you’re buying for.  A heart pendant can also cater for many different tastes as well as ages: if, for example, the person you’re buying for likes diamond jewelry or pearl jewelry, you can find heart shaped pieces that include these gems – so there’s something for everyone!

Take a look at some of the many heart pendants that you can choose from in jewelry stores in the mall or on-line to see what I mean.  We’re obviously biased on this web site because our focus is about all kinds of heart jewelry: whether it’s heart charms, heart bracelets or heart earrings we’re great fans.  But there is something extra special about a heart pendant and maybe that’s because it stays the closest to your own heart when you’re wearing it.

I suppose the first special day in every couple’s life is when they celebrate their first Valentines Day together.  Although there are lots of gifts you could choose to shower her with like flowers, chocolates and soft toys, picking out a specially selected heart shaped pendant would really let her know that she has your heart.  Because there are is such a large variety of designs made from many different kinds of precious and semi precious metals finding one that will fit your budget should not be difficult.

What a lovely gift a gold heart pendant would make from the parents of a daughter to their loved one on her wedding day.  It would serve to remind her that although someone else now has her heart she is still in their heart and always will be.  It a real and explicit message that parental love lasts forever.

Another special day that will always live in your memory is that of the birth of your children.  Clearly the days leading up to and immediately after the birth are a whirlwind of emotion and activity, but if the prospective Dad can take some time out to buy a heart pendant for his new arrival, that action will highlight the day even more for the lifetime to come.  Buying a heart locket personalized with date, name and picture of the proud parents and their new addition will be a lasting memento of this happy event.   I particularly like the Sterling Silver Family Heart Locket from Things Remembered (see left) as you can add more photographs as your family grows.

Heart pendants also make the perfect anniversary gift no matter how many years you are celebrating.  Presenting your loved one with a silver or gold heart necklace engraved with a personalized message, on your 25th wedding anniversary or your Golden anniversary, will show her that she’s still loved even though you’ve been together a long time.  It’s a wonderful way to recognize the times you’ve shared throughout the years.

Although heart pendants make a superb gift for a man to give to his loved one on special celebratory days to show how much she means to him, they are suitable for anyone to give as a present to show someone they are loved.  A child giving a heart shaped necklace to Mom on Mother’s Day will show her that she is loved even if she is not told this as often as she would like.  Giving a heart pendant to Grandma, whether she’s 50 or 90, as a birthday present will bring a smile to her face every time she wears it and she will show it off with pride letting everyone know she is loved.

So whatever the occasion to be celebrated or for a “just because” present heart pendants make the ideal gift and tell the recipient they are truly loved.

For centuries the heart shape has been the universal symbol of love – so it is no surprise that giving a piece of heart jewelry is the most popular way of showing someone that you love them. And nothing could be more romantic than a heart ring, especially if it is an engagement ring.

Ok, heart charms, heart bracelets and heart earrings are beautiful and wearable and special – but let’s be honest, what could be a bigger demonstration of love than the time that your Prince Charming tells you just how much he loves you and then produces a beautiful diamond heart shaped engagement ring? It’s the stuff of fairy tales that every girl dreams of! And how about the “couples” ring that is shown on the left (click on the picture for more details)?

As with fashion, hairstyles and make up, styles change over time and the same can be said for jewelry styles with a few exceptions. For example, heart jewelry in general is one style that has survived no matter what the latest fad, associated as it is with romantic feelings and declarations. But perhaps the most obvious exception to changes in popularity over a long period of time is the solitaire diamond ring which has always been in fashion, not just as an engagement ring but also as a dress ring.  Although there may be changes in the settings and choice of precious metal such as yellow gold, white gold, rose gold and platinum, diamonds still remain the number one choice of most for those getting married.

When my husband and I got engaged in the late sixties, although the largest selection of engagement rings on offer were solitaires or diamond clusters, a very fashionable alternative was to choose a ring with diamonds and other precious stones such as rubies, emeralds and sapphires. In some ways, this very wide choice was confusing because so many of the rings on offer were so wonderful to look at. And just like the times that you go out for a meal at your favorite restaurant and after the main course they bring you the dessert selections – you see the hot fudge sundae, the apple pie and that large slice of cheesecake and you want to try all of them, even though you know you can’t have them – well, that’s how I was when I started to look at engagement rings. (But to digress for a moment: the last time I went out for a meal, the restaurant offered a “dessert selection” with small portions of three different desserts in one serving – so perhaps you can have them all, or three of them at least!).

Anyhow, let’s get back to jewelry and the engagement ring anecdote. I remember going shopping with my girlfriend and stopping to look in the jewelry stores and picking out the engagement rings we wanted. My friend’s choice was for an oval ruby surrounded by diamonds whereas I decided that I wanted a central diamond surrounded by deep blue sapphires in the shape of a flower. Having lost touch with my friend before she got married I don’t know if she got the ring of her dreams but I certainly did and I still wear it every day.

Just writing this reminded me of Princess Diana’s engagement ring which was a large dark blue sapphire surrounded by diamonds. Very similar in design to the one my friend wanted but I am sure far more expensive than either of us would expect.

My husband has bought me lots of beautiful jewelry since we have been together and I treasure every piece. But the one item I would really like to receive is a heart ring to add to the heart jewelry collection which he has bought for me over all of these years to show how much he still loves me. So if your significant other is looking to find something that will last a long time and will be a constant reminder of how much you mean to each other, you might subtly suggest (or maybe not so subtly) a piece of jewelry such as a heart ring.

Like the majority of women, I love jewelry of all kinds and over the years have bought pieces for myself or had them bought for me as a gift. Even if they don’t wear other kinds of jewelry such as earrings, rings or bracelets, most women have at least one necklace or pendant. I have several designs and the most recent of them was bought for me by my husband from the selection of open heart pendants designed by Jane Seymour (currently one of the leading brands of heart jewelry as you may discern from the sheer volume of advertsing for these products that you see) .

I especially like to have heart jewelry in my necklace box ready to wear because of its versatility. Whether it’s heart charms, heart bracelets or heart earrings, they all seem to match with a great variety of clothing styles and are suitable for every type of social event. While something like diamond earrings or a pearl necklace can be somewhat formal and may well be too high-class for a quick dash to the Mall or a trip to the local family restaurant, heart shaped jewelry is almost universally appropriate.

heart pendantBut let’s get back to heart pendants in particular (such as the one on the left – click on the picture for more details). The ones I treasure the most are the ones that have been given to me by my husband, family members or friends as each time I wear one of them I am reminded of that special person. Although I tend to wear my heart pendant everyday no matter what I am wearing, I do swap it for one of my other ones depending on the occasion. For instance I have a beautiful silver snowflake pendant that a very dear friend of mine bought for me and I usually wear this at Christmas time. The blue snowflake box that it came in has an inscription inside the lid that reads ” every snowflake is unique it’s true, each one is special just like you”. It brings a smile to my face and reminds me of her every time I open the box.

When I worked with children I liked to wear fun jewelry. I am a big fan of A. A. Milne’s “Winnie The Pooh Stories” and so I love the fact that you can get pendants with all the different characters on them, my personal favorite is Eyore. But there are lots of other fun pendants to choose from. The same friend who bought me the snowflake pendant has lots of different “themed” sets of jewelry such as one set with a holiday motif consisting of a flip flop pendant, flip flop ring and flip flop bracelet. They look great with shorts and tops or even with swimwear.

Pendants are a very versatile item of jewelry and can dress up any outfit. I find them especially good for taking away that bare neck look of a “v” or scoop necked top or dress. For formal occasions matching items of jewelry will really set your outfit off. I like to wear my white gold heart pendant with my white gold heart earrings as they go with any color but look especially good when wearing black. Who knows, the next item of jewelry my husband buys for me may well be a heart ring to complete my set.